A gun is a very deadly weapon. Even when used in the right hands by the right people, it can still cause grievous harm to another human being. When someone with malicious intent obtains a firearm, they become capable of injuring a horrifying amount of people before law enforcement can stop them. Arming teachers and bystanders, while it seems like a good idea to some, will create a dangerous atmosphere and may lead to more injuries. With gun control, we can make sure that nobody with bad intentions is able to quickly get a gun.

Having restrictions on buying firearms can save lives. According to the CDC, 45,222 people died from gun-related injuries in 2020 alone. Children are also at risk from gun violence. KFF states more children die from firearms than car accidents in the United States. When a gun is present in an argument, the situation has a higher chance to become violent, according to Britannica. The CDC has found that 124 people were killed by guns every day in the USA during 2020. Since the shooting at Sandy Hook, there have been 948 school shootings, according to CHDS School Shooting Safety Compedium. Gun control laws can lower gun injuries. America has a gun epidemic, and each new shooting proves it.

There are a few ways to stop gun violence. Background checks would stop dangerous individuals from obtaining firearms. 77 percent of gun owners agree with background checks at events such as gun shows, according to Pew Research Center. People who have commited a crime or have a history of drug abuse should not be able to buy a firearm. That would lower the amount of people who are capable of gun violence from being able to obtain a gun. Military-grade firearms and high-capacity magazines should be off limits to normal civilians and hunters. They would never normally run into a situation where they would need those weapons. There should also be a ban on ‘ghost guns’, buildable guns that can be bought online and in some stores without needing a background check. Ghost guns do not have any serial numbers, making them harder to track.

Both privileged and marginalized people should feel the same effect when gun control laws are introduced. When privileged people are not affected by gun control laws and marginalized people are, it defeats the entire purpose of the gun control law. Everyone, regardless of race, gender, or wealth, shouldn’t be able to skip a background check or obtain high-capacity magazines when other people can’t.

I understand people can just steal guns or buy knives, but how many people are going to get hurt before lawmakers can agree? These people could’ve been saved from gun violence, but instead they were hurt, and not enough progress is being made. The USA desperately needs gun control laws, and it needs them now.