Opinion: Protect Kids Not Guns
Photo by: Gwyn Miles
Junior Bryan Clavijo-Aranibar comforts freshman Omar Ayazi by the flagpole on March 14
We are not even three full months into 2018, yet there have already been twelve school shootings in America. With more than 20 people dead, everybody is sending their thoughts and prayers, but no one has decided to put an end to this situation.
Gun violence should not be something that Democrats and Republicans argue over; as humans, we must acknowledge that in order to keep our country and schools safe, we need stricter gun regulations and a ban on assault rifles, which are weapons that kill people in an instant.
No, guns in general should not be illegal because they provide defense and security. If we ban all guns, we will not get the lives that were lost back; however, by prohibiting assault weapons, we can prevent mass shootings from happening and save more lives.
Like America, Australia suffered from mass shootings in the 1990s which killed hundreds of people. Their solution? Since banning assault rifles and shotguns in 1996, Australia has not has a mass shooting. If we follow their example, putting a ban on assault weapons, then our shooting rates will diminish and create a safer America for you and me.
If the legal age to drink is 21, then why is an 18-year-old old allowed to buy an AR-15, a weapon used in the military and in many of the mass shootings in America? Although an 18-year-old is considered an adult, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center, brains are not fully developed until our mid 20’s. With age comes wisdom; thus, purchasing a gun can wait.
When the second amendment was written 226 years ago, guns were very different from what they are today. America was founded on the belief that safety and organization can lead to success, and putting more regulations on gun ownership will reestablish this.
From your GPA, SAT scores, clubs, activities, and essays, colleges look at everything to determine whether or not you are the type of student they wish to have at their school. If the process to get into college is so laborious, then why is the process of buying a weapon that can take many lives away so easy?