April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech campus, 32 people shot and killed. Dec. 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School, 26 people shot and killed. Oct. 16, 1991, Columbine High School 13 people shot and killed (“Deadliest U.S. Shootings”). These are all traumatic events that could have been less traumatic or even prevented with tighter gun control laws. One of the guns used in the Virginia Tech shooting was bought privately requiring no background check or transfer of identification. However, some people believe that with more guns and armed guards the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting could have been prevented. How could the massacre at Columbine High School been prevented? Would tighter gun regulations prevent tragedies like these? Should the U.S. limit the 2nd Amendment more?

San Jose, a newspaper in California said, “Every day for the past 22 years, California’s background checks have stopped about a dozen felons, mentally ill people and others from buying guns” (Richman). It has been questioned, should California’s background-check system be a model for the rest of the country? The answer to this question is undoubtedly, yes. In California it is required for a customer to swipe his or her drivers license, this runs the person through not only the FBI’s database but 20 other sources. When it runs this person through database after database it is looking for criminal history, mental illness and any other red flag that would not allow them to buy a firearm. Not only is this the most extensive background-check out of all fifty states but it is also required at gun shows and when privately selling and buying firearms (Richman). In other states when at gun shows and with private sales of firearms, background-checks and a transfer of identification is not required. This allowed the Virginia Tech shooter to purchase a gun with no ID or background check (Kimberlin). So with California’s background-checks and tighter firearm purchasing laws, would the Virginia Tech shooter been able to buy one of his guns without Identification? Would the background-check have found the his mental illness history and not allowed him to buy the other gun?

Some people will argue that having more people with guns allows for better defense when situations like the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School occur. However, a study done on California shows, as gun ownership increases so does the murder rate (Cramer). This evidence is indisputable, when you put more guns in the hands of more people it provides a way for these people to escalate disputes to higher, more dangerous, levels. Providing this opportunity to escalate the dispute puts not only the people in disagreement in danger but also all the other people surrounding. If they don't argue to put more guns in the hands of good people, they argue that we should have more armed guards in schools and public area. This idea would not be a bad idea if it were not for the financial side of it. The cost of hiring armed guard for every school and highly populated area would exponential.

In October of 1991 13 people were shot and killed when two students came into Columbine High School with weapons carrying well over ten rounds per clip (“Deadliest U.S. Shootings”). When they opened fire the two assailants had to reload in quite large time increments. If they had to reload more frequently then someone would have been able to stop them sooner. Another, more recent, example of the lack of necessity of large magazines in weapons is the shooting of Christina-Taylor. A shooter entered a mall with a Glock nineteen handgun with an thirty three round clip attached to it. Taylor was shot and killed on the 13th shot after, the shooter continued until he was tackled to the ground while reloading. Taylor's husband, Mark Kelly, took the stand saying, " If Loughner had been tackled while trying to reload after 10 rounds, Christina-Taylor would be alive today" ( Richman, "Large-Capacity Magazines: Second Amendment Right or Gun-Violence...").

In conclusion, gun control laws need to be tightened. Mass shooting are occurring more often and with larger numbers (Richman). Gun purchasing loopholes allow people to buy guns without anyone knowing that they have done so. Extended magazines allow for people to take other peoples lives easier and people would like to put more guns out there? Tightening gun control laws is not about infringing on 2nd amendment rights but is about saving the lives of good people around us.


















Work Cited
Cramer, Clayton. “California Handgun Waiting Periods and Murder Rates.” Gun Control (2010): Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Sep. 2013.

“Deadliest U.S. Shootings.” Washington Post 23 Sep. (2013): Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

Kimberlin, Joanne. "State of the Gun: In Virginia, Firearms Aren't a Tough Sell." Virginian-Pilot [Norfolk, VA]. 03 Mar 2008: A1+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Richman, Josh. "California's Gun Background-Check System Could Be National Model." San Jose Mercury News. 05 Feb (2013): n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

Richman, Josh. "Large-Capacity Magazines: Second Amendment Right or Gun-Violence..." San Jose Mercury News. 04 Mar (2013): n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

St. George, Donna. "Newtown Spurs Schools to Look at Entrance Security." Washington Post 28 Jan (2013): A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.