Gun Control.
Those two simple words can spark major debates between even the quietest people. With the events in Orlando, this is, even more, the case. Many are calling for a complete ban on guns after what happened, but that simply will not solve anything.
When someone wants to kill people, they will use any means necessary. If they cannot access a gun, they will find other ways. The Oklahoma City bomber used fertilizer to create a bomb that killed 168 people. It is not a gun problem, it is a people problem. There are many evil people in this world who seek to harm others in any way possible. Once they set their mind to something, they will work to achieve it by any means.
While a complete ban on guns is not the answer, there does need to be a few things implemented to make guns safer. The Orlando nightclub shooter had allegedly been investigated by the FBI twice in the past 5 years, in both 2013 and 2014, for alleged connections to terrorist organizations. Despite that, the shooter was still able to legally purchase an automatic rifle and semiautomatic handgun and use those to murder 50 people. Someone who was being investigated by the FBI should not have been allowed to purchase those weapons. In order to purchase firearms in this country, I believe the following should be used.
- Extensive Background Checks
- Psychological Examinations
If someone wants to purchase a firearm, they should have to pass a criminal background check to ensure they do not have a history. This should be implemented at every institution that sells firearms, including gun shows.
If someone passes the background checks, they should then be given a psychological examination to ensure that they are mentally fit enough to own a firearm. This can determine their intentions of owning the guns, and be another step to ensure that firearms are safe.
I personally am a gun enthusiast myself. I enjoy going out and shooting guns, and fully intend to purchase guns when I can, one of which would be a semi-automatic rifle. If background checks and psychological exams are implemented, I would have zero issues with it. They would not affect my ability to purchase the gun because I know without a doubt that I would pass them both. The tests are designed to rule out those unfit to own firearms, and not prevent innocent civilians from purchasing them.
Again, the problem is not a gun problem, but a people problem. Those who wish to harm others will do so by any means necessary, with or without guns. Cain killed Abel with a stone. It is not the object that kills the person, but the person using the object who commits the act. A complete ban on guns will not prevent anything, but regulations on who can purchase firearms will at least make them safer.
