How Many More Shootings Must Occur Before Gun Control Is Addressed Seriously? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

How Many More Shootings Must Occur Before Gun Control Is Addressed Seriously?

I think the answer is obvious.

159
How Many More Shootings Must Occur Before Gun Control Is Addressed Seriously?
Photo by xandtor on Unsplash

ZERO is the number that comes to mind when I think of the victims that deserved to die in the 34 mass shootings within the first two months of 2018.

ZERO is the number that comes to mind when I think of families that suffered emotionally in the wake of these massacres.

ZERO is the number that comes to mind when I ask myself, "How many more shootings have to occur before America begins takings gun control seriously?"

As a girl who grew up in the south, I also grew up around guns. I asked for a pink rifle for Christmas when I was 12. I received one and learned to shoot it safely with well-experienced, knowledgable gunmen (aka my father and grandfather).

I received a true, seven-millimeter hunting rifle when I was thirteen and proceeded to kill my first buck with it that same year. Again, prior to execution, I learned the ins and outs of gun safety and gun handling with two trained, licensed hunters (again my father and grandfather).

My father has a walk-in gun safe with innumerable amounts of different types of guns, ranging from rifles to elephant guns, to hand guns, to models that he reworks and sells.

Being surrounded by this kind of pro-weapon testosterone might seem to certain people like a traumatizing childhood. I get asked often, "Doesn't having all those guns in your house freak you out?" Or, "How are you not scared to shoot a gun?" My answer is that safety is always a priority in my family when it comes to shooting.

Guns are not only a weapon, but pieces of artwork. The sheen on the barrels and the engraving on the arm and butt are no small tasks to undertake. Neither is the handling of one of those beautiful weapons. My father and grandfather instilled in me the value that guns are meant to be respected, not feared.

1. Always have the safety on until ready to shoot. 2. Always make sure the path of fire is clear before releasing the safety. 3. Always have a supervisor around until you are a licensed gun-owner. 4. Always relax and exhale to decrease your heart rate before firing. 5. Only handle a gun when hunting (only if licensed or supervised) or in cases of self-defense.

This value of respect is not placed on guns in today's messed up society of mass shootings. I feel like today, there are only two sides to the weaponry spectrum: those who fear guns, and those who abuse them.

To help solve this dualistic problem, I am doing what I know how to do best: writing.

Guns should certainly be made more difficult to obtain. There should be mandatory (and extensive) training sessions in which one should participate prior to acquiring a weapon. There should be harsher age restrictions to solo weapon handling. There should be more easily accessible and more widely distributed information regarding gun safety and there should be more people praised for using these weapons in the proper way.

The people who know how to use these weapons safely and who know how to respect them should be made prime examples in today's society. There is a way to live in a pro-gun family or even a pro-gun community and not fear their potential being abused.

If society is able to see how weapons are MEANT to be treated and MEANT to be handled, then maybe society will begin mending and its catastrophes and crises will diminish, if not disappear.

If guns continue to be feared and not respected (as they should be), anarchy will continue to grow and shootings will continue to prosper like a cancerous plague.

Gun control is already out there, we just need to do a better job of advocating it and praising those who are abiding by it.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

6 Unrealistic Expectations Society Has For Young Adults

Don't let the thesaurus-inspired vocabularies in our résumés fool you. We're actually just big kids.

2048
boy in adult clothes

Well over four feet tall and 100 pounds in weight, many of us "young adults" of the world still consider ourselves children. Big, working, college-attending, beer-drinking children. We may live on our own, know how to cook noodles, and occasionally use a planner, but don't be fooled; the youthful tendencies that reside within us still make their way into our daily lives. From choosing to stay up until 3:00 a.m. playing video games on a school night to going out in 30 degree weather without a coat, we still make decisions that our parents and grandparents would shake their heads at in disappointment. So why are we expected to know exactly how to be a wise, professional, sensible adult? It's not that we're irresponsible (for the most part, anyway). It's that we are young, inexperienced, and still have the sought-after, enthusiastic mentality that we can do and be whatever we want, which has not yet been tarnished by the reality of the world. These are just a few of the unrealistic expectations that society has for young adults.

Keep Reading...Show less
pizza
Fandango

There are a lot of foods in this world, but there is only one dish that stands above the rest: Pizza. If you're close to me or at least know who I am, then you know that I'm totally obsessed with pizza. It's one of my favorite things to eat and I will NEVER turn down a slice, even if it doesn't have my favorite toppings. There isn't a day that goes by where I'm not thinking about pizza. I even sleep with a pizza pillow every night! There are many reasons why pizza stands above all other foods, and here are just a couple reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
sex and the city
Warner Bros. Television

1. You don't have to feel guilty about flirting with customers for tips (or just for shits and giggles).

2. You can be obnoxiously flirtatious with anyone you want. You are free to be that girl that flirts with everybody and makes 'em all smile (it's especially fun when the guy is as cute as Collin Jost). No shame.

3. Making random men nervous with your superior beauty and intense eye contact just for the hell of it is really amusing and empowering.

4. No one gives two poops if ya legs are hairy (your man shouldn't either but *Kermit the Frog meme* That's none of my business)

5. The toilet seat will remain down.

6. There's more money to spend on yourself.

7. There's always this secret butterfly in your tummy that marvels at the possibility that when you go out this weekend you're gonna meet someone super handsome/wonderful/prince-like and have this moment of dazzling dalliance.

8. Nothing is that serious...you can take it all with a grain of salt...you don't owe anybody anything.

9. You can dance with anyone and everyone...or no one (Hello frat boi w/ glasses, I see you).

10. You don't have to fluff anyone's ego but your own.

11. Free drinks and dinners from single guys (It's not taking advantage if they're offering; a girl's gotta eat).

12. You have more time to learn how to love and improve yourself rather than constantly pouring your energy into another person.

13. You don't have to sacrifice your cheesy Jen Aniston rom-coms and Gilmore Girls for his Fast and Furious/other dumb action movie featuring blonde that is only in the movie to supply a relationship to the male lead and to make him look more masculine/empowered in juxtaposition (In other words, you don't have to deal with a guy being a crabby Patty while you watch your cute movies).

14. You can daydream about what your future husband may be doing right now (and not get stressed/guilty out because you're not picturing your current boyfriend that's crazy about you as your future husband).

15. There is more time to be spent with your girlfriends.

Girls Night In
Milk + Blush

We've all been there - you've been saying since Tuesday after French that this weekend is the weekend. You're finally going to break out those new heels and actually put on eyeliner on and make this Friday night be one for the memory books! That is, of course, until Girls Night Out turned into...Girls Night In.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

What Is Your Zodiac GIF?

Characteristics of the astrological signs, explained through GIFS.

766
zodiac
Wordpress

Whether you believe astrology is a legitimate "science" or not, we have all found ourselves looking at our horoscopes from time to time. The 12 astrological signs all fall under one of four elements: air, water, earth, or fire. Air signs are rational, social, and love to communicate with others. Water signs are are emotional, intuitive, and mysterious. Fire signs tend to be passionate, creative, and adventurous. Earth signs are conservative, realistic, and loyal.

Each sign is determined by the relative positions of celestial bodies to ourselves at our moment of birth, which is said to influence our personalities. Find your zodiac GIF below, based on the traits and characteristics provided by each sign.

***Disclaimer: GIFS are meant to be lighthearted and are based on descriptions of signs from http://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com/.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments