Recent mass shootings have made the gun control problem more prominent. Some think that gun control laws need to be strengthened, but more gun control laws will not solve the problem, and they are not working.

There needs to be less gun control and a better system.

Gun control laws infringe upon self-defense, deny a sense of safety, do not prevent criminals from obtaining guns or breaking laws, and do not deter crime as they should. In addition, a stronger gun education system is required for public safety. Gun control laws should not be strict.

​Sixty percent of gun owners choose to own guns for their personal safety and protection. Most people also feel safer if someone who has a gun for protection is around them. Stricter gun laws make it harder to have this sense of safety. In an emergency situation, calling 911 may take a while for results. A weapon to serve as personal defense or family protection would be better and faster than waiting for emergency response units.

Guns are used for self-defense 2.5 million times a year, according to the National Rifle Association. Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the NRA, said it well: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

Collectively, gun control laws make it harder for people to get the sense of safety that they desire.
Gun control laws will not prevent criminals from obtaining guns and breaking the law. Between 1982 and 2012 there were 62 mass shootings in the United States. Of these, 49 shooters were using legally obtained guns. 37.4 percent of firearm related criminals got the gun from a family member or friend. Despite heavy bans in places like Chicago, thousands of murders persist. These background checks stop criminals from buying or owning guns, but most of these shooters did not have a criminal record.

More gun education is needed. Gun education would be very beneficial for the population to prevent accidental gun deaths and to influence legal gun use. In other areas, especially rural places, guns are more common because people don’t feel ‘weird’ about them. The NRA states, “Like swimming pools, electrical outlets, matchbooks, and household poison, they’re [guns] treated simply as a fact of everyday life.” Guns really are just another safety aspect that people should be aware of.

When you look at one, you shouldn’t be fearful. All of the country and our society will benefit from gun education, and it will ultimately result in fewer mass shootings.

The gun control system doesn’t work well. Some gun control laws deny a sense of safety to the people and they stop law abiding citizens from the practicing of their rights. Gun control laws are not even very effective, and they do not deter crime. Guns are not a tool to be afraid of, and the populations should be more aware of them.

As mass shootings are happening more often, something must change because they will not stop.