On the chilly night of November 13th, 2015, I received a panicked phone call from my mother, urging me to turn on the news.

It was a Friday night, around 9 p.m. and me and my friends had just returned from a football game. I turned on ABC News to see a bone-chilling headline, reading “Terrorist Attacks in France.”

Along with the rest of the nation, my heart went out to those in France, but I had a much more personal reason to worry; I have family living in France. I quickly dialed my father’s phone number, asking if he had heard the horrible news and asking if everyone was okay.

Thankfully, none of my family was injured. On that night, ISIS was responsible for leaving 130 dead and hundreds wounded, according to an article on BBC News. “Gunmen and suicide bombers hit a concert hall, a major stadium, and bars...The deadliest attack of the night came at a concert venue on Boulevard Voltaire...Eighty-nine people died as the men fired Kalashnikov-type assault rifles into the crowd.”

In response, the French gov't assigned about 10,000 soldiers to the streets, called a state of emergency, more airport security and several other measures to protect French citizens.

As we all know, this continues today.

According to “France: A timeline of terror” by sky news, there have been a total of 13 terrorist attacks in France, one happening just last week on Friday, March 23rd. After hijacking a car and firing at four officers, the ISIS-affiliated gunman, Redouane Lakdim, drove down to a local supermarket in Trèbes where he opened fire and held hostages for hours. Three people were killed, according to an article by James McAuley on The Washington Post.

Something must be done. Understandably, approaching a group as inhumane and heartless as ISIS is nowhere near an easy task, but citizens deserve a feeling of safety in their own supermarkets.

Terrorism has now become prominent within our country. But what about the young, American people responsible for the numerous terrorism attacks within our country?

Almost two months ago, Nikolas Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 17 lives were taken that day. And why? Because a gun was placed into the wrong hands. And how was Lakdim capable of taking three lives in Trèbes on Friday? Again, because of guns, as well as unstable mental health and inhumane thoughts.

Obviously France and the United States hold completely different domestic policies. However, both places have fallen victim to both foreign and domestic terrorism attacks.

According to an article by Adam Taylor in 2015 on World Views, the French do not have the right to bear arms, and can only own one with a sports or hunting license with repeated renewal and after psychological evaluations. While Americans enjoy the luxury of the right to bear arms, we also suffer the consequences of the wrong people holding such powerful weapons.

How many innocent people have to die before legislatures realize something must be done? According to a study by Gun Violence Archive, 15,549 people died in 2017 due to guns. Within that number are children, teenagers, elders.

The regulation of guns would by no means take away anyone’s freedoms. If anything, it would confirm people’s freedoms to simply attend outdoor concerts, walk on sidewalks, and improve their education at schools without having to worry about getting shot.

According to an article by Benjamin G. Bishin in The Washington Post, people’s main issue with gun reform is due to sub constituencies.

“Rather, they’re groups that people feel a part of, based on a shared psychological attachment called a social identity, caused by some experience.” In other words, these people feel that these guns are sacred objects to their freedom of bearing arms, which is something they feel should not be taken away.

But what about the high school students taken away from their families 38 days ago? Or Arnaud Beltrame, the French officer who traded places with a hostage in Trèbes and passed away on Saturday? Is a gun really worth a life?

Legislatures are taking their sweet time on this serious matter, the young generation has decided to take matters into their own hands.

“This week’s March for Our Lives is the culmination of a month-long effort to honor the 17 students and faculty members killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and rally Americans across the United States to say enough to gun violence,” wrote Dakin Andone on CNN. Thousands of people across the country took to the streets, marching with signs and chanting “Enough” to promote some kind of action from legislators.

“Never Again” is right. We do not need a repeat of Trèbes in the United States. We do not need another mass school shooting to realize enough is enough. We do not need to lose another life. It is time to put our pride aside and save lives. Your hunting guns can be replaced, but those lives taken cannot. Will something be done, or will the violence continue?