Within the last twelve months, across our nation we have been exposed to a disturbing trend of shootings.
From the tragic events of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting to the events of the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, we have all been shocked and felt sympathy for the families of the victims impacted by these horrible crimes.
In 2012, another tragic shooting took place at a high school in Ohio, when a student entered Chardon High School, and opened fire, killing three students. He wounded three others in the shooting.
Today, more than a year later, T.J. Lane was sentenced to three life sentences for the crimes. In court, he made national headlines for showing little remorse for the shootings, going so far as to wear a shirt saying "Killer," frequently smirking, and even giving the victims' families the middle finger while using obscene language. Additionally, a Florida student was also arrested today for allegedly plotting a Virginia Tech-like massacre.
Since the tragic shootings of the last year, debate had raged on about how we can best protect our families from any possible gun violence. One argument, of course, is for gun control, and the ban of assault weapons.
The best possible way to prevent this type of violence from occurring is to be responsible gun owners, if one must own a gun at all. Keep your guns in a secure place, where your young children or teenagers cannot reach them. If, as a parent, you feel your child may be depressed or angry about something, find a way to reach them that may prevent them from resorting to a violent method of problem-solving.
Recently, the motion to ban assault rifles was shot down (no pun intended) by the Senate. This has sparked outrage among many concerned citizens, who feel that these types of weapons will fall into the wrong hands, as they have so many times before, such as in the tragic Newtown shooting. We all agree that as Americans, we have the right to carry a gun for protection, if we so feel inclined. However, another question we must ask ourselves is: "How many guns, and assault rifles do we really need in our society?"
There are countless of people each year who are murdered by assault rifles and guns, and we must speak for those victims.
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