On Gun Control

     Columbine. Newtown. Santa-Barbara. These places are scarred with tragedy. All too often, a person with serious mental illnesses gets their hands on a firearm, and uses it to kill people. We've seen it happen before, and unfortunately, I believe that we will see it again before meaningful changes to a broken and outdated system can take effect. Every time we see this kind of atrocity, we swear that changes will be made, our politicians insist that they will do everything in their power to prevent anything like it ever happening again, but then news cycle turns over.
     I realize that there will always be people who want to harm others. While we can't force them to change their intentions, we can make it more difficult for those people to see them through. I have the utmost respect for the American Second Amendment, and the people's right to bare arms, I agree, must not be infringed. There is no reason why a civilian, however, would ever have need of a full-fledged assault weapon. Legislation promoting smaller magazines and background checks is completely reasonable, and we should be urging Congress to pass such laws. The NRA (National Rifle Association) and organizations like it, though, are doing everything in their power to oppose this kind of meaningful change.

     We are taking far too many risks. These kinds of tragedies happen, and we aren't doing anything to stop them. Gun control legislation is repeatedly rejected in the U.S. Congress. When we don't take preventative measures, we put lives on the line. Deaths in Columbine and in Newtown could have been prevented. They could have been prevented, but they weren't, and now they're dead, victims of a broken government who didn't stop what they knew was coming.

     Not one more, I say. Not one more. Too many lives have been lost due to poorly regulated firearms in the United States, and that's something we have the power to change. So we should. Call your Congressperson, and tell them: not one more.

     What are your thoughts on gun control? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or e-mail me directly at contemplationsblog@gmail.com. Don't forget to stop by Contemplations' Facebook and Google+ pages, and thanks for reading.