In the ongoing debate on gun control, we've all heard the saying, "guns don't kill people; people kill people." While this statement is absolutely true-- I mean, guns can't pull their own triggers-- it does not contradict the fact that we need more gun control.
I personally agree with the second amendment; we should have the right to bear arms in order to be able to protect ourselves if it is necessary. But it should not be as easy as it is to get hold of a gun or, more specifically, an assault rifle.
An assault rifle is not used for protection, the purpose of an assault rifle is to kill. I will put gun violence into perspective for you based on numbers from last year.
According to thetrace.org:
1. In the United States, 12,942 people were killed in 2015 in a gun homicide, unintentional shooting or a murder/suicide. That's an average of 36 people a day.
2. Between 2005-2015, 71 Americans were killed by terrorists attacks on U.S. soil. During that same period, 301,797 were killed by gun violence.
3. In 2015, mass shootings (defined as four or more people shot regardless of fatalities) occurred in nearly 100 metro areas.
4. Mass shootings account for only two percent of annual gun deaths.
5. Of the 30 Americans killed by gun violence everyday on average, roughly 50 percent of them are black men.
6. In 2015, at least 756 children were killed by gun fire this is about 2 people under the age of 18 everyday.
7. In 2015, in America, a toddler shot someone once a week with about 2 killing other people, 13 injuring other people, 25 injuring themselves, and 19 killing themselves.
8. Guns now kill as many people as cars with a rate of about 10.3 people in every 100,000.
9. Domestic assaults with guns are 12 times more likely to end in death than those without guns.
10. Eight percent of gun owners own 10 or more guns, this is more Americans owning 10 or more weapons than residents in Denmark.
11. Less than 10 percent of stolen weapons are recovered.
12. Chicago police take one stolen gun off the street every 74 minutes.
Now I'm not saying guns should be banned, but I am saying we need to have more regulations.
There should be deeper background checks and psychological tests. If a child is going to be home with a gun, there should be regulations on how the gun is locked up.
If guns are going to keep being available in the United States we need to have mandatory education classes, not just for those who are buying guns, but for children too so they can learn the dangers and that guns are not toys.
Assault rifles should not be available for purchase. There is no need to have an assault rifle just for protection.
Congress cannot continue to remain silent on gun violence they need to do something to prevent it before it happens. Our moments of silence are not doing anything for the lives that will continue to be lost to gun violence. It would be no use to ban guns and make them illegal to posses because drugs are illegal, but people still have access.
The answer is taking further measures to understand the mind of the person that is trying to buy the gun, not making them illegal.
So, while "guns don't kill people; people kill people," what if they didn't have a trigger to pull?
