America has been debating, and shamelessly arguing over gun control for years now. This is an issue that has been combatted between both liberals and conservatives, gun owners and non-gun owners; so, what compromises can we make for both parties to come to a middle ground to put some form of order into place?

For starters, some Americans make control and ban synonymous with one another, and that is one of the greatest problems America faces with gun control.

Whereas some Americans believe that others condone these heinous attacks, some Americans believe there is absolutely no merit in an average citizen, having possession of an assault rifle only found relevant and necessary in the military—or with the police. Whereas other Americans believe guns are necessary for personal protection, some tend to say that their rights are being violated and taken away, and others believe that the 2nd amendment can be regulated and have restrictions placed on it.

All of which are valid reasons that every American has, however, some of those reasons are extremist and problematic.

This goes beyond a Liberal vs. Conservative issue, it is an America issue — this is a national security issue. And what both parties need to realize is that guns are not the enemy here; the enemy is the people using them, however, guns are the enabler; we are our own enemy.

Take the awful tragedy of Charleston, S.C., for instance, Dylan Roof was a mentally unstable human being, who had no business owning a gun or even buying one. He walked into a church and shot nine people.

Omar Mateen legally purchased two guns, an assault rifle, and a handgun, both of which he used to kill 49 people in Orlando, FL. Adam Lanza killed 26 people, with most of those fatalities being children, mind you, with two rifles he stole from his mother, Nancy. Yes, they were owned by his mother, and his mother was perfectly stable woman, and an avid gun owner, however, she was a mother who had her mentally unstable son living in the same house with her; that, too, should've aided in whether or not she was able to purchase lethal weapons.

Stephen Paddock, a seemingly normal man, killed 59 people with at least 23 weapons in his arsenal. At what point to crack down on the one thing that blatantly is enabling these sick people? It is very clear what is enabling these manic people — easily obtainable weapons, loose gun restrictions, and negligent background checks. In so many ways we are just as responsible for these shootings as they are.

We do nothing but bicker back and forth, while shootings like the ones mentioned above are happening in our country. It is time to grow up, reach a compromise, and once again, implement a law to cease these God awful tragedies.

Politics is arguably one of the most dehumanizing things in this world. Therefore, we need to stop dehumanizing these innocent lives for political gain, instead, we need to use the grief we face as a nation, and turn it into positive, effective change that both parties can get behind.

As a nation, We need to stop thinking of this issue in a political, dehumanizing manner and start thinking of it in a personal manner that affects every American. As a nation, we need to go out and combat this growing problem that has taken hundreds of lives.

I leave you with this question: How many more mass shootings and innocent lives lost do we need to make a change?