Pop! Pop! Pop! The sound of a gun is very scary and a little nerve racking. Guns are everywhere and they've become an accessory to everyday life. Some people use guns for protection, others use them to injure and kill their fellow humans. The reputation of guns have been tarnished by tragic events, but it's not the guns' fault; they don't have a mind of their own.

Debates about gun control have been going on for years, but nothing has really changed. It seems like every time a major mass shooting occurs, the topic re-emerges; then it vanishes again. Out of all the tragic events revolving around guns, it took twenty innocent children dying at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut for people to want to make a change... that's very disturbing! Wasn't Columbine, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood, and all of the other tragedies enough for this nation to wake up and take action? Why does something bad have to happen before America makes a move? Work should be done to prevent these things, not done after they happen.

"Guns don't kill people, people kill people." Everyone has heard that statement before. Guns do kill people, they just don't act alone. Guns can't hurt someone if somebody doesn't pull the trigger. When will we realize that? Guns aren't the problem, it's the people that have them. Guns are devices that require the hands of humans to operate.

The government is currently in the process of banning assault rifles. This may improve gun violence, but it won't completely stop it. It's not like rifles are the only deadly weapons; if someone wants to be violent, they'll find anything to help them carry out their actions.

There have also been discussions about making background checks stricter for people who want to buy guns. This strategy may also help as well, but it doesn't determine some one's mental health. A mental evaluation should be one of the things required in order to obtain a gun.

On the other hand, it is great to know that something is being done to decrease gun violence.

The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that citizens have the right to bear arms. In translation, this means that U.S. citizens have the right to own weapons. This amendment is fair; people should be able to own weapons if they want to. It doesn't mean that it's ok to harm people with those weapons, however. When the constitution was created, the makers were probably thinking that citizens could have weapons to protect themselves, not to harm others. It's almost obvious as to why guns were invented in the first place; their purpose is to protect, not to be apart of violence.

As stated before, guns can't work without a human's assistance. Yes, people do have the right to carry weapons, but they don't have the right to engage in violent acts. Our rights shouldn't be taken away, but something has to be done to lower the rates of gun violence. The world will never be perfect, but it doesn't hurt to chase after that dream. We should also stop waiting around for a tragedy to take place before we take precautions. This defeats the purpose of striving to be safe. Too much has happened in the world for us to keep sitting around, wishing for it to not happen again. It's time to stop the nonsense; it's time to take a stand!