In light of recent events, many people across the nation are beginning to question the values and of the Second Amendment. Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, killing nearly 60 people and injuring hundreds more. Police discovered many firearms in his room at the Mandalay hotel. Authorities have yet to confirm Paddock’s motives.

Unfortunately, mass killings, whether by gun or bomb, ISIS or not, have become incorporated into our lives with a relative sense of normalcy. The truth of the matter is, laws on gun control need to be changed in order to protect the country. The devastating Las Vegas shooting is not the first attack to be carried out by an American, and it surely will not be the last.

Though we tend to blame ISIS for any violence that occurs, more shootings are carried out by right-wing white men than radical terrorists associated with groups such as ISIS. According to the federal law, terrorism is defined as having the intent to harm civilians, and are acts that violate the law and pose a threat to human life. That being said, attacks defined as terrorism do not necessarily have to have been the mastermind of a terrorist organization. If the intent of the perpetrator meets these criteria, the mass destruction is then considered an act of terrorism.

Regardless of intent or motives, gun usage in America is becoming more of a threat to the people with each passing day and act of violence. The second amendment of the US Constitution has been a matter of discussion for some time, but the recent shooting in Las Vegas has sparked interest in changing the laws surrounding the right to bear arms.

What defines an occurrence as a ‘mass shooting’ is when four or more people are killed. Small-scale gunfights with gangs or involving police, for example, happen more often than we know, because they are usually kept out of the media. However, shooting sprees such as Pulse Nightclub or Sandy Hook receive full coverage and provide the public with any known information. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that guns cause too much destruction in our country, and something needs to be done.

Millions of firearms, handguns, and shotguns are legally owned in the United States, used for self-defense, hunting, and all too often, violence. I understand why some people feel the need to own a gun; they offer a feeling of security against intruders or whoever poses a threat. However, the overwhelming amount of guns present in the country makes me worried, as they are very evidently a huge issue facing our nation. I spent my summer in Israel known as a considerably dangerous country given its location in the Middle East and the ongoing conflict with Palestine. Although I was very close to attacks at times, I was always with an armed security guard, I felt safe.

Conversely, I live in constant fear in the US, knowing the next national tragedy could occur in my own city. The reality of gun violence genuinely scares me; I go to school, I attend concerts, and I shop at malls, all places where shootings take place. I just happen to be fortunate that as of now, nobody has opened fire at my school or the concerts my friends and I have gone to. That certainly does not mean that I will never experience a shooting firsthand. In 2017 alone, the US has suffered 273 mass shootings, and I assure you Las Vegas will not be the last.

So, the question remains: what can we do about this issue that is consuming our nation? The right to bear arms has been around since the ratification of the Constitution in 1791. Much has changed in society since that time, and guns pose more of a threat than ever before. I’m in no way proposing that the second amendment be completely removed; I believe the United States should follow suit to other countries that have more strict gun laws and fewer incidents.

In the wake of the country’s deadliest mass shooting in modern history, Australia has reached out to the US, offering suggestions for the government to crack down on gun control hopefully, for real this time. Australia had a similar occurrence to the one in Las Vegas in 1996. Following the Port Arthur shooting, Australia reformed their gun policies, and in those two decades, gun violence has drastically dropped.

The logical and most beneficial thing for America would be the government graciously accepting Australia’s offer to help revise gun control laws to prevent even more deadly shootings. The decision on how to combat the problem of gun violence lies in the hands of the Trump Administration, and is solely up to them.

Given their record, I can’t confidently say that the government will act on the matter at hand. All I know is that something needs to be done, and very soon. If not, mass shootings will continue to devastate the nation and threaten the security of the people.