The issue of gun control is global in today's society, but since it is most controversial in the United States with the continuous mass shootings and terrorist attacks. There is no question that something needs to be done; a firm stance must be made to assure the safety of the public. The Second Amendment, in the Bill of Rights, grants citizens the right to bear arms. But as citizens with the right to bear arms, it becomes more of a privilege as it can be revoked in instances such as convicted felons and the mentally ill. As a young man who is and will be affected by laws passed concerning gun control, I want to live in a society where I am able to purchase, own, and carry firearms for recreational purposes as well as self-defense. From growing up in the South around firearms for hunting and recreational purposes, with law enforcement influences, and becoming a shooting instructor, the Second Amendment has been a part of my entire life and my culture. The right to bear arms is a privilege to citizens, not an entitlement. As a result of many mass shootings and terrorist attacks, many want to jump to conclusions and claim that if assault weapons or all firearms were banned to the public, those kinds of situations would be nonexistent. But instead of attacking the surface level issue, seek the source and its leading factors, direct attention to where it is due and ask how and why it was able to happen then target requirements for those to purchase, own, and carry firearms. As active hunters, recreational shooters, shooting instructors, and people who associate themselves with firearms begin to receive poor reputations because of tragic incidents. As the awareness and severity of shootings and attacks increase, we must target laws and regulations, giving citizens the privilege to continue to bear arms and preserve the Second Amendment, and not the entitlement to firearms. 

The highly controversial topic of gun control is nothing new to the United States. Over the past 100 years, there have been numerous accounts of lawmakers and the White House coming together to pass significant alterations to federal gun laws. Dating back to 1934 when President Roosevelt was in office, the National Firearms Act (NFA) was drafted and subsequently passed. The NFA imposed new penalties towards criminals along with regulations and taxes on "shotguns and rifles having barrels less than 18 inches in length, certain firearms described as 'any other weapons,' machine guns, and firearm mufflers and silencers" (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives). This also put restrictions on the interstate guns and ammunition trade; it required dealers to register themselves and keep records on transactions. This act was largely in response to the eras of bloody gun violence carried out by notorious gangsters such as Al Capone and Bugs Moran (Krieg). Later, in 1968, President Johnson added to the NFA by introducing stricter licensing and registration standards. It created a ban on gun and ammunition sales to felons and those deemed mentally incompetent. The initial push for these changes came in response to the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, in which Lee Harvey Oswald used a mail order rifle to shoot and kill the president. Later, in 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Firearm Owner's Act, which made, "it unlawful, with certain exceptions, for any individual to transfer or possess a machinegun" (Firearms Owner' Protection Act). The act also "prohibited the creation of a national firearm database and allowed gun owners to pass freely through states with stricter controls provided their weapons were locked away or unloaded" (Krieg). During President Clinton's administration, he signed the "Brady Bill" (Krieg) that required a federal background check on the purchase of a handgun. The next year, President Clinton signed a bill that is commonly referred to as the Assault Weapons Ban; this "banned the manufacture, possession and sale of certain combat style weapons. It also limited the size of the magazine" (Krieg). The progression of gun laws and gun control in America has been growing exponentially and continues today as mass shootings and terrorist attack happen throughout the country. With this continuation, there is no denial that there is something that needs to be done; laws become stricter, regulations become tighter, and the watch of public health and fears heightens. These acts and bills that have been passed are all results of severe events in history such as major shootings or assassinations.

As seen throughout the course of American history, there has been a continual overhaul on federal gun laws. As tragic instances of shootings and attacks continue to occur, the public seeks answers, and then demands change in order to prevent tragedy from striking again. Incidents of mass shootings such as the one seen in Charleston, South Carolina bring the topic of gun control to the surface of public debate. Citizens ask questions such as how and why someone could do something so inhumane. On June 17, 2015 a man named of Dylann Roof sat in on a Bible study at the historic Emmanuel African American Methodist Episcopal Church. He later opened fire, shot, and killed nine people within the church. With hope to start a racial war, Roof said, "[African Americans] are taking over the country ... I have to do what I have to do," (Ellis). Roof fled the scene, leaving an elderly member of the church as a "survivor because [he was] going to kill [himself]" (Ellis). The suspect was later arrested in Shelby, North Carolina armed with a gun and the possession of an unlabeled pill bottle with the drug suboxone. "Suboxone is the brand name of a narcotic that's considered milder than other drugs in its class, such as oxycontin, heroin and vicodin" (Seidman). In studies by doctors and researchers in the field of addiction, it is said to be a helpful tool in fighting opiate and painkiller addictions without the need to send patients to methadone clinics. According to The National Alliance of Advocates of Buprenorphine Treatment, "in addicts, opioids can cause unpredictable mood swings, manipulative behaviors, lying, and an inability to meet responsibilities," (Seidman). One may ask how can someone known as drug addict could be able to purchase and own a firearm? Prior to Roof purchasing a .45 caliber pistol for his 21st birthday, there was no record of any arrests or committed felonies, allowing Roof to own a firearm. This is where the background check system begins to flaw; there must be knowledge of important medical information and conditions that would cause regarding citizens to have their privilege of the Second Amendment to be revoked. This also leads into the important stress of the assistance and aid to the mentally ill, with the priority of seeking treatment. 

As a result of the Charleston and many other shootings, President Barack Obama came out on January 4, 2016 with new executive actions in order to reduce gun violence and make communities safer. The main goals of this new executive order is to; keep guns out of the wrong hands through background checks, make communities safer from gun violence, increase mental health treatment and report to the background check system, and to shape the future of gun safety technology. In order to keep guns out of the wrong hands, the background check system must be made more efficient and effective. In doing this, it is clarified that businesses selling firearms must be licensed and conduct background checks. This also includes background checks for those trying to purchase through a trust or a corporation. By improving the background check system, states must provide records and work cooperatively with jurisdictions to improve reporting. To advance safety within communities, governments must ensure smart and effective enforcement of laws; they must eliminate any loopholes or bypasses of the system. Also, within communities, firearm dealers must notify officials and law enforcement representatives about any theft or loss of guns or merchandise. Additionally the urge to push every, "U.S. Attorney's Office to renew domestic violence outreach efforts ...  to help provide additional resources to state, local, and tribal law enforcement," (New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer). Conjointly, there must be a significant increase in resources within mental health care, "despite recent gains, less than half of children and adults with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need," (New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer). Information from the Social Security Administration on those that are mentally ill need to be included in the background check system about beneficiaries who are prohibited from possessing a firearm. Steps in doing so need to be reduced, removing any unnecessary legal barriers that prevent states from reporting any kind of relevant information. But with the different levels of severity as one looks at the situation, many ask if these executive orders are too little or too much towards gun control. As instances like Charleston continue to occur, there is no doubt to all that a stand needs to be made to ensure the safety of the public. 

As a result of many mass shootings and terrorist attacks, many want to jump to conclusions. They use the initial feelings and emotions from a tragic event to state what needs to happen or be changed. Many also use these feelings and emotions to persuade one to an extreme view such as the ban of all weapons. Many arguments toward the support of gun control consist of examples such as in the United Kingdom, the actual need of assault rifles for civilians, and the ability to profile the general public. In the United Kingdom, a gun free zone was passed, in which they passed a gun free zone, in which citizens are no longer permitted to possess any modern guns; this action was taken as a result of the Dunblane Massacre in 1996. "This was done to reduce massacres and murder rates. However, that largely backfired since, with every passing year, the murder rates in the UK have increased," (The Best Arguments for Gun Control). Even though the homicide rates have decreased dramatically, the numbers of murders have still managed to steady increase. Using the United as a prime example, it is clear that the ban of weapons has not helped to decrease the murder rate (Hawkins). This shows us that correlation does not equal causation. Also, the need of assault weapons for recreational and defensive purposes is unnecessary. Many people believe that they are necessary and required (Flamehorse). Another regard of keeping and strengthening laws would be segregation of the public. There is no way for the government to know, "who might do something evil or foolish or self destructive with a gun and those who surely will no" (Maltz Bovy). This would be the downfall, as they would not be able to assess those without massively violating civil liberties and stigmatizing the mentally ill. The ban of guns to all persons is the only option for the country in order to have an end to gun violence and preserve citizens enfranchisement; but as one have seen in past examples, this does not equate to the solution. 

Another result from tragic shootings is for those to favor antigun control laws. After the appalling murder of American war hero Chris Kyle, his wife Taya Kyle, spoke out and expressed her feelings towards the issue of gun control in the United States. As somebody that has been touched by extreme violence and robbed of the love of her life, she has been able to reflect on evil, freedom, and the world, as it exists today. As those fears and emotions continue to rise in the country as the high profile incidents of mass killings of people become aware, but in the past 20 years the violent crime rate in America has decreased substantially. For violent crimes in America, "does it matter what weapon they used? If it was a rifle, a pipe bomb, a truck of fertilizer, or a pressure cooker or a plane, the end result is the same," (Kyle). It is impossible to justify human nature. As crime investigators look into the logic of each mass killing, they seek answers in order to fathom each occurrence and those who possess the desire to kill. Those in the business of fighting crime and analyzing mental illness can look into the lives of each of the killers and tell you the red flags that have emerged before the massacre. 

The issue of gun control is global in today's society, but since it is most controversial in the United States with the continuous mass shootings and terrorist attacks. There is no question that something needs to be done; a firm stance must be made to assure the safety of the public. As the awareness and severity of shootings and attacks increase, it is imperative that we target laws and regulations. We must increase the oversight on gun sales; making record of all sales, trades, and theft. Also, the care to the mentally ill, treatment must be given to those in need. These issues must be made clear and available within the background check system to establish the security that only those whom satisfy gun law conditions are able to purchase, own, and carry firearms.  The answer of these tragic attacks and shootings are not the ban of firearms, it has been proven time and time again that it is not the answer. This is a fundamental example of that correlation does not equate to causation. We must continue to give those the privilege to bear arms, not the entitlement. Legislators must pursue to preserve the Second Amendment to the citizens of the United States and to ensure the security to all. 

