“How many more schools? How many more movie theaters? How many more houses of faith?”

These questions were asked only a few days after the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in a video by demandaplan.org, a website that pushes for a plan against gun violence.

It is imperitive that Congress passes President Obama’s new gun bill to keep dangerous weapons, such as assault rifles, out of the wrong hands.

Obama has called for increased background checks before people purchase weapons, and a ban on military grade assault rifles and high capacity ammunition containers.

In the last 12 months alone there have been three school shootings, a shooting at a theater, a shooting at a Sikh temple, and massive amounts of gang violence.

Just a few weeks ago at Taft Union High School near Bakersfield, a student brought a gun to his school and attempted to murder his fellow classmates. Since 1996, more than 50 school shootings have occurred nationwide, while everything from the media, movies and TV to music and video games gets the blame.

But only two gun crimes were committed in Japan in 2012,  according to The Young Turks, who posted a video on their YouTube channel. And yet, Japan is a huge contributor to what the world defines as violent media.

According to the New York Times, many wealthy countries  have very strict gun laws, which are very effective at preventing violence.

In reality, many of these acts of gun violence come down to a lack of gun control. People who should not have guns are getting their hands them legally, which needs to stop.

Many violent crimes committed in the U.S. involve guns, according to demandaplan.org.

If the government can keep certain people from getting their hands on guns, crime will drop. Background checks should be required for everyone who purchases a gun, as well as be required for purchase online and at gun shows.

Furthermore, guns such as assault rifles should not be sold in the U.S. because they can easily be changed from semi-automatic to fully automatic weapons.

More than half of America’s gun owners say they use their guns for hunting and self defense. So why does someone need a military grade assault rifle with a high capacity magazine, laser scope, and silencer to hunt a deer?

We are civilians, not soldiers. We don’t need such high tech and dangerous equipment, especially when a mentally ill person can just go buy the same gun and cause mass havoc.

To be honest, I don’t trust any old Joe on the street with a gun who feels the need it to be safe, than I trust a crazy person with a gun.  Some people also say that if teachers carried guns then perhaps tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook could’ve been prevented. But I don’t think I trust a teacher with a gun any more than I trust a student with a gun.

Since 2006, the average number of gun-related crimes has averaged 12,000 per year. That’s way too many, and it’s time something changed.

How many more news reports is it going to take before Americans open their eyes and realize the horror that is unfolding almost on what seems to be a daily basis?

We need change, we need a plan, and we need better gun laws. It’s only a matter of time before something very, very serious happens, if the last few tragedies were not serious enough for those who refuse to allow new gun laws.

It is time for the U.S. to become stricter on gun control, and Obama’s bill will remove dangerous weapons from the hands of those that should not have them.

Check out the other side to gun control here: https://www.thecalifornianpaper.com/?p=4198