San Bernardino. Orlando. Las Vegas. These are just cities, so why do they conjure images of death and tragedy in your mind? The sad truth about each these cities is that each incident was dubbed the worst mass shooting in America. The shooting in San Bernardino (2015) claimed 14 lives and injured 22 others; Orlando (2016) claimed 49 lives and injured 58 others; Las Vegas (2017) claimed 59 lives and injured more than 500 others. Each year, the number of casualties of mass shootings grew alarmingly and yet nothing was done to try to prevent yet another incident in the future.

Do you see a trend? Mass shootings are becoming normal. Think about that for a minute. We have become numb to seeing stories about mass murder splattered across the 5 p.m. news; this is our society. Now, when I say “normal,” I do not mean natural or socially accepted; I simply mean that we have come to expect them, it is just another terrible social phenomenon that we have grown accustomed to.

The statistics are not in our favor. With mass shootings continually becoming more and more deadly, we can no longer sit idly by and wait for another bloodbath in our country. We should not have to live our lives in fear over the likely possibility of another mass shooting occurring. It is time for us to demand stricter gun laws from our government.

I am fully aware that there are some people that are against the development of stricter gun laws. However, I disagree with their reasoning that they have a right to have access to guns. When our country was founded, it was obviously a much different time in our nation’s history that was filled with the constant threat of war. Moreover, with a new and at times unstable government, it made sense for people to have weapons at their disposal in order to protect themselves and their families. Today, we live in a drastically different society. We are a country that is blessed not to have war on our soil right now. So, the question begs to be asked, why do individuals feel that they have an innate right to own firearms? For hunting? For protection? For fun? 

Truth be told, the problem isn't with people purchasing guns; the problem is with "bad" people purchasing guns. Suspected terrorists, criminals, those on the do not fly list, those struggling with severe mental health issues, etc. Our gun laws need to make it more challenging for people that have a higher probability of causing gun violence either to themselves or others to purchase guns in the first place. 

Regardless of what side you're on when it comes to gun ownership, I think that we can all agree that steps need to be taken to reduce the growing epidemic of gun violence in America. It's time to stop hiding behind outdated laws and hoping that things will just eventually get better. The statistics are compelling:  

• According to UNODC, America has just 4.4 percent of the world's population, but almost half of the civilian-owned guns around the world.
• According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 1,500 mass shooting since Sandy Hook (2012) with at least 1,700 people killed and 6,000 people injured.
• According to Mother Jones, states in America with more guns have more deaths. Similarly, countries with more guns have more deaths. On the other hand, it has been shown that states in America with stricter gun control laws have fewer gun-related deaths.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most gun deaths are suicides, which speaks to the need for stricter laws for those with severe mental health issues. This is corroborated by the statistic that the states with the most guns also report the most suicides.
• According to Everytown, on an average day, 93 Americans are killed with guns.

This isn't about the government coming for your guns. This isn't about the defense that "guns don't kill people, people kill people." This isn't about the idea that keeping a gun at home will make you safer. (Although you can read about how those common ideas have been debunked here.)

This is about looking at the cold, hard facts and realizing that something needs to change before tragedy strikes again.