According to an article from CNN, the U.S. is home to a third of the world's mass shootings. In the light of the most recent mass shooting in our country, I have a few things to say. First, my heart goes out to those who lost their lives, along with their families. Losing any friend or loved one to death is difficult, but it is even harder knowing that another human is responsible for all of these deaths. Second, I'm not criticizing anyone's religion, as not all followers are extremist. Also, in some of the previous mass shootings, mental health was a factor. I am not here to question anyone's mental health or criticize it. I also don't want to nail these two factors as the only factors in a mass shooting, as there are others. I am here to say that we have a heart problem, not a gun problem.

I know, that statement sounds cliche, but it stands very true. I firmly stand by the fact that guns do not kill people, and that people kill people. Guns can certainly be used to kill others, but so can knives, fists, ropes, plastic bags, pillows, baseball bats, crow bars, poison, and many other objects. Calling for gun control cannot, and will not, solve this type of problem. People who want to use guns to kill others would still find a way to get a gun, similar to how people get drugs even though it is illegal. If harm and ill intention is on someone's mind, that person will do anything (and use anything) in order to achieve that. If these objects are left alone or simply used for their designated purpose, they obviously wouldn't kill anyone. It is clear that anything can be used to help kill someone...but ill intentions are what actually kill.

As a young Libertarian, and (future) law abiding gun owner, I think it is completely wrong to remove this right to bear arms. I understand that people have strong opinions on this topic, but it is crucial to keep this right. For some people, a gun may be their only way of defending themselves. If someone lives in the country and nowhere near a city and their home or property is being wrongfully invaded, or if their life is somehow in danger, a gun is their way of defense because any sort of help is far off. Time is crucial in these situations, it only takes a second to pull a trigger while it may take longer for help to arrive. If you're like me, only 5'5" in height and 140 pounds, it would be difficult to fight off an attacker or a rapist that was 6'0" and almost 300 pounds merely by using fists or a can of pepper spray. This is were a gun would be the best type of defense, because the victim wouldn't be strong enough to make the attacker stop. If a victim pulled a gun on the attacker, then he or she would most likely stop and walk away. If a citizen who had a concealed weapon on them was in a place where a mass shooting was occurring, that concealed carry citizen could fire back at the shooter if little to no police or SWAT team help was present. Owning a gun does not protect just one person, it protects everyone. Why else would police and military personnel carry guns? Their job is to protect citizens, and they use guns to help do so. There is always a possibility that someone in either of these positions can have ill intentions, but the majority of them do not.

I'm not asking anyone to agree with me or participate in gun ownership, but to be aware and understand that guns are very helpful tools in certain situations. They can also be dangerous when put into the wrong hands. However, I agree with performing background checks on citizens who want to purchase a gun. Anyone of any culture, race, ethnicity, upbringing, or health can have ill intentions because if performing harm is on the mind, the person will do whatever it takes to cause it, and use whatever weapon they want. This is why we have a heart problem, not a gun problem. These perpetrators in mass shootings do not represent all gun owners, just as radical Muslims do not represent all followers of the faith. Not everyone who owns a gun plans to use it to harm another human. As a society, we cannot, and should not, make these types of blanket statements about anyone. As a firm believer in this right, I ask that this right of protection does not get taken away from lawful gun owners, both current and future ones (like myself).