Dear America,
It doesn’t have to be this way — I thought you learned. I thought you learned from Orlando, from Columbine, from Sandy Hook. I thought you were going to be brave about this; I thought you were going to look at the matter of guns objectively and fairly.Â
It’s time to be frank and honest with yourself, America. Guns are dangerous, and, in the wrong hands, they can cause tragedy as we’ve seen time and time again. At this stage it should be a matter beyond politics; it should be seen as a matter of national security. We are so quick to worry about refugees and immigrants terrorizing the population but when a shooter is an American, we see things differently.Â
Sound familiar? Yes, because history keeps repeating itself. It is true that the 2nd Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms and that is a fundamental right. But what if it comes at the cost of the lives of thousands of innocent people?
I am not advocating for a complete ban on guns because at the moment, that would be unconstitutional and it indeed does violate people’s right to defend themselves. It is an American tradition. However, we must ask ourselves how willing we are to regulate gun control.
Currently, all one needs to do is fill out some paperwork and wait for a background check before purchasing a gun at your local Walmart.Â
America is better than this because I believe we have to be. The most infuriating thing is that these horrific incidents can absolutely be prevented. However, this is being blocked by the lobbying of the NRA who, for selfish reasons, continue to fight against stricter regulation.
From a purely business standpoint, gun sales are not heavily affected by more stringent gun control. All they do is ensure that guns, such as assault rifles, are kept out of the hands of those who could use them for evil. We must not forget that there are people out there, such as the shooter in Las Vegas, who can take advantage of how lax gun laws in America are and destroy countless citizens’ lives.
It is important to remember that, should the gunman have chosen Fenway Park as a target, some of us might have been affected. We should keep those who did lose their loved ones in more than just our thoughts and prayers — we should honor their memories by ensuring something like this never, ever happens again.
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