I know that there's been this gun debate that's been happening for a while, but I haven't really given it much attention or had an opinion on it. However, when I woke up one morning and read about a shooting at a festival in Las Vegas, I sighed from the annoyance of reading about another shooting and not from the tragedy of it. I was shocked to see how desensitized I'd become and knew that I had to do something about it.

So, I did some research on guns. Here's what I learned:

Annually, more than 33,000 people die from gun shots. Although everyone seems to concentrate on mass shootings, terrorist attacks, and deaths relating to the police, 2/3 of 33,000 deaths are suicides. The remaining 1/3 are homicides or classified as undetermined. These stats don't even mention the 23% of American adults that have been threatened by guns. Furthermore, adolescents as young as 12 years have fired one, and these aren't in video games.

The next thing I researched was the ease of buying firearms. Seriously, people weren't kidding when they said getting one wasn't hard.

Although each state has different regulations, basically, the only restrictions in place are that you have to be 18 years of age and pass a background check. That's it. You don't even have to take a course on how to use a gun. Now, I know that there are those who believe that these restrictions are enough to keep civilians safe. But let's be real-- it's not. The background check is a fluke.

This is how the check works: the FBI runs the consumers name through the National Instant Criminal Background System. Alright, at a glance, this seems pretty legit.

But it can only be legit if it actually works, and it doesn't. The white supremacist who decided to go to a church one day and start firing shots in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015 had purchased a gun which he was cleared for.

This was an unfortunate mistake because it turned out that Dylann Roof had a drug conviction that the system should have flagged him for, but didn't.

Also, Stephen Paddock, the man responsible for the Las Vegas tragedy that injured nearly 500 people and took 58 lives, had passed all the necessary background checks to purchase the weapons. Hopefully, people can at least agree that the background checks aren't doing their jobs.

Furthermore, the only restriction on an individual from selling guns to another is: the transaction has to be within a state. They can't sell a gun to someone in Alabama if the consumer lives in Georgia, but anyone buying within the same state can purchase an arsenal of weapons. Still, with all this in mind, there are citizens in favor of guns, and I respect their opinions.

The most common reason why civilians are in possession of the weapon is for protection. In fact, 2/3 of gun owners share this belief. In addition to this, 74% of gun owners also believe that having the ability to own one is necessary for their sense of freedom. (Fine, I get that. It's a right in our constitution.)

To those who believe the weapon is for your own protection,

1. As mentioned above, 67% of gun-related deaths are suicides. Just to let you know, there have been EXTENSIVE studies that show decreasing the accessibility of lethal weapons in countries also decrease the number of suicides by 30% to 50%.

So already, if there were to be stricter regulations on the access to these weapons, the number of gun-related deaths would significantly drop. But if you're still worried about the remaining ratio of deaths, please, go to number 2.

2. There are studies that show restricting the attainability of guns reduces the rate of homicides as well! In 2003, Brazil placed new laws that limited the access of guns and created a program which people could volunteer to give up their weapons.

As a result, Brazilians returned more than 450,000 firearms and had at least an 8% reduction in both homicides and suicides. Furthermore, the rate of accidental and undetermined deaths dropped by 41.5%.

Also, there are other countries such as Colombia and Austria who took steps toward reformation, and they too saw a reduction in their suicide and homicide rates. Thus, it's impossible to say that reducing the access of guns won't have an effect on the number of lives America loses to guns.

To those who believe that the weapon is essential for your freedom,

I understand that it is your constitutional right to keep and bear arms. But also keep in mind, the constitution was created for the people; to give them basic protections. America is now the leading developed country when it comes to the number of deaths related to firearms. This is absolutely heinous and isn't making people feel safe. Everyone in this country is now a potential target.

Even though "the right to bear Arms" is the second amendment, if the Constitution isn't serving the people, there has to be a change. That's why I believe that it's time for people to transcend their own individual needs in order for the greater good.

As a psych major, I have to say, everyone should just practice Positive Psychology! This actually leads people to feel happier. On the individual level, positive psychology is defined as the volume for love, forgiveness, courage, originality, etc.

On a community level, positive psychology is about togetherness, work ethic, responsibility, tolerance, etc. There are studies that show the big impact that practicing such ideas has on a person's happiness, thus reinforcing them to be less self-oriented and more society-oriented.

Influenced by this, I believe that citizens should begin to think outside themselves (their own protection and rights) and instead try and consider what's better for the community as a whole (the country's protection and right). Thereby, I suspect the reduction on the accessibility to guns is the move that will better America, leaving people happier and safer.