One of the first things I was warned about when I decided to come to America to study was the reckless use of guns. I am no authority on the apt usage of guns and the regulations that surround it, but even to the most average intellectual being, one thing seems pretty obvious: guns must be used with official permission and with some form of control.

It saddened me to hear about the unfortunate death of Trinity Gay, the daughter of Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay. She was caught in a savage crossfire between two unidentified vehicles at a restaurant near University of Kentucky. Trinity was an aspiring sprinter herself and this remorseful incident lost the world a unique, talented, young woman.

Shootings are commonplace, even on college campuses. On September 19th, a man was shot 3 times outside an Allston nightclub and is fighting for his life. This incident happened minutes away from where I live and is an absolutely terrifying reality.

Humans are often short-tempered and it is an appalling reality that our basic existence can be taken away by anyone on the street who loses their sanity momentarily and decides to shoot you. As with most other regulations, it is essential to undergo a thorough background check before permitting an individual to possess a gun.

As President Obama mentions, it is scary that even individuals who are a flight risk to this country are allowed to own guns. They are known to belong to terrorist groups, barred from flying, but are allowed to carry guns?

I believe that most politicians are terrified to reverse gun laws because they don't want to offend the conservatives and upset the votes of those in favor of guns.

Guns have always been a sensitive issue in America, but alarming statistics from the Gun Violence Archive state that in the year of 2016, already 44,929 gun related incidents have occurred. Out of these, 1,658 shootings have been accidental firings and 2,450 teenagers have been injured or shot to death.

Isn't it a morose reality if children are granted access to guns? Children, who rarely know what they are doing, are given the power to claim lives?

It's about time America places emphasis on the grim consequences of gun control and enforces reforms without being worried of upsetting those in favor of guns.