Due to the devastating event that happened in Orlando on June 12, 2016 at Pulse Nightclub, the words that have been on everyone's lips are "gun control." The conversation is continually the same from most people, be it "Why should we have gun control?" or "We should have gun control."
Personally, I think that gun control is necessary at this point. The gunman, Omar Mateen, had been under investigation twice by the FBI due to possible terrorist ties. According to the Los Angeles Times, Mateen was on a terrorist watch list and had been removed after those investigations by the FBI were closed. Even though he was on that list, he still would have been able to purchase those weapons that he used in the attacks.
If you Google 'requirements to get weapons in the U.S.' and look by state, there are not many requirements. Actually, there are basically none. According to Wikipedia, in the state of Tennessee, you do not need a state permit to purchase long guns or handguns, you do not need to register the firearm, there is no law against assault weapons, there is no restriction on magazine capacity, you do not have to have a license to own these weapons, and you don't have to go through a background check to get these weapons.
If you look at the state of Florida, according to the NRA website, you do not need a permit to purchase rifles, shotguns, or handguns. You do not have to register your firearms, you do not have to be licensed, and the only thing that you have to have a permit to carry is a handgun. Because of this fact, I believe that there should be stricter gun laws in America. The argument against gun control is "If you take away guns, people will find other ways to kill." That may be true, but there would not be as many casualties as there are with gun deaths. Unless we are faced with Godzilla or King Kong, I do not believe that any one needs the type of assault rifle that Omar Mateen was in possession of at the time of the shooting. I think that there should be some type of system in place that keeps people from purchasing guns that should not have them. Permits and background checks would be a great place to start.
I'm not sure how many more mass shootings are going to be necessary before we do something about gun control. My heart is with the families, friends, and partners of the people that lost their lives in Pulse that night.
