About a little more than a year ago, I along with majority of my high school class protested the lack of gun control in the United States. The point of the National School Walkout was to not only to bring attention to this epidemic, but to honor those who had been lost in the shooting in Parkland, FL. My friends and I were only seventeen at the time. Although we could not vote, we could let our voices be heard.

It is now 2019, and there have been two hundred and fifty-five shooting in the U.S. In the wake of the tragedies in El Paso, Texas, Dayton, Ohio, and San Franciso, California, the public and media circles back to the topic of gun control. This appears to be a trend in our country, and I am despondent to say the least. It is difficult to not feel confused and angry about this.

How many more times are we going to let this happen?

The problem is not the people, it is the guns. Guns making killing easier. More specifically, automatic weapons make it easier to kill more people in a limited amount of time. I understand there are some people who are not mentally fit to own a gun, but why are guns so accessible to begin with? Our system for obtaining a weapon legally is flawed. I have more restrictions in acquiring my driver's license in the state of California than the gun control laws in this country.

Stricter gun laws, save lives.

In 1996, thirty-four people were killed by a semi-automatic weapon in Port Arthur, Australia. This sparked national outrage throughout the country and eventually led to the passing of the National Firearms Agreement. This piece of legislation outlawed all semi-automatic weapons; there has not been a mass shooting since. I am not saying we need to ban all guns in this country. There are trained professionals, such as law enforcement, in this country who are capable of utilizing a weapon. However, increased gun control and more in-depth background checks do work.

Enough is enough.

It should have been over after Parkland. It should have been over after the Orlando nightclub shooting. It should have been long over after Sandy Hook (after the murder of twenty children). We have the power to change this, and we must do it now.