Guns have been a part of this country and its history since its beginning. Yet violence committed by guns has risen considerably throughout the last few years. It’s in our streets, not just here in Manchester, but throughout the entire nation. How are people so willing to use violence as an answer to the problems of today?

Today, many use guns as a form of protection. In my opinion, everyone has the right to own a gun and use it for his or her own protection. The Second Amendment gives an individual the right to own a gun. Yet with guns in our very own homes, we see this potential for people, especially teenagers, to use these weapons in acts of aggression and anger. We saw this in the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. On April 20, 1999, two high school students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, brought firearms to school and killed 12 students and one teacher. Yet before police could apprehend them, they committed suicide.

Though the motive remains unclear, both showed anger and aggression toward others, and very easily gained access to firearms. How can we possibly combat this?

In my opinion we should give extensive background checks. Both Klebold and Harris had severe anger and mental health issues. They should have not been allowed anywhere near guns. Harris was taking anti-depressants as part of court ordered therapy.

20-year-old Adam Lanza went into Sandy Hook elementary school and killed 20 children and six adults. He was fascinated by school shootings like Columbine, and he also had severe mental illness. His mother kept firearms in the home unlocked where he had access to them. In my opinion, teenagers who have mental illness should not have access to guns.

There is also the topic that is hot on everyone’s mind. Police brutality has become a common sight in the media these days.. We see police beating and murdering people on routine traffic stops.

The most recent example we have seen was in Tulsa, where a father of four was murdered by a police officer. How can we possibly combat this? In my opinion we should hold the police accountable for their crimes, just like we hold ordinary individuals accountable for their crimes. If a police officer committed an act like assault or murder without probable cause, they should be charged accordingly. Yes, some do kill in self defense. However, there are police officers like the one in Tulsa who do kill without cause. If we all want to put our full trust back into law enforcement, they have to be held to the same standards.

Our country is plagued by gun violence. We use guns as forms of protection and weapons of bad. As November approaches and the election gets closer and closer, see where our candidates stand on the gun issue. We need new regulations that can fit with our modern times. Guns will continue to be a part of our country well into the future. It is time for a change, but it is up to us to make that change.