Image Credit: Brian G., Phoenix, AZ
Less than six months ago a tragic event shook the United States and caused uncertainty and grief for Americans across the country. “The fatal shooting in October 2017 at a Las Vegas music festival, which killed 58 concertgoers and injured hundreds more, is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history” (opensecrets). As sad as it may seem, such horrific events are not nearly as uncommon as they should be. In fact, just sixteen months prior to the Las Vegas shooting, forty-nine were killed and fifty-eight injured at an Orlando Nightclub, the deadliest gun-related homicide at its time. And just two months ago, another shooting made headlines and caused grief for the families of the fourteen students and three teachers killed at a Parkland, Florida school. When we take a closer look at these appalling incidents, they are all linked to the deadly fact that someone had a firearm. It is for this reason that I walked out of class on March 18 to show my respect for the victims of the Parkland shooting and make my beliefs heard about the importance of stronger gun laws at this point in history. Because of sheer fire power, the second amendment, and the pro-gun lobby, this country needs to take action and implement stronger gun control.
Firearms are responsible for far more deaths than they should ever be. In fact, according to procon.org, guns were the twelfth leading cause of death in America between the years of 1999 and 2013, topping diseases like Parkinson’s and liver disease, as well as other causes of death, including fires, machinery accidents, and drowning. While one can’t buy a disease in a store or choose to
