Stricter gun laws?

OK, I’m sure I am posting a blog on an extremely controversial topic, especially considering what happened recently with the shooting in Aurora, CO and I just want to be upfront that I have no intentions of offending anyone by writing this blog.

In this editorial posted on Wednesday July 25, 2012, the author brings up the fact that the shooting that happened in Aurora, CO has called for reform laws related to gun restrictions. Their intended audience is the general public to notify them of the fact that if we had stricter gun laws it would be less likely for shootings like this to happen. They provide evidence of a lot of research and notify us that that the infamous shootings that have taken place like Columbine, Fort Hood, and Virginia Tech might not have happened if we had stricter gun laws. The author goes further, though, mentioning many shootings that the general public isn’t really informed about. I, personally, did not know about these other shootings that had happened and if many people had, I think many views might be different. This author seemed to have the purpose of persuading more people to be accepting of stricter gun laws and his logic makes sense. They bring up how the problem of shootings is not as bad outside of the United States, and I think they can really change opinions with that. They almost changed mine.

Gun reforms might be essential not only to the state of Texas, but also to the United States as a whole. I was really terrified and appalled by the shooting that took place. The tragedy deeply affected me and I can’t imagine what these families are going through, but who is to say that stricter gun laws would really make a difference? Marijuana is illegal in Texas, as well as the United States, but there are many people who still easily have access to it. Other drugs are illegal in most parts of the United States, but many people still can easily obtain them. So, if we enact stricter gun laws, does that mean that we are really safer? Does that mean that the wrong people will not have access to them? Personally, I don’t think so. 

What if someone in that theater in Aurora had had the legal rights to carry a gun on them? Someone could have possibly put a bullet in his head and prevented many of the deaths and injuries that occurred. So, in my opinion, stricter enactment of the rights provided to us as Americans by the Second Amendment might have possibly caused certain situations to end differently.