As the amount of mass shootings continuously grows, gun control debate grows as well. The gun control debate argues over the 2nd Amendment, or the right to bear arms. This amendment was made to allow citizens to be able to protect themselves and their property. This has led to many mass shootings.

Many people argue this debate not understanding what gun control is and what it includes.

Reporter Patricia Smith defined gun control in a New York Times magazine article as “a broad term that covers many kinds of restriction. It can include regulations on what kinds of firearms can be bought and sold, who can possess or sell them, and where and how they can be stored or carried.”

After viewing both sides and hearing out both arguments, I have taken a middle position. Meaning I do not entirely agree with both sides.

People who are for gun control argue that our lenient laws are the reason for the mass shootings in the United States.

People who are against gun control argue that even with these laws criminals will be able to get a gun through theft or the black market.

I, on the other hand, stand strictly in the middle.

In Sutherland Springs, Texas there was a mass shooting that left many people dead inside a church. The man who shot the innocent victims obtained his gun because the military neglected to send his criminal records to the public when he was discharged from the military. This resulted in his mass shooting at the church.

In Las Vegas, Nevada the largest mass shooting recorded in the United States occurred Oct. 2017. According to multiple news sites, the man behind the shooting was believed to have suffered undiagnosed mental disorders. Due to the fact that the shooter had not been diagnosed with any disorders, he was able to buy a large amount of guns and ammo.

Gun control is necessary, but not to completely outlaw guns. Stricter gun laws should be set in place to ensure that everyone buying a gun is a law abiding citizen and has the correct state of mind. Large automatic/semi-automatic guns should not be allowed considering they serve no purpose other than to shoot fast and kill a large amount of people quickly. Shotguns, pistols, and rifles serve a large amount of use when it comes to protection and hunting.

Criminals who really want to be able to purchase a gun will be able to do so through the black market. Laws will not be able to stop a criminal because once they get in the mindset that they are going to commit a mass shooting, they are at the point where they have nothing to lose. These criminals are already reached the low of planning to not only kill themselves, they’re also trying to kill a lot of other people in the same moment. This will only leave the law abiding citizens, like the one who stopped the shooter in Sutherland Springs, without any defense against the attacker.

Gun control is a controversial topic the nation will continue to debate. United States citizens cannot be expected to restrain from owning a protective firearm. These firearms protect many families from break-ins as well as feed many families who hunt. Without these firearms many families will be left without protection and without a way of obtaining food, considering some families rely on hunting to feed their families. Depending on the circumstances of a situation, sometimes guns are definitely needed and sometimes it would be best to avoid adding a firearm.