I wanted to share this blog post for the following reasons: 1) TRUTH BOMB 2) it resonates a lot with my own lived experience.
Like the author, I’m an Army veteran. I spent 4 years on active duty (plus 2 more in the reserves), where I attained the rank of Captain. I didn’t join the military to fight for anyone’s freedom but my own – I needed money for college, and books, and well, to eat. Basic stuff. My dad was a steelworker who lost his job when I was in high school. I knew I was headed to college, but I didn’t have the slightest idea how I would pay for it. The Army fixed that.
When I was in the Army, we shot M-16s, the forerunner of what is the now standard issue M-4. Both of these rifles are AR-style (ArmaLite) rifles. Like a lot of women, I discovered I was good at shooting this rifle. I was awarded expert badges throughout my time in service. The skill seems rather useless now and far removed from the skills I require to be a professor. Now, outside of my research, I don’t have much to do with sport shooting.
So then, like a lot of people in the military, I enjoyed shooting my rifle. I even liked taking it apart and cleaning it. In hindsight, and based on preliminary findings in my research, guns and target shooting give people a sense of power and mastery (even if these are false notions); what is more, this activity offers some people an opportunity to “fake mastery,” especially when mastery over their own lives (I’m powerless; no money/no power).
To be even more specific, guns may help some people firm up their gender performance when it is suspect (i.e. I’m not masculine enough, or I’m a woman who wants to claim “male” power by playing the “big boys” game). Guns, for some people, offer a means to compensate for perceived personal deficits and help such people “fake it til they make it.”
Military people are provided the opportunity to achieve gun mastery in the midst of the chaos that is basic training. This intensive period of training and socialization, which is designed to break down individuals and in the process remove all claims to dignity and personal autonomy [no one, by the way, escapes this], can leave a lot of people feeling shook and uncertain about how to get their power back. Put another way, basic training is the place where many are forced to confront their own weakness; they find out pretty quick if they can measure up. Some find they can make claims to power by demonstrating weapons mastery, through technical training and marksmanship performance, and body mastery, through extreme body conditioning and physical domination of others.
Researchers have documented that men in particular, who have experienced economic setbacks or worry about their economic futures, are the group of gun owners who demonstrate the most attachment to their guns. Those who indicate “high attachment” said that that having a gun made them a better and more respected member of their communities” (Moyer, 2017). This is one reason that guns appeal to so many people….and not just military people. Everyone appears to climbing on board the self-esteem train. And this includes college students. So without further preamble, check out the following blog post.
Me doing a middling job of hitting a target. I better not quit my day job.
“Fuck You I Like Guns”
(re-blogged from the blog “Engineering, Parenthood, and a Solid Attempt at Adult Status”)
America, can we talk? Let’s just cut the shit for once and actually talk about what’s going on without blustering and pretending we’re actually doing a good job at adulting as a country right now. We’re not. We’re really screwing this whole society thing up, and we have to do better. We don’t have a choice. People are dying. At this rate, it’s not if your kids, or mine, are involved in a school shooting, it’s when. One of these happens every 60 hours on average in the US. If you think it can’t affect you, you’re wrong. Dead wrong. So let’s talk.
I’ll start. I’m an Army veteran. I like M-4’s, which are, for all practical purposes, an AR-15, just with a few extra features that people almost never use anyway. I’d say at least 70% of my formal weapons training is on that exact rifle, with the other 30% being split between various and sundry machineguns and grenade launchers. My experience is pretty representative of soldiers of my era. Most of us are really good with an M-4, and most of us like it at least reasonably well because it is an objectively good rifle.
I was good with an M-4…really good. I earned the Expert badge every time I went to the range, starting in Basic Training. This isn’t uncommon. I can name dozens of other soldiers/veterans I know personally who can say the exact same thing. This rifle is surprisingly easy to use, completely idiot-proof really, has next to no recoil, comes apart and cleans up like a dream, and is light to carry around. I’m probably more accurate with it than I would be with pretty much any other weapon in existence. I like this rifle a lot. I like marksmanship as a sport. When I was in the military, I enjoyed combining these two things as often as they’d let me.
With all that said, enough is enough. My knee-jerk reaction is to consider weapons like the AR-15 no big deal because it is my default setting. It’s where my training lies. It is my normal, because I learned how to fire a rifle IN THE ARMY. You know, while I may only have shot plastic targets on the ranges of Texas, Georgia, and Missouri, that’s not what those weapons were designed for, and those targets weren’t shaped like deer. They were shaped like people. Sometimes we even put little hats on them. You learn to take a gut shot, “center mass”, because it’s a bigger target than the head, and also because if you maim the enemy soldier rather than killing him cleanly, more of his buddies will come out and get him, and you can shoot them, too. He’ll die of those injuries, but it’ll take him a while, giving you the chance to pick off as many of his compadres as you can. That’s how my Drill Sergeant explained it anyway. I’m sure there are many schools of thought on it.
The fact is, though, when I went through my marksmanship training in the US Army, I was not learning how to be a competition shooter in the Olympics or a good hunter. I was being taught how to kill people as efficiently as possible and that was never a secret.
As an avowed pacifist now, it turns my stomach to even type the above words, but can you refute them? I can’t. Every weapon that a US Army soldier uses has the express purpose of killing human beings. That is what they are made for. The choice rifle for years has been some variant of what civilians are sold as an AR-15. Whether it was an M-4 or an M-16 matters little. The function is the same, and so is the purpose. These are not deer rifles. They are not target rifles. They are people killing rifles. Let’s stop pretending they’re not.
With this in mind, is anybody surprised that nearly every mass shooter in recent US history has used an AR-15 to commit their crime? And why wouldn’t they? High capacity magazine, ease of loading and unloading, almost no recoil, really accurate even without a scope, but numerous scopes available for high precision, great from a distance or up close, easy to carry, and readily available. You can buy one at Wal-Mart, or just about any sports store, and since they’re long guns, I don’t believe you have to be any more than 18 years old with a valid ID. This rifle was made for the modern mass shooter, especially the young one. If he could custom design a weapon to suit his sinister purposes, he couldn’t do a better job than Armalite did with this one already.
This rifle is so deadly and so easy to use that no civilian should be able to get their hands on one. We simply don’t need these things in society at large. I always find it interesting that when I was in the Army, and part of my job was to be incredibly proficient with this exact weapon, I never carried one at any point in garrison other than at the range. Our rifles lived in the arms room, cleaned and oiled, ready for the next range day or deployment. We didn’t carry them around just because we liked them. We didn’t bluster on about barracks defense and our second amendment rights. We tucked our rifles away in the arms room until the next time we needed them, just as it had been done since the Army’s inception. The military police protected us from threats in garrison. They had 9 mm Berettas to carry. They were the only soldiers who carry weapons in garrison. We trusted them to protect us and they delivered. With notably rare exceptions, this system has worked well. There are fewer shootings on Army posts than in society in general, probably because soldiers are actively discouraged from walking around with rifles, despite being impeccably well trained with them. Perchance, we could have the largely untrained civilian population take a page from that book?
I understand that people want to be able to own guns. That’s ok. We just need to really think about how we’re managing this. Yes, we have to manage it, just as we manage car ownership. People have to get a license to operate a car, and if you operate a car without a license, you’re going to get in trouble for that. We manage all things in society that can pose a danger to other people by their misuse. In addition to cars, we manage drugs, alcohol, exotic animals (there are certain zip codes where you can’t own Serval cats, for example), and fireworks, among other things. We restrict what types of businesses can operate in which zones of the city or county. We have a whole system of permitting for just about any activity a person wants to conduct since those activities could affect others, and we realize, as a society, that we need to try to minimize the risk to other people that comes from the chosen activities of those around them in which they have no say. Gun ownership is the one thing our country collectively refuses to manage, and the result is a lot of dead people.
I can’t drive a Formula One car to work. It would be really cool to be able to do that, and I could probably cut my commute time by a lot. Hey, I’m a good driver, a responsible Formula One owner. You shouldn’t be scared to be on the freeway next to me as I zip around you at 140 MPH, leaving your Mazda in a cloud of dust! Why are you scared? Cars don’t kill people. People kill people. Doesn’t this sound like bullshit? It is bullshit, and everybody knows. Not one person I know would argue non-ironically that Formula One cars on the freeway are a good idea. Yet, these same people will say it’s totally ok to own the firearm equivalent because, in the words of comedian Jim Jeffries, “fuck you, I like guns.”
According to Jeffries, the “I need to protect my family” argument is simply ridiculous. He similarly objects to owning assault rifles. The reasoning, in his view, constitutes what are more or less “bullshit arguments.” Especially the “I need to protect myself; I need to protect my family”argument.
Yes, yes, I hear you now. We have a second amendment to the constitution, which must be held sacrosanct over all other amendments. Dude. No. The constitution was made to be a malleable document. It’s intentionally vague. We can enact gun control without infringing on the right to bear arms. You can have your deer rifle. You can have your shotgun that you love to shoot clay pigeons with. You can have your target pistol. Get a license. Get a training course. Recertify at a predetermined interval. You do not need a military grade rifle. You don’t. There’s no excuse.
“But we’re supposed to protect against tyranny! I need the same weapons the military would come at me with!” Dude. You know where I can get an Apache helicopter and a Paladin?! Hook a girl up! Seriously, though, do you really think you’d be able to hold off the government with an individual level weapon? Because you wouldn’t. One grenade and you’re toast. Don’t have these illusions of standing up to the government, and needing military-style rifles for that purpose. You’re not going to stand up to the government with this thing. They’d take you out in about half a second.
Let’s be honest. You just want a cool toy, and for the vast majority of people, that’s all an AR-15 is. It’s something fun to take to the range and put some really wicked holes in a piece of paper. Good for you. I know how enjoyable that is. I’m sure for a certain percentage of people, they might not kill anyone driving a Formula One car down the freeway, or owning a Cheetah as a pet, or setting off professional grade fireworks without a permit. Some people are good with this stuff, and some people are lucky, but those cases don’t negate the overall rule.
Military style rifles have been the choice du jour in the incidents that have made our country the mass shootings capitol of the world. Formula One cars aren’t good for commuting. Cheetahs are bitey. Professional grade fireworks will probably take your hand off. All but one of these are common sense to the average American. Let’s fix that.
Be honest, you don’t need that AR-15. Nobody does. Society needs them gone, no matter how good you may be with yours. Kids are dying, and it’s time to stop fucking around.
Lethal Logic – “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people!”
“Cars don’t kill people; people kill people.”
Obviously, cars should not be illegal. But notice that this has nothing to do with the fact that they are proximate causes. Of course, they should be regulated; no one should be allowed to go onto the highway in a car with no brakes. But all of that has to do what cars are for (they are not made for killing people), what role they play in society (it couldn’t function without them) and so on. It’s a complicated issue—pointing out that cars are merely proximate causes to some deaths contributes nothing to our understanding of the problem (Johnson, 2013).
Here’s a suggestion. The next time you hear someone quote the NRA slogan – “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people” in an attempt to end a discussion about gun control, have some fun. Point out that they have “mistaken the relevance of proximate causation.” Pause briefly to enjoy the confused look on their face and then patiently explain the nature of the logical fallacy to them (Johnson, 2013).
Guns are tools that make killing more efficient. Limiting that efficiency is a legitimate goal. Purveyors of the “guns don’t kill people” argument should remember that, by their inane logic, F16s don’t kill people and nuclear missiles don’t kill people. Only the person “behind” the F16 or nuclear missile kills. Despite this, we still limit access to F16s and nuclear missiles. Why? Because these weapons have the potential to kill multiple people in seconds (Shammas, 2017).
Most people agree that guns should be regulated to some extent (at the least, most think that all gun sales should require a background check). But how strictly should they be regulated? Perhaps very strictly. After all, states with stricter gun regulations have fewer gun-related deaths. Then again, there may be philosophical issues related to the protection of liberty and individual rights that override more utilitarian concerns. It’s a complicated issue. There are lots of relevant factors involved, but the fact that guns are proximate causes isn’t one of them (Johnson, 2013).
Briefly put, this particular slogan makes an irrelevant point, which is not followed by any conclusion. Yes, people do kill people. So do nukes, machetes, grenades, knives and fists. The fact that, like guns, all of those tools require some sort of human action to function isn’t an argument against restrictions on their use. This is especially so for guns, which—unlike fists and knives—enable one person to slaughter others with a brutal efficiency that the Founding Fathers couldn’t even begin to comprehend in 1791 when the Bill of Rights was ratified; also a time when semi and fully-automatic firearms technology didn’t exist (Shammas, 2017).
People kill people, and guns make that killing easier. While knives often wound and sometimes kill, guns often kill. Efficiently. So enough with the inane word games. Until we do something—until we stop listening to pithy, bumper-sticker-worthy straw men like “guns don’t kill people; people kill people”—more Americans will die. Simply because of how obvious the solution is. And that’s a shame (Shammas, 2017).
No one is suggesting that we do away with the American constitutional right to own a gun. Everyone, in fact, seems to be in agreement that there are responsible, law-abiding folks who just so happen to own guns. No one is saying these people should be sacrificed and suffer the consequences for the evil acts of a minority. It is being suggested, however, that people stop treating guns like they are toys and that we move past circular and fallacious arguments in order to enact some positive social change.
Sources
“Fuck You I Like Guns” blog post, by Anna
“Do Money, Social Status Woes Fuel the U.S. Gun Culture?” by Melinda Wenner Moyer, 2017
Discussion
What are your general thoughts about guns?
Does the idea or the act of shooting a gun feel powerful?
Do you feel safe from guns at school?
What do you think should be done (or not done) to solve the current crisis?
When you were reading the blog post, did you assume the gender of the author was male? (hint: not!)
From being a young child learning the amendment till being the young adult I am today I have always supported amendment 2 because I feel as though everybody has the right to practice bare arms. I also strongly believe that there should be more laws in preventing gun violence. Most people who own guns doesn’t own them for they protection they own them for there there pleasure. Most people get guns to go out killing each other or just shooting just to shoot. I personally believe that the process of getting a gun lisense should be a little more debt then what it is now. Fill out a paper $20 cash take a picture boom you are able to purchase guns now. Although background checks are being done within the process that still isn’t enough. People can have a clear background but still use guns for violence and not protection. Within the article it clearly states that often times people wants a gun for a toy. But, a gun is not a toy it is not something you just sit around play with. Although there are people out here who actually uses there guns for protection there is more people who use it for violence. New laws need to be enforced when it come to purchasing a gun. Until then people will remain to do the things they do with no hesitation .
To start things off, I would like to say that I am a strong supporter of the second amendment and that everyone to some extent, has the right to practice their right to bare arms. Do I think there should be more laws to prevent gun violence? Yes, but that’s where education comes in to play. Most people who own guns show “ignorance” in familiarizing themselves with the responsibility and that they are account for such power. I believe that people should do a better job at doing background/psychological evaluations to make sure that people who own guns aren’t so “wonky”. For an example soldiers of war who were in active duty who have PTSD. Anyone who suffers from this disease is dangerous simply because they are easily triggered. All it takes is for something loud with a big “Bang” behind it to set them back in the the line of duty. I remember reading and or watching a documentary of a military veteran who went on a run after a mass shooting that led to a shoot out with police and then killing him self. Regardless of race and ethnicity, there will always be controversy behind “who, how and when” people should own guns.
I don’t mean to state the obvious, but guns make people feel safe and unsafe. It is a complicated realm to understand. I personally don’t believe this country has any idea what they plan to do with the “gun violence” issue. When talking about guns there are a few things to understand. The person who has the gun always feels safe. Unless its someone at war and in that case you know everyone else has a weapon as well. But for the most part when someone has a firearm, they mostly feel safe and protected. On the other side, you have people without a firearm and thy see someone with a firearm and it suddenly makes them feel uneasy. To be fair, you never know who is safe to have a gun and who isn’t when you are somewhere and see someone with a gun. So both sides have a fair argument. The problem i have is that people believe that taking guns away can positively affect the violence level in America. A gun does not grow hands and magically pull the trigger. That has to be done by people. It has become cliche but guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Those who choose to use guns to intentionally harm other human beings for whatever reason is the problem. People who have a motive to kill someone else or a mass amount of people have a reason and will find any means to do so. Taking guns away will just make them find another route of obtaining something potentially more dangerous than guns to achieve their goal. I know people want to fix this problem. The article even says that people want guns for toys sometimes. A GUN IS NOT A TOY. There are people who understand the power and responsibility that comes with a gun and those that don’t. Thats where the line has to be drawn.
I put a lot of thought into this article, one portion in particular. I have come to the realization that I disagree with the Formula one analogy. Most people do not own formula one cars because they are not safe for the road, guns are owned for protection or can be used for murder in many negative cases. Every gun is unsafe when used in a dangerous manner. However, You chose to get behind the wheel of the formula one car, drive it with the knowledge that not everyone on the road will be accustom to driving on the same road as a formula one car. I believe the analogy to be an example of ignorance versus evil. Someone owning a gun can use it (with intent) in an evil way, the way the car argument is presented leaves me to believe that the driver is just thinking of their own needs and what suits them best. I also do not like the attitude of the post at all, the use of “dude” and the profanity. Profanity can be used to stress importance in an issue, here it seems cheap. What I did like and believe whole heartedly is the mass shooting chart that the post ends with. I believe we have a spiritual crisis in America, we simply do not respect the dead as much as other cultures or countries. I had a high school friend die and a girl from the high school posted on status “People die all over the world for more important reasons, who cares that some piece of shit from TJ died?” To be honest, I respect her not hiding what she truly thinks about matters. On the other hand, that is a really nasty comment.
I think that guns are apart of our society and at this point there is no real way of getting rid of them so over time i have become okay with having guns i am just not okay with who has these guns i don’t think that teens should have access to guns or even people who are not mentally stable people who are not trained in combat should not have guns because things tend to go wrong i understand police officers having them for “protection” but are they having to take test to see if they are stable after a certain point of being on the force. For many people they may feel powerful but i don’t think it is something that holds power i think it is a crutch for many people who are scared of things. I feel safe at school i think that having trained police officers who are respected is enough when it comes to having guns on campus. I am not sure if there is anything that can be done at this point we have integrated guns into our society we can try to limit the access but even then if someone wants a gun they will figure out how to get it. yes i did the approach and tone made me think the author was male.
Personally I am indifferent about guns. I believe people should be allowed to have them, but I think they should be forced to have training on them. I grew up in a house where there multiple guns present within the house. My dad was a hunter and still is to this day, so there were always hunting riffles in the house, plus hand guns. Never were they left out in plain sight, or left around for people to touch, they were always locked in a safe in the garage. Today I feel that people feel power, when they have a gun, even though many people who have guns actually have no clue how to use them properly. People having guns with no training or having them for no use other then just because they can is a major concern. I personally would never carry a gun myself until I received proper training on it and felt comfortable with shooting it. I believe people have to easy of access of obtaining firearms and are to power hungry, which leads to many gun incidents.
I spent most of my years at Penn State in the Harrisburg campus before I transferred to Berks due to limited dorm space, but before that I spent time in the Beaver campus. I read that late last year there was a shooting in the Beaver campus – near the Bistro(Beaver equivalent of Tully’s). Its unnerving to know that shots were fired in places I walked through. This has made me question – is nothing sacred anymore? Given, It has been a couple years since I’ve been there, but the feeling is still the same. In spite of the fact that in the media we hear always of high schools getting hit and we feel isolated from the situation since college students have no reason to be there anymore,- this shows that people with malevolent intentions can use guns to cause harm anywhere. Liking guns so much can blind people to its risks to society and inadvertently make them mentally block possible solutions.
Overall I think guns are a great example of how far we’ve come engineering wise. Guns aren’t meant to be toys and are something to be taken seriously. People shouldn’t be allowed to get them just to get them. There’s people that collect guns, but if that’s their reasoning for buying guns then there shouldn’t be any bullets involved when purchasing. There should be more in depth reasoning as to why someone wants to purchase a firearm. I came from a place that guns were the norm for people my age to have, weather it be for hunting or other things they were involved in it was something I came to accept. Being that kids always had them in their vehicles at school the thought of one being in the school doesn’t really scare me. In order to help with the gun crisis that is happening in our country I think those who give people the right to own need to have records as to why they have them. Also for those that collect, they should have certain permit that allow them to buy the guns on selective ammo.
It seems all the talk about guns today is how harmful they are to society. From someone that grew up in a household with guns I’d have to beg to differ. A firearm is simply a tool and a tool is used to complete certain tasks. In firearms case, they are used to defend your home and yourself, hunting and sports, and to have a good time. The thing about tools is, is that there are different tools used for different tasks. As in a guns case single-shot firearms are used for accuracy, shotguns are used for close range effectiveness which makes them ideal for home defense and pistols are used for personal protect. There are certain firearms or “tools” that can be used for multiple task for each scenario like assault rifles. When the name “assault rifle” comes up people tend to immediately think bad news or danger but the truth is they are just as “dangerous” as any other firearm. What I believe it comes down to is that they look scary so they must me.
I have multiple different feelings on guns. I think if owned by the right person and controled safely guns can be used for safety, but if a gun is in the wrong hand it is just a ticking time bomb. It also depends on thew type of gun that is in the persons hand, many people believe that having an “AR” type gun is okay, but when you argue that it is to protect you or your family, “What do you mean”. noone except for the military should be able to have any of the “Assault” weapons that are out their. their is no need for you to have a gun that shoot tons of round,and is made to scare and kill people. Now their is also the side of guns that is for hunting, like i stated earlier if the weapon is in the right hand and the person has the right training then i see no problem with them having a hunting rifle or shotgun for hunting. I do believe that for some people shooting a weapon could feel powerfull. Some people just want to feel like they are in control and when you have a gun, you can feel powerfull as most people are scared of these weapons.
My general thoughts about guns are that they aren’t bad. I have been in a family where my dad has owned guns my whole life. I started hunting at the age of 10 and was going out hunting with my dad ever since I was 6. I own a gun but its mainly used for shooting targets. Yes, there is a feeling of power when you shoot a gun. There always will be because its a type of instrument that is associated with power. Its used in the military to control land and people which is power. Its used for hunting which is giving you the power to kill another species. People use it in protecting themselves from other people which gives you power over someone else. I do not feel safe from guns at school. With all the shootings at schools and how easy it is to get onto a college campus and walk into a building, an individual could easily attack a college building. There are a lot of people who lose their minds or get mad and want to cause havoc. Everyone knows that school areas are a high population area too. To solve the current crisis, I believe they should make it harder to own a gun. I was able to get my gun carrying permit in 15 minutes just by filling out a paper and passing a quick background check. There should be more involved with getting permits. Also, when you buy a gun, You shouldn’t just be able to buy one at a gun show or at Walmart just because you are 18. I did not assume the author was male because I have a sister that has a better shot than me. Especially when it comes to archery and I know a lot of girls that carry guns for protection against rapists and such.
Honestly, I didn’t realize until the very end that the author was a female. When I read veteran, I assumed male.
I think shooting guns make you feel powerful… But so does driving fast or shooting a compound bow. So does running up a hill. There are other ways to get n adrenaline rush.
My school officer always carried a gun. But she never even hinted at using it. She was a black woman and got along with everybody there and she was VERY sassy. I think her voice was scarier than the fact that she had a gun. I never felt too safe at school living on the edge of Baltimore City. Kids brought guns to school and hid them in their back pack to show off to their other white supremacist friends.
I believe that to start, people should only be allowed to have one gun. Wean them off. There are other ways to hunt that deer.
Coming up from a family with no guns I never really even thought too much about them. As a kid I had the thought that they were dangerous and to stay away from them. As I grew older i began to realize that the guns weren’t necessarily dangerous but the people who were behind the gun could potentially be dangerous. I believe there needs to be stricter gun control laws today to end mass shootings and unnecessary gun violence. Background checks should be mandatory to lessen the phycos who can get a hold of a gun. However, even with stricter gun laws i still do believe that access to guns is pretty easy. If someone really wants to get there hands on a gun there isn’t much restricting them from doing so which is a major problem
I personally feel as though Guns are an integral part of American society and are woven into who we are as Americans. I do not believe that every Ameircan needs to own a gun or even like them to be considered a true American, however I do feel as though by in large it is apart of who we are as a country.
As far as shooting guns I Believe there is a person to person feel. Some people feel as though that it gives them power, where as for myself I feel a calmness and focused feeling from firing a gun.
I believe that there is no gun problem in the USA where as there is a human moral and ethics and family issues. Out of the past 27 mass/school shootings in the United States, 26 of them grew up without fathers. Now I am not saying this is all that is wrong with the people who decide to act violently against their peers. However I do believe to solve the gun “issue” in America we must first solve the actual problem that is occurring which is the family and moral problems in our society.
I did not assume the author’s gender was a male. When I read an article such as this one I try and first understand the content based on a factual perspective and then go back in an attempt to obtain the emotional and influence feel of the articles.
To me, I think guns are used to defend ourselves from danger. I know some people have guns just because they like them. Many of them have a hobby from guns whether it’s from collecting to the shooting. I feel when people have an arm in their I feel like they do feel powerful. That arm could cause harm to anyone.and could give people control.
I don’t feel safe when there’s a gun in school cause what happens if the gun is left unprotected anyone could get it and cause harm. So far I don’t see anything cause both sides don’t agree with it and I think they will never come to the agreement
I personally do not have a problem with guns. I know people who own them for hunting reasons, protection reasons and so forth. I do feel that access to them should be tougher, like going through background checks, health screenings, mental tests, lessons, and whatever else is needed to make sure the guns are in the right hands. I don’t believe that the solution to gun violence is taking them all away, as there are plenty of ways to get guns. I saw a show the other day where a woman went on the black market and bought a gun and picked it up in 15 minutes from a guy in a gas station parking lot. I believe that if people really wanted it they can easily get it illegaly so controlling them now won’t do anything. In general I would say I feel relatively safe at school, I don’t fear anything happening, but you can never know what will happen.
Overall, I do not have a problem with guns. I think guns provide food, fun, and memories. Unfortunately, the people behind the triggers of the guns that are causing such damage to the lives of so many, is the true problem, not the gun itself. For some, I’m sure there is a thrill to shooting a gun. My brothers absolutely love shooting and setting up different challenges for each other to accomplish. They have made so many fun memories together, shooting at targets and going hunting. For me, I have little interest in shooting a gun. I know how, but I do not have the urge to want to go out and shoot for fun. The question that people keep asking is if I feel safe from guns at school. I would like to say that my answer is yes and that I am not afraid of the threat of a gun on campus. However, with how bad gun violence is right now, I think that there is always a fear of guns no matter where you go.
I grew up in an extended family that was very passionate about hunting and guns in general. All of my uncles and male cousins would go up to a family cabin to do clay pigeon shooting, hunting, or just shoot targets, so I learned that if I wanted to be viewed as “tough” and “one of the boys”, I should get into guns too. As a result of this mentality, I always thought guns were cool. Even after I started forming my own opinions on gun control and supporting legislative measures to restrict access to certain people, I still wanted a to get a concealed carry permit and a hand gun because I liked the idea of it. Now that I no longer see owning a gun as necessary or powerful or cool, I don’t feel the need to ever have on in my house. I’ve taken hunter safety courses and I was on the rifle team in high school, so I have at least some minimal gun safety knowledge, even if it wasn’t super formalized. I definitely got a sense of power and accomplishment shooting pistols and rifles and shotguns, but now, watching people correlate their ability to shoot a gun with their manhood or self-worth is troubling and indicative of larger personal and societal issues that can’t be solved through compensating confidence with weaponry. The author of the piece in this post touched on it, but the second amendment was written hundreds of years ago before the founding fathers could even comprehend of a gun that could shoot as fast as you could pull the trigger. The constitution and the people that wrote it believed and supported some highly disturbing things. People had to add the 13th amendment to abolish slavery, and the 18th amendment was put in place, then repealed just over a decade later with the 21st amendment. The constitution has been changed for the better already, and unless Americans can all agree to revert to an 18th century way of living, our laws need to change to better reflect the technological and societal realities of our day.
Guns have been ingrained in our American society ever since our great nation was born, it’s in the Constitution! As a result, we have millions and millions of people unwanting and unwilling to give up their guns so I don’t see an outright ban as being possible anytime in the near future. Why should people be giving up their right to own firearms, the answer is that they shouldn’t. The right to bear arms was added to our constitution was included for a reason. Our founding fathers came from a time of tyranny and oppression and guns were the only way for them to fight back. They weren’t stupid and knew that there would be a non zero chance of a similar situation happening sometime in the in the future, whether that be a couple of years or hundreds. The argument that the government could just plow over its citizens in heartbeat just isn’t valid enough, at least for me, to justify a complete ban on firearms. Of course, the Government has superior weaponry to its citizens, citizens aren’t fighting wars, the point of the second amendment, in my opinion, is not that citizens shouldn’t have equal weaponry necessarily, but not let the people be defenseless against our government or other governments. It’s not supposed to be easy to overthrow the people of a nation and an armed population is a safe one in my opinion.
With that all being said I strongly believe that it is in our nations best interest to put more restrictions on gun ownership. I agree that in this country it is too easy to get your hands on an advanced piece of machinery that, in the wrong hands, can be a very dangerous weapon. I mean come on, it would take someone with a clean background about 2- 3 hours with no additional mental evaluations or waiting period to purchase a firearm that is capable of killing someone. We as a nation can do better. Having mental health evaluations and waiting periods could possibly save numerous lives but I didn’t think we should stop there. I also believe in mandatory basic safety courses to be required in addition to getting a license. this could potentially prevent someone who has no business being around a firearm from being the cause of an accident. I have personally seen too many people with no respect for firearms and firearm safety at public ranges. People who shoot their pistols sideways and others who have no trigger discipline and sweep others mindlessly with the muzzle of their guns. It sickens me when I see these types of people at the range, and I believe that there needs to be a way to screen these types of people out of the firearm community. Other than making the process of buying a firearm more strict and imposing mandatory safety classes for those who choose to express their second amendment right, I see no reason to take away guns. The problem isn’t the guns, it really REALLY is about the people.
I generally do not have an issue with guns and I firmly support the second amendment. I have been around guns my entire life and have practiced safely handling and firing them. I was taught gun safety at a young age. I was also taught that guns are not toys and should not be treated like them. Guns are powerful weapons that should be seriously treated and handled. The act of shooting a gun definitely has a powerful feeling. It is definitely a feeling like no other, and to me its because when I am firing a gun, the amount of power in my hands is outstanding. As far as school goes, I go back and forth with how safe I feel at school. School shootings happen so often at schools around the country, it is difficult to ignore the issue. The fact that anyone could walk onto our campus and start shooting scares me a lot. What makes it even more threatening to me, is that nobody on campus can carry a gun, besides approved public safety/ campus police. To my knowledge, there are several veterans attending our campus. These veterans have received the training and proper safety courses to handle guns. Personally, I would approve of these individuals carrying on campus, if they so choose to. The fact that a student could bring a gun to school and start a shooting, and nobody else besides that student is armed, makes me worry a lot. To be honest, I am not entirely sure what could be done in order to completely stop the issue. One idea I would have is to place metal detectors in the entrance to every building on campus. This could be costly but it would prevent students from bringing in guns without anyone knowing. When I was reading the post I did not assume the gender of the author, I assumed it could have been either man or woman.
I am 100% pro guns. Growing up in a family that didn’t have guns has made me more and more interested in guns. Now that I am of age to have guns myself I have a couple. But growing up without them has taught me that they are a privilege and not meant to be taken as a joke. I am very comfortable around guns now. After growing up without them then finding a friend that has about 40 of them I have learned valuable lessons when using them. I also feel safer when I have guns in my possession/know where they are in the house. While shooting a gun I like to describe it as an adrenaline rush. There’s something about the sound of a bang and the smell of gunpowder just makes you feel good. Its even more accomplishing when you hit what you are want to hit.
I have been around guns most of my life, and consider myself comfortable near them. I have shot many guns and can say that the act feels powerful for sure. When it comes to guns and school, i’ve never felt unsafe or uncomfortable. As far as school shootings go, I do not think that there is any correct action we can take to stop them. More extensive background checks and other laws would definitely make the process of obtaining a gun more difficult, but if someone wants one, they’ll get it. The other thing is that if they do put a ban on guns and someone wants to kill a mass number of people in a school, then they’ll find another way to do it. If we took away guns, that doesn’t mean that the problem of mental health will resolve too. If someone is in that state of mind and they’re set on doing that, then they’ll use a sack full of rocks, a bomb, or knives if they have to.
My general thoughts about guns are very simple. They aren’t needed. They are pointless for civilians to have access to. The second amendment was created at a time when America didn’t have a legit military to handle any threats that came across them, they relied on civilians and minutemen to, at a moments notice, drop everything they’re doing and grab their guns and fight. But now a days America has a legitimate military to handle any threats that come towards us and don’t need any regular civilians to help out, meaning that the right to bear arms is no longer needed.
I can’t say whether or not the act of shooting a gun feels powerful or not, because I have never fired a gun.
Sometimes I feel safe from guns at school, but at the same time it’s tough to say. I live on a college campus that has certain protections to prevent people that don’t belong in the wrong dorms, but there are so many flaws to that system as well. It’s an open campus, anyone that feels like driving onto campus can and can stay on campus for as long as they like. They can easily get into a dorm building if they time it right and follow someone in. So while at times I do feel safe from guns at school, that could change in the blink of an eye.
I think guns should be completely taken away from civilians. Make it like the UK, where civilians don’t have access to guns and you’ll see murder rates and gun violence rates drop by over 95% easily (statistic not accurate – but you get the point).
When reading this article, I didn’t assume any gender for the author, because I wasn’t thinking about it. However, I could easily see how people would perceive the author to be a male.
I honestly do not like guns. No one should be able to own an assault rifle. Also, people do not need multiple weapons. I am fine with someone only owning a pistol. It can be used as self-defense. When someone goes hunting, they do not need an automatic assault rifle to take down the animal. The animal is not going to shoot back at you. School shootings are a good example why gun control is a big issue today. I would like to see many gun restriction policies put in place, but this isn’t easy to do. Many people that own guns and support groups like the NRA will fight these types of policies. I have never shot a gun before, but I would not be surprised that shooting a gun could feel powerful. When owning or shooting a gun, it could make you feel in control.
I like guns. I see them much like a car enthusiasts sees cars. I’ve shot them, been around them my whole life, and enjoy seeing new ones come out. Despite all that, we have to acknowledge that they were designed to kill people. To me, it’s absolutely insane that they are not monitored more. The process to obtain a gun is significantly less intensive than that of receiving a license and car. This is wrong. The second amendment was written in a time when kings and dictatorships were the norm, and rising up violently was one of the only ways to induce change. Not only that, but I can’t imagine the founding fathers realized how accessible and deadly guns could be to even novice user. I am 100% in favor of more gun control. Countries with stricter rules on guns have significantly lower rates of mass shootings than America, and this isn’t something that we can simply pin on mental health. People everywhere have mental health issues, but only America has frequent mass shootings.
I always felt safe in school despite the lax gun laws, but that might also be because school shootings weren’t really a thing until Sandy Hook. Columbine started it, Virginia Tech reintroduced the problem, but Sandy Hook seemed to really open the floodgates. If I were still in some kind of secondary education, I would be terrified. Watching the videos the Parkland victims were making as their school was under attack has made me a bleeding heart for all those kids.
I don’t know if there’s a be-all, end-all answer to this problem, but something has to be done. I’m too biased to make a fair decision, but better documentation, databasing, and policies are an absolute must.
My general thoughts about guns are that they are very dangerous and should be monitored if they are being used. The act of shooting a gun is very powerful and is scary. It just depends upon why and where you are shooting the gun. I do feel safe from guns at school. I do not worry about a school shooting. To solve current crisis i think that people need to be more careful about the people they let into schools and in public places and should be more aware of who they are around and if they truly feel safe. I did assume the gender of the author was male based off of the article and how it was written.
When it comes to guns and the gun control debate, my thoughts are back and forth. I believe in the 2nd ammendment rights, but i do believe that there is no need to have these “assault” type weapons. I feel like you should be able to have a weapon to protect yourself, but that does not mean you need a weapon that shoots extreme amounts of rounds per clip or is an “assault” type weapon. With the current crisis with guns, and school, or just gun violence in general rising, we need to take action. I believe we need to do a better job, of background checks, and gun shows. I have had people go back and forth with the gun control debate, but i have heard a few times about gun shows, and how their are not many ” checks” when they sell their weapons their. As a country we need to get rid of these AR type weapons ( yes if someone really wants one they will get it somewhere) but we should make it where they are less available.
I believe guns are not a problem. I have grown up never afraid of guns, I have never thought about guns being a hazard. I have seen them as tools to help. I have never shot a gun but I can see how you could feel powerful after shooting one, because it seems so powerful in itself. I am not worried about guns at school. I actually believe you should be able to carry on a campus if you go through the proper training. It doesn’t matter in todays society if guns are allowed or not, if someone has a motive they will do it anyway. Guns are not a problem, its the person pulling the trigger. I did assume the author of this was a male, just because I know many women who do not have an opinion or have a different opinion from mine.
I understand why people back the notion that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” but being in the possession of a military-grade assault rifle makes it a hell of a lot easier to kill a human being or multiple human beings. Yes, its the human being that makes the choice to take someone else’s life, but nobody would be able to kill a large group of people with their hands like they would be able to with an assault rifle. The person behind the gun is responsible for pulling the trigger, but no one should even be given that opportunity. If you want to “protect yourself” then go buy a handgun and keep it somewhere in your house. You don’t need an AR-15 to protect yourself from someone robbing your house, or intruding your property. Unless ten people are simultaneously breaking into your house, then you don’t need an assault rifle to protect yourself or your property. A handgun will take care of the problem just as efficiently as an assault rifle. I don’t think we should ban guns in general but we definitely should ban military-grade assault rifles. There is absolutely no need for them in today’s society.
I have grown up around guns my entire life, even learning to shoot when I was twelve years old. My dad is an avid hunter and has multiple guns of all different types. However, he does have them locked away in a safe. I think that guns can be dangerous, yes, but if educated with one they can be used as a protection. Having guns in my house does not bother me at all, because I grew up with them and see them as a source of protection. If not properly educated guns can be very dangerous and violent. I do not follow the current wave on guns because I believe people kill people, despite the weapon used. People are behind murder not the inanimate object. I am not really sure if stricter gun laws will help or not, because just like drugs there is a black market and it is not difficult to access illegal things.
As someone that has grown up around weapons, I think that the public needs to become more educated on the different variations that each weapon has to offer. Also, I think that when the public calls for more gun control, there are a lot of variations to each weapon that are already regulated that require a certain license to obtain. When shooting, it does add adrenaline, but it also, respecting the weapon and understanding what damage can be done is a necessity before even picking up the weapon.
I have never felt threatened by guns themselves, even to this day. Sure, guns can be used to kill, destroy, and endanger humans. While I do acknowledge the sad fact that guns in the modern time have been used more for intimidation and violence than they were previously, guns do not scare me. People, on the other hand, is where the threat comes from. If I came home and my father was cleaning his wide assortment of guns, I wouldn’t bat an eye. If one of my buddies has a rifle sitting under the seat of his truck, it wouldn’t bother me. Guns in the hands of the wrong people is where the problem comes in. You can ban ARs and semi-auto rifles to oblivion, but if a thug wants a gun, a thug will get a gun. The truth is, many Americans choose to believe that banning guns will outlaw violence, which simply will not be the case. Sure, obtaining guns to commit mass shootings will be inherently more difficult, but any motivated person in America can find access to guns. The same thing happened in the Prohibition era. Rather than alcohol becoming a rare commodity, it flooded the streets and the pockets of gangsters. Banning guns may be a step in the right direction for trying to mend a nation torn by violence, but I doubt it will make a lasting impact.
My thoughts about guns are of course they are violent, dangerous, and risky, but taking them away will not stop someone who wants to hurt or kill. If a man/women wants to cause a crisis, just because guns are illegal does not mean they will not get a hold of them. And even if they can not get a gun, they will most certainly find something else like explosives or other weapons to complete the task that they are planning anyways. So just because some drugs are illegal in many places, that means people do not use them? If people put there mind to wanting t do something, they can most likely do it. Also, shooting a gun does make you feel powerful. It gives the certain person with the gun a sign of respect, because of the power that that gun holds. The gun they hold can determine someone’s life, basing off of who is holding the gun. When I think about guns in schools, I do feel safe even when I think about it. I rarely think about it, it is just something I prefer to keep out of my head. If a gun would so happen to come into school, I guess it just happens and everyone has to react at that moment. What we should do about it is have more security in school. Just this week a boy went into a Maryland school and started shooting. He shot two people who were severely injured, but then the shooting was stopped by a security man who shoot and killed the shooter of the school. This man did take a life, but he definitely saved many more. I did at first assume the person writing the article was a male because usually when it comes to guns and violence issues, a man would be the first to express what they are thinking and write an article.
I have mixed feelings about guns. On one side, they help us defend ourselves for attack, as well as can be used for hunting/recreational use. But, on the other side, is all the violence and malicious crime that these same guns get used for. I’ve never shot a real gun. However, I do have interest to go hunting at some point, and to catch my own animal. Beyond that, I do not feel the need to own a gun for protection like many others seem fit. I especially do not see reason for needing fully automatic weapons for self defense, or anything that can be used for far beyond self defense. I have lived in Philly and now in Reading, both two predominantly higher violence cities, and my viewpoint is no different. I’ve never seen gun violence and maybe that’s why I have this mindset, but I do not feel as strong as others on necessary guns for self defense.
I have many general thoughts about guns. Personally, I am not scared of being around guns and with the profession I want to pursue, I have to be comfortable with using them and being around them. I do believe though that there should be more strict gun laws and more intense background and mental health checks. I think that no matter what is done, people will find a way to illegally get a hold of guns because that is just how the world works. Guns should be treated as a privilege because they are used for good things such as the military and police force. Weapons of a high power and that can do a lot of damage should not be open to be bought by the public because there is no need for citizens to have them. They should only be used for the military. Many years ago, guns were never an issue like they are today and guns were used more frequently then for hunting and they were always kept in a family home. I really wonder what changed in the world for all of this gun violence. I would not feel more safe with guns on campus or in schools because somehow, someway, the guns would get into the wrong hands and that would turn into another problem. At this point in time, no matter what is done, not much will change until people in the world decide they want change. Actions speak louder than words and nothing is being done to help the gun crisis yet everybody is talking about it.
I am comfortable around guns. I grew up in a family with a lot of marines, army and police officers. Everyone in my family has a gun in their home. I feel safe knowing that there is a gun in my home, and I feel safe when it comes to campus and at school. I think when shooting a gun it is powerful, you can do so much with one shot of a gun. I think that making the age to buy a gun to 21 is not going to change anything a whole lot. I don’t really keep up with the news and everything going on since the Florida shooting but I do believe that even if we make the age 21 to purchase guns that they’re still going to be accessible to younger kids. For example, in my house we have a big gun safe with hunting guns and other things and everyone in my immediate family knows the code, even my little brother who is now 17 knows the code. I think either way there will still be a way to access the guns.
I am a comfortable person around guns. I went to basic training and shot a few different guns in basic training and during basic I always had to keep and M16 with me. So I am pretty comfortable with guns even though, I grew up in a single parent home and my mother never owned gun. I personally didn’t feel powerful shooting a gun but I do think people who carry around guns do feel sorta powerful and invincible even. I think they people would feel that way simply because they have the power to defend themselves and potentially take someones life. My high school really didn’t have any security so I really didn’t feel safe in from guns. Anyone could bring a gun to school or even walk in school with a gun inter hand and not get noticed. I think that they need to change whatever criteria u need to own a gun and especially on AR-15s. I assumed that the person that wrote this was a male because usually men are the ones expressing there feelings about guns.
I do not follow the politic wave on guns. I understand that guns “kill” people, but people also “kill” people. People want to blame guns for murder, but it’s the people who are behind them holding them who kill people. I don’t really have a positive or negative opinion on guns. They are just simply something that exists. From a young age, my dad always took my brother and I outback to shoot guns at targets or clay birds. It didn’t make me feel powerful, but I was always in direct competition with my brother to see who could get closer to the bullseye. I could see how some people could get a rush from shooting guns, but that was never something I experienced. After hearing about all the mass shootings that have recently happened in the news, it makes me not feel safe anywhere. People just flip a switch and start shooting. Whether they are targeting one person or a group of people. Some innocent people do get injured or killed in the process. I feel like guns are TOO easy to get ahold of nowadays whether it be from a friend, a parent, or a type of underground market. I think that in order to make the United States a better place, the government needs to make it harder to obtain a gun. With more background checks and screenings, I think it would be harder for just anyone to own and use a gun. After reading the blog post, I did assume that the gender of the author was male. I’m not quite sure why, maybe it was the tone of the log post, but I would have not guessed the author was in fact a female.
I never grew up with guns in the house, but I don’t disagree if someone wants one in a household for safety. My thoughts are the same as the author. I believe that most guns are meant to kill so we need to manage who can access a gun more carefully. I never understood why it is so easy for a person to obtain a gun. With the violence that is occurring involving guns something needs to be done, it can’t be this easy. By making it harder to access a gun I believe the gun violence will decrease. I wouldn’t say that I don’t feel safe at school, because I do, but that doesn’t mean something couldn’t happen unexpectedly. I don’t think any school expects a shooting to happen when it does. Unfortunately, it is something we do have to be prepared for.
I never had guns in my household. However, growing up in an extremely rural area where my school had days off for hunting many of my friends, peers, and neighbors have. I personally am not comfortable with expecting each owner of a firearm to be responsible. I believe negligence is common human error and it would be naive to think every owner was safe and smart while using guns. I think like anything else having control of a machine would make anyone feel powerful. Even driving when you first start out gives you this feeling. I generally do feel safe from guns at school. However, with more and more mass shootings and the severity of such coming to light in the media I feel it’s impossible to not worry, even subconsciously. I worry about the safety of my friends and loved ones. I know very little about gun licenses or regulations. But, there is quite obviously an issue with how easy it is to obtain a firearm and this needs to be rectified immediately. I do not thinks specific guns should be purchased by young adults. You shouldn’t be awarded with a deadly weapon just because you are old enough to possess one. These weapons were designed to kill people in combat not bystanders. I don’t think anyone should have power of this caliber unless you were trained to do so.
Personally, until taking this course I’ve never really thought about how I feel about guns. On one hand they are very useful tool for sport or for protection. On the other hand they are dangerous if in the hands of a child or some one who wants to do others harm. I feel very safe at school, even though there aren’t any armed guards around. The campus itself is peaceful. When I went to Wilson Senior High School I never felt uneasy whenever I went to school. The only time I was uneasy was during the crazy clown internet phase, some girl threatened the school so that it would close that day. Other than that there wasn’t any reasons to be scared or uneasy about going to or being at school. For what should be done about the current gun crisis I’m not sure what should be done, or what can be done. If we try to restrict the type of guns we aloud to have people protest saying it’s taking away the right the second amendment gives us. If nothing is done school shootings will still happen and parents will have to fear that when they drop their kids off at school that might be the last time they see them. Something should be done but I myself am not sure exactly what, due to my little knowledge on the subject. While reading this article I did not assume the author was a girl mainly because I cheated and read the questions before hand.
I personally do not have a problem with guns. Would I ever own one? Probably not for personal use. Seeing as I want to go into the field of criminal justice, I have to live with the fact that I’m probably going to have to carry a gun around on me. It is something I am just going to have to live with. Growing up I never had guns around me, never saw one, and especially never was allowed to play with toy ones. My parents just never like idea of playing with toy guns. To this day, I’m a little squeamish about guns just because of the fact they take life away. There’s much better ways of solving situations like using words, instead of shooting someone. Especially assault rifles. The only purpose they have is to take life. People can say all they want that they have them to protect their families or because we have an amendment that says they are allowed to have one, but really they just want one because they like them. When I think about people possibly carrying at school, or just in public for that matter, I’ve become a little worried. Most people do not even have training at all on how to shoot their gun. That’s what worries me the most. And really, what are they really going going to use it for? Protection? It’s very unlikely that they would accurately hit their target. Even if they say they will have their gun in a safe where others cannot get to it, that defeats the whole purpose of having the gun in the first place!
Surprisingly, guns do not really scare me or make me uncomfortable. What truly makes me uncomfortable, are the individuals handling them. Depending on if you know the person or not, some people that withhold a license to carry a firearm don’t really need one or just has one for the wrong reasons. If you have one for your own home protection, that is fine, but if you get one and actually have a plan on using it, but not in law enforcement or any occupation where you’re required to carry one then something is wrong. I feel as though it is very easy to get a gun license and maybe that could be altered some, but other than that I do not have a problem with guns. I honestly wanted to go to a gun range for the longest time, but now one is willing to actually go with me and teach me. Jim Jefferies mentioned how some people think teachers at schools should be able to hold a gun but I could not disagree any more. That would honestly make me feel even MORE unsafe. My school is okay because we have emergency call stations posted on campus. However, I recently saw this advertisement of safety locks for doors where you can either place underneath a door from the inside to secure it from opening or door handle restraints and more for different type of doors. Now that is something I find very interesting and think schools should invest in them. I have to admit; I definitely thought the author was a male until I continued to read through the passage. It truly pleases me to see female authors of passages similar to this one because it shows everyone that a woman can do anything a man can do.
I am comfortable around guns. I have shot shotguns, rifles, and handguns on multiple occasions. I am comfortable living in a house with guns when they are locked up safely and securely. However, most homes with guns clearly do not have them locked up properly. Their lack of protection should not impact other people’s safety or feeling of safety. Personally, I feel safe at school mostly because I am in college. If I was in middle school or high school in 2018, I would be more uneasy about my safety in class. I went to a very small charter school in Philadelphia and thoughts of a gun in the building was never present. From 6th-12th grade, I did two intruder drills and they were not taken seriously by anyone. Now, with all of my siblings in that school I worry about their safety. People see these shootings on the news and acknowledged by millions of people and for some, as sick as it sounds, this is encouraging. People that do these shootings normally do not get attention and this is how they cry for help. I definitely think guns should be harder to obtain, especially for people under 25. Their brains are still developing and they are still learning who they are, so handing them a gun probably will not benefit them too much. Mandatory classes on specific guns should be held and a person should have to take a few of them before even applying to own a firearm. Giving an 18 year old child a weapon that can be used as an automatic, just because they “legally” can own it, is insane. That is asking for a disaster and it needs to be controlled. There is no use for such an intense weapon if you are not in the military. Weapons like that were made for war, not homes. It will never be possible to eliminate gun violence or guns (no need to eliminate guns). If a person really wants one, they can illegally find a way, but cracking down on what goes on legally should be the country’s and the president’s top priority. Things should not have gotten this bad for people to want to make a change.