Unless if you've lived under a rock for the past couple of weeks, you are very aware of the pressing debate over gun control and gun-related violence. On February 14th, seventeen lives were tragically cut short due when a shooting happened at Majority Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Since this has happened, numerous students from the high school have been speaking out and attending various protests and events to spread awareness about gun violence and to advocate for stricter gun control laws. One student in particular, Emma Gonzalez, has been seen making powerful speech after speech demanding a change to our current gun laws.

Besides the many brave survivors of the Parkland shooting, many other government officials, companies, and organizations are starting to take action. For instance, Delta Airlines and Hertz rental car services have both tweeted out stating that they are revoking their discount programs through the NRA.

Most recently, on February 28th, Dick's Sporting Goods released a statement online and on Good Morning America stating that they are going to ban the sales of "assault-style rifles " and addressed how they sold a gun to the Parkland shooter in 2017. The statement further explains how the Parkland shooter, Nick Cruz, had purchased a shotgun from a Dick's Sporting Goods store in 2017, and while that was not the weapon used on February 14th, it very well could have been.

As far as other changes the store will make, the statement explains,

"We will no longer sell firearms to anyone under 21 years of age. We will no longer sell high-capacity magazines. We never have and never will sell bump stocks that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire more rapidly."

The rest of the statement encourages legislatures and other government-elected officials to raise the age that people can buy firearms to 21, ban assault-style weapons, require universal background checks and many other changes.

What we can take away from Dick's Sporting Goods actions should not be taken lightly. This is a HUGE deal for a company that SELLS firearms to be speaking out to advocate for stricter gun control and this country's current gun violence problem. I give serious praise to the company's CEO, Edward W. Stack, for making this statement and making sure it is heard.

Moving forward, I sincerely hope that other companies that sell firearms will consider following in Dick's footsteps as well. If all major sporting goods retailers discontinue their sales of assault-style guns and raise the age to buy any type of firearm to 21, we could FINALLY begin to see some results of change in this country.

If at least ONE elected official thoroughly reads Stack's statement and begins to stand for these regulations, we will begin to see a domino effect of other officials doing the same. We need more people with the power to make a change to step up to the plate and change the laws we have now. We have tried doing nothing for almost 20 years (Columbine was in 1999), and we have made ZERO progress. It is time to put new laws into effect and reap the benefits. We will never know unless if we try.

So hats off to you Dick's Sporting Goods and all we can do it keep fighting for justice for those whose lives have been cut short. My only question left is, what is stopping everyone else from stepping up to the plate as well? We need to keep protesting for laws to change. We cannot stop until change has been made.