When a massacre results at the hands of a person with a gun, tragedy not only consumes the families of the victims but also deeply affects the community, the state and the nation as a whole.  In the past 15 years, there have been numerous

shootings throughout the country, including Columbine in 1999, Virginia Tech in 2007 and Tucson, Arizona in 2011.  This year alone, the Aurora, Colorado shooting occurred along with Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Texas A&M University, and the shooting at the Empire State Building.  Due to these tragedies, gun control must be more strictly enforced. Mass shootings occur relatively frequently, and elevated gun control will undoubtedly lower the statistics. The easy access to guns allows unstable individuals to become violent mass-murderers.  Despite the terror and sadness involved in mass shootings, neither common citizens nor government officials have done enough to stop them.
The most convincing argument for stricter gun control is a simple review of the past fifteen years.   The substantial number of shootings is largely due to mentally unstable individuals who quickly turn to violence as a result of loose gun control.  According to www.cnn.com, the United States composes five percent of the world’s population, yet possesses 50 percent of the guns. This large availability made it easier for the massacres to occur just this summer in both a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado and at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. According to the Los Angeles Times the Colorado shooting gunman, James Holmes, bought more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition through the Internet. There should not be such availability and easy access to these dangerous weapons.
Although the Constitution validates the right to bear arms, people have used their “arms” for more harm than good. Though this important amendment should be upheld, it was written in a time when massacres were less common.  To accommodate modern times, strict gun control must be enforced. Stronger regulations and background checks will help eliminate the chance of a weapon getting into the wrong hands.
In retrospect, mass shootings occur in clusters, yet during the periods between them, people seem to forget that any have occurred. In the US, the state, federal and local authorities regulate civilian possession of firearms. Recently, however, the regulations have not been up to par, as citizens in the US have access to guns without proper registration.  While there may be people who pass background checks, more extensive tests need to be initiated to ensure that the individual is mentally and emotionally stable. Along with background checks, constant monitoring of activities also needs to be put in place.
Although we mourn for the victims and sympathize with their families, the citizens of America, have not done nearly enough to prevent the next sociopath from taking the lives of innocent people.  Instead of standing idly by while devastation consumes the American population, as a nation in its entirety, we must strive for a safer and happier future for generations to come.

Written by Jake Bender – Staff Writer,  Kayla Bakhshi – Staff Writer, Cydney Hayes – Staff Writer and Kunal Aggarwal – Opinion Editor