“Guns Don’t Kill People?”

Four days before Christmas, 26 innocent people lost their lives in a deadly mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.   Shooter Adam Lanza, an adolescent, with a history of mental illness was able to acquire access to a firearm that was stored within his own home. On December 21, 2012 Lanza stormed into the elementary school in Newton, Connecticut murdering several students, teachers, his own mother and eventually committing suicide himself.

Lanza was able to carry out his plan through use of a stolen gun. His mother, who enjoyed her own collection of firearms had essentially provided the outlet for Lanza to attack Sandy Hook. Although unintentional, his mother, who had legally gained access to such collection, failed to protect it from her son’s access and he was thus able to access the ammunition for his attack.

Speaking days after the shooting Wayne LaPierre , President of the National Rifle Association responded to the incident claiming that guns are not the problem, rather security is.   “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” is one of the platforms the National Rifle Association stands behind. LaPierre addressed the crucial functions guns serve to the nation proposing that guns don’t only kill but they also protect. LaPierre argued that

firearms are supported by the nation when they are doing good, such as protecting a government official, or being used by the FBI. LaPierre questions why such nation wants to take away guns when they in fact can do good for the public and have done so in the past.

The National Rifle’s response to the issue was to not take away guns, but make them more prevalent within society, specifically within the educational system. LaPierre argued that having higher security within schools and having armed police officers is the true answer. Yet is it really the answer?

Having more guns is not the intelligent solution to the problem at stake. An increase in school shootings highlights the need for stricter regulations not more guns that can easily slip into the hands of the wrong people yet again. Since 2013 there have been 174 shootings that have occurred just within the educational system alone (School 2015).  The platform “guns don’t kill people, people don’t kill people” is essentially false.  Availability to weapons provides the outlet in order to commit such act.  Pulling closer to the educational system the weaponry that should never be met by students and teachers is otherwise a faulty idea.

Time and time again debate surrounds the issue on whether or not regulations should be made stricter.  We must not allow another like Adam Lanza gain access to the ammunition used to murder innocent people.

Click to watch and read the transcript released from President of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre’s, statement following the Sandy Hook shooting.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/12/transcript_statement_by_nation.htmlhttp://everytownresearch.org/school-shootings/

 

We Will Enact Stricter Regulations

 

It remains necessary to implement stricter  gun control  laws within the United States to ensure the safety and security of the American citizens.  The second amendment of the United States Constitution provides citizens with the right to bear arms, yet in an effort to provide citizens with their right to protection, this amendment has negatively  impacted society as a whole.

Due to such easy accessibility of guns to the public, the American school system has been increasingly less safe for students and teachers.  Providing the public access to firearms has nonetheless reduced the safety of society as a whole making it that much harder for Law Enforcement to successfully carry out their job in keeping the American people safe. Not only has the access to guns generated an increase in shootings within schools and public mass shootings, but it has also become a notable part of everyday criminal activity that nonetheless needs to be stopped all together.

Firearms should be accessible to Law Enforcement only and the rights outlined in the Second Amendment should for this reason be reviewed.  Organizations such as the National Rifle Association stand behind providing the American citizens with their right to bear arms, yet organizations such as these fail to see the risks that outweigh the advantages of this right. Although most whom are given the right to bear arms use their right to practice sports such as hunting or simply for their own protection, such firearms slipping into the hands of criminals has time and time again proved that gun control laws must be made stricter.