In light of the recent events in Orlando, there has been a lot of confusion about what kind of events and problems led up to this massacre. For some reason, many officials discussing this event on multiple news channels have been attempting to claim that this is not an act of gun violence, just simply an act of terrorism/homophobia/mental illness. Yes, there were influences of terrorism, yes there were influences of homophobia and yes there were influences of mental illness. But let’s highlight the key point to the story. This was a shooting, the man had a gun and to be even more clear, the man had an assault rifle. To question it's relevance to gun violence is a joke.

But just for good measure, let's break that down again.

This man, who had been interviewed by the FBI three times having been suspected of allegiance to many terrorist groups, who had been reported by others to be abusive, creepy, and on multiple occasions to have displayed extremely inappropriate and aggressive behavior in reaction to the gay community, was able to purchase an assault rifle.

An assault rifle.

The name literally depicts that it's purpose is to assault something.

When a man like this is able to buy a gun that has all the potential of killing hundreds of people casually enough that the FBI doesn't even know, this immediately becomes a gun control problem.

I would like to say now that I don't believe the Second Amendment should be abolished. That is just an unrealistic possibility in a nation that values guns as a representation of freedom.

But here's the thing, the reason it’s called an “amendment” is so that it can be changed, and logically speaking, homophobic terrorists, or any terrorist or any person ever, should simply not be able to purchase a weapon like this. I understand people who feel they have a right to carry a small gun or keep a small gun in their house out of reach of their children, but I simply can not wrap my head around the need some people feel for just the ability to purchase assault weapons. In what world is there ever a situation in which a weapon of such destruction is optimal or necessary?

The answer: There isn't one.

As a 19-year-old college student in the United States of America in the year 2016, I should not be afraid to go to class, a nightclub, movie theatre, a mall, work, or a sporting event, and I definitely should not get a pit in my stomach when I see elementary school kids getting on the bus in the morning.

But I am.

I am scared to do basic human things because I live in a world where it is almost normal to turn the channel and see a headline reading, “Shooting [somewhere in America].” This is not by any means, okay or normal.

As stated so delicately by "Daily Show" host, Trevor Noah, “we shock, we mourn, we change our profile pics, and we move on.” Think about that. It's a hard quote to swallow but that's because Noah is right, it's always the same. There comes a period of time between each tragedy where we forget the horrific details, the news channels move on to more current stories, and we go about our seemingly unaffected lives. We forget. We're only reminded that this problem still exists when there is another tragedy flashing across the TV screen.

Something needs to change, and I refuse to wait until the next life is lost to speak up. Because who’s to say yours or mine isn't next? Or your sister or brothers? Your daughter or sons? Your best friends or neighbors? Where do you draw the line? At what point do we say “enough is enough?” At what point will we decide to value human lives higher than these weapons? At what point, America, will we stand by our lost brothers and sisters and say, "this one's for you?"