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On Aug. 30, Texas suffered another mass shooting. Seven people were killed and 25 more were wounded in Odessa.
The shooter had previously failed his background check, preventing him from owning a gun. However, this event suggests that intense background checks will not solve America’s gun problem.
According to CBS News, counting all events up to Sept. 1, 2019, there have been 283 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2019. This number is way too high and more extreme measures need to be taken to prevent it from climbing even further.
An obvious idea is presented by ProCon.org. Implementing more strict gun laws will reduce deaths caused by guns. It’s simple, but true. If we make it harder to obtain a gun, fewer people will have access to them and thus, there will be fewer gun deaths throughout the year.
“Stricter gun laws would work because if guns were harder to get, there would be less in the world,” said Madison Marasa, a junior child psychology major.
Another suggestion ProCon.org brings up is banning higher capacity magazines. The magazine is the part of the gun that contains bullets. Magazines are a big part of what allows shooters to kill a lot of people in a very short amount of time.
“There should be a limit. Everything should have a limit. If we don’t have limits, people will abuse it,” said Karla Alejandro, a sophomore communication studies major.
However, according to an article in Now Toronto, government officials can’t keep track of every gun in their area, saying “One-third of the guns used in crimes in Toronto actually come from so-called legal sources, i.e., from break-ins at gun stores and the homes of collectors. Since 1997, more than 97,000 firearms have been reported missing or stolen in Canada.”
Yes, this data comes from Canada but it’s also an issue in the U.S. Many firearms are purchased legally, but are sold privately or stolen, and fall into the hands of someone who did not purchase the gun legally.
“If you are a person who really wants one, you are going to go through all the requirements to get that gun. Even if you don’t go through it, people will find a way to get ahold of one. There’s the black market, friends, and some “connections” people have to get ahold of guns without going through these extensive processes,” said Sasha Broniola, a junior kinesiology major. “Furthermore, you can be a great person who has a clean record that can potentially be the next gunman.”
Gun control is going to be very hard for the U.S. to figure out. Guns have become nearly an integral part of our society. Though we may never reach a complete agreement on guns, one thing is for sure, something needs to change. This is the issue that America needs to solve.