The authorities and citizens of Sutherland Spring, Texas are still trying to collect all the details and are beginning to mourn yesterday's church shooting. A young man in tactical gear opened fire and what was once a sweet, small town is now the most recent mass shooting site.
In the past year thousands of lives have been lost in the United States because of senseless acts of gun violence. While some of these events were on a large-scale like the Las Vegas shooting where 59 were killed, or the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, there have been dozens of small shootings that many feel could have been avoided.
One of the most critical questions law enforcement and politicians have been debating in the wake of these awful events is the topic of gun control. Politicians have fought over creating stricter gun laws while the other half endorse the second amendment and believe they have the right to carry no matter what.
So, which is right? Balancing the two seems like an impossible task. Some believe that if we expand the second amendment, that the government make guns easier and more accessible, than their will be more violence. The counter believes that if you control fire arms then people will not know how to defend themselves.
As a college age female in Tennessee I see hand guns every day. When I go to work or I am out shopping I see, mainly white men, carrying firearms. But what if one of them went rogue? How do I defend myself? I have no idea how to shoot a gun, do I need to?
Many have looked towards the smaller shootings that have taken place over the past months. A prime example is the church shooting that happened in Antioch, Tennessee, when Robert “Caleb” Engle ran to his truck after a gunman opened fire to get his registered handgun and was able to wound the gunman and hold him until police arrived. Many have seen this as a point for the pro-gun side, but what happens when there are more guns and less laws? What would have been different in these other shootings if others had firearms they knew how to use? Could they have stopped more of these awful shootings?
As a young college woman I do feel the need to defend myself, I have never been pro-gun but recently that thought has crossed my mind. I have thought about getting my concealed carry license because no, I do not trust the people around me and I would want to be able to defend myself. On the other hand, if stricter laws are enforced I do not trust the people around me to help protect me if there was a crisis.
The solution? Education. As a society we need to learn about guns. The good and the bad, no matter how hard it is to talk about. Not every man, woman and child needs a weapon but one gets into the hands of the bad then we need to know how to defend ourselves and trust that we know how to properly protect others. If people who do get a concealed carry permit go through education courses to not only get but to keep their firearm than they will not only know how to use their weapon but they could learn how deal with crisis situations like a rogue gunman.
Education, paired with other elements like laws, mental testing, manufacturing as well as firearm sales are the first steps to stop this cycle of mass shootings.
