This past week Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida has become yet another victim of a mass shooting with at least 17 dead as of February 14th. This also marks the 18th school shooting and the 30th mass shooting of 2018, and it has not even been two months! Yet it still is not the time to talk about gun control laws in the U.S.

In the U.S. owning a firearm is not only perfectly legal but a basic right of freedom, as stated in the original Bill of Rights in The United States Constitution. (It is the Second Amendment if you are not aware.) The majority of American states currently do not have any sort of gun control laws in place to assure the safety, purchasing, and circulation of guns and firearms. You can even buy a gun in Walmart and Bass Pro Shop without having a gun carrying license or running a background check. You just have to show an ID stating that you are over a certain age in order to purchase a gun. You can even buy it online with free shipping included.

This means that literally anyone, even myself, can just walk into a Walmart and buy groceries, school supplies, and a gun and ammo without anyone stopping them. In a country where mass shootings are becoming an everyday occurrence, we still have easy access to firearms and ammunition. Has it dawned on anyone else how absurd and dangerous that could be?

When the original amendment was created, it was at a time where guns were single shots at close range and ammunition was scarce. Now we have access to firearms that can hold multiple bullets and can kill and injure multiple people in the span of one round. This amendment has not been updated or redefined since it's ratification in 1791.

We have become the only country in the world where mass shootings have become nearly an everyday occurrence. Yet, we still cannot pass any kind of law for gun control. How many more shooting do we have to go through in order for our government to act? How many more children have to be in danger of injury or death in a place where they should feel safe and protected? When is the time to talk about this?

The time should be now! It was the time to talk about it when it was Sandy Hook, when it was Pulse, and especially when it was Las Vegas. We need to talk about this right now. We cannot keep ignoring the fact that countless men, women, and children have died due to mass shootings. This is not a discussion about freedom and rights. It is about public safety and the protection of our citizens.

We cannot forget or ignore this issue. We should not be arguing about it. Now is the time to act on this issue before more people have to suffer the consequences. We need to show awareness to this issue and do everything we can to make sure this does not happen again.

In a time of division and tension in our country, we need to come together as a country and fix this now broken and outdated system of firearm freedom that has resulted in so many preventable and unnecessary deaths. There needs to be more love and care in this country. The first step to do that is to talk about this issue and find a way to fix it! Without a solution to the problem, we will not be able to heal and grow as a nation. We will be stuck in this vicious cycle and many more individuals will lose their lives as a result of it.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends, and community of Parkland, Florida. I know that nothing I can say or do can make anything seem okay. Just know that we are all feeling your pain and praying for those who are suffering through this tragedy. You have my love and support as well as many of the other Odyssey creators. The students and faculty that have lost their lives in this event, and every one before this, will not be forgotten; especially not by me.