Debate: Gun Control

In light of recent events and the upcoming presidential election, the subject of gun control has been a popular discussion in the United States. Stricter gun-control laws are a favored solution, as are gun-free zones, many of which have already been implemented. But I believe that the answers to a safer society do not depend on better background checks, or the approval and placement of gun-free zones. These methods are honest attempts at limiting gun deaths, but they are not trustworthy solutions.Although the right to bear arms comes with risks, it is the owner’s responsibility to take care of his or her gun and keep it out of the wrong hands. In cases that garner little public attention, concealed weapon carriers have saved others from being killed. In Chicago last spring, an Uber driver with a concealed weapon shot and injured Everardo Custodio, who had opened fire on a group of people in the city. Had the driver not been carrying his gun, who knows how many others would have been killed.Gun-free zones have been around since 1990, and have more recently cropped up in response to several mass shootings. These zones prohibit guns, just like the TSA prohibits hazardous materials on airplanes. However, the TSA enforces these zones with complex technology and machines. As of now, gun-free zones are not that advanced. A law-abiding citizen will be sure to leave his or her gun at home if they plan to visit one of these places, but what’s stopping an ill-intentioned person from taking his or her gun with them? Nothing. These zones are easy targets with no way to counter an attack in time to limit or prevent casualties in a shooting.If we tighten our current gun control laws, the likelihood of their success in saving lives might actually decrease. Stricter laws would limit the ability for ordinary citizens to save lives and prevent acts of violence in public, ultimately defeating the purpose of having any laws in the first place.In a time where the Republican Congress’ only goal is to make President Obama a failure, the commander-in-chief took the right steps to curb the problem of gun violence that plagues our nation. It takes willful ignorance to think that gun violence is not a problem in America. And yet, Republicans in Congress, whose job it is to protect the people they represent, would rather pocket the millions of dollars poured into their campaigns than take time to act in American’s best interests.Rather, they think that more guns and less government regulation will remedy America’s problem of gun violence. That’s not what America needs; that’s what the NRA and the gun industry wants. Ninety percent of Americans support gun control reform. America needs reform across all aspects of life, from social changes discouraging violence to legislative changes that make it harder for guns to land in the hands of criminals. But it’s clear that since Congress caters to the NRA rather than to its constituents, Obama’s actions were wholly necessary to combat the problem.Contrary to the lies spread by the GOP candidates pandering to their base, Obama’s actions in no way abridge Americans’ Second Amendment rights. It merely takes a tiny step in keeping guns out of the hands of criminals by enhancing background checks and by increasing police power to stop those who buy guns illegally. However, these actions will make a very small dent in number of gun deaths. In order to truly solve this problem, Congress has to realize that smart gun control is what America wants and needs.