Now, let me preface this article with the answers to your questions. Yes, this is, in fact, an opinion piece, and no, I am not affiliated with either the Republican or the Democratic party. I think, however, a fresh perspective on the issue of gun control outside of the politics of left-wing liberalism and right-wing conservatism may be beneficial to how many continue to view this issue in America.

One of the scariest moment's in this nation's history was on September 11, 2001. Members of the terrorist group Al Qaeda took over three planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. By the end of the day, 2,996 of our citizens perished and another 6,000 seriously injured (Jervis). In a little over a month, the USA PATRIOT Act was swept into Congress and passed through the House and Senate by a landslide the very next day.

One of the outcomes of 9/11 that enhanced National Security at the expense of our Constitutional rights is baggage check at airports. As one of the most common sightings of increase in National Security, it is commonly accepted that by boarding the plane, you give up your rights to protection from unwarranted searches and seizures. Whatever your stance may be, one of the most commonly asked questions in defense of baggage check is, "if you have nothing to hide, then why do you care if they check?" 

From 2001 to 2011, just 10 years, 281,757 people were killed by guns (Jacobsen). According to my calculations, the amount of gun deaths in just 10 years equals the World Trade Center falling 94 times. This also equal the World Trade Center collapsing a little over nine times per year. Imagine the tragedy, sorrow and pain that came with September 11th happening nine times a year. It's almost unfathomable.

My article is NOT arguing that a terrorist attack is equivalent to our constitutional right to own a gun. I understand that the city with most gun control laws, Chicago, also continues to be one of the cities with the highest crime rate in America. I understand that gun reform does not work 100 percent of the time. I understand that it is easy to make a gun out of objects around the house and that it is easy to illegally obtain a gun. But, if they don't vote 'yes' on laws that uphold the safety of our citizen's despite the obstacles they face, then why do we have legislature? Why do we elect officials to represent what's best for our constituents (in terms of safety, responsiveness, and the like) if they will give up because it is not likely that they will succeed?

Of course, the measures for gun control is a much lengthier process than the measures taken after 9/11, where one is a terrorist (external) attack and one is a culmination of homicides and suicides (internal). However, gun violence has gone unnoticed for far too long and has now caused more deaths than what we know to be the worst attack on our nation.

So, what has America done to help change the course of gun use? The Senate has proposed, without success, a number of gun control bills this past June in response to the Orlando shooting, in which 49 people were killed and 53 injured in a terrorist/hate crime. Senate shut down all of the bills proposed due to the partisan gridlock that has grips on our Congress at this moment. Not only did Congress shut down a bill proposing people on terror watch be denied the right to buy a gun, but they also shut down a bill proposing an alert when those on terror watch buy a gun (LoBianco). The 2nd Amendment is interpreted by both sides, the Democrats and the Republicans, completely differently. Democrats stand with the view that assault rifles are unnecessary for "average" citizens and that the purpose of the 2nd Amendment, as proposed by the Framers, is to equip the militia with guns. Republicans argue, on the other hand, that over the decades the 2nd Amendment has come to mean everyday citizens have the ability to buy and own a gun, and adding gun control laws infringe on one's constitutional rights. This led to the denial of all proposed bills because, according to CNN, "tough election year politics, paired with disputes over the effectiveness of each party's ideas, proved too powerful to break the longstanding partisan gridlock that's surrounded gun issues for years" (LoBianco).

Our nation's constitution as we know it is a living document. This means that the Framers, those who wrote the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention, wrote it with the insight that its vague language would be interpreted and reinterpreted in accordance with the generations. They set the framework for a democratic republic that would evolve with the important issues of its time. And, whether you stand for the 2nd Amendment or not, gun violence has become an important issue of our time. In order to preserve the safety of our citizens, a good hard look must be taken at what we have let slide in the past years with gun ownership. I think it is time that we see the dire need for gun reform, whether it be stricter gun laws or background checks. National Security, in the form of at the very least background checks, on those looking to buy a gun, at the expense of individual rights is justified by the hundred of thousands of people that have died in just a decade. In terms of gun control, you must ask yourself the same question most do at baggage check, "if you have nothing to hide, then why do you care if they check?"

Works Cited

Jacobsen, Louis. "Doonesbury Strip Says 270,000 Americans Have Been Killed by Guns since 9/11." Politifact. Tampa Bay Times, 14 Feb. 2011. Web.

Jervis, Rick. "15 Years after Sept. 11, the Questions That Still Remain in Our Minds." USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC., 16 Sept. 2016. Web. 5 Oct. 2016.

LoBianco, Tom, Deirdre Walsh, Betsy Klein, and Manu Raju. "Senate Rejects Series of Gun Measures." CNN. Cable News Network, 20 June 2016. Web. 06 Oct. 2016.