“A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” This is the second amendment of the United States, and it means that Americans have the right to own guns. This has been an issue for the country lately and it has people wondering: should guns be legal?

Recently, there was a major shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Twenty-six people were killed. The gunman was Devin Patrick Kelley, who had previously served in the Air Force but was court martialed on charges of assaulting his wife and child. His weapon of choice was a Ruger AR-15, an assault rifle that is commonly used in the military. This has left many people wondering why such a powerful gun is made available  to civilians in the fist place. “Military guns shouldn’t be available to citizens because nobody needs a military gun to be safe. And most of the shootings have been with military guns,” said sophomore Greg Stokes. Not only was the gun sold to a citizen, but it was sold to a citizen who has had a history of violence. Kelley was sued for divorce in 2012 after committing assault on his wife and child.

This incident has put a spotlight on gun violence in America. It’s been controversial for quite a while now, and with each major shooting it gets even more controversial. Many people believe that there is no need for civilians to have any type of guns anymore. According to www.nij.gov, 467,321 were victims of incidents that happened involving firearms.  However, many people believe that guns should still be allowed. “I think we should still have guns. We should just require a more thorough background check in order to get them because it seemed way to easy for this guy to get one,”  sophomore Jarred Wade voiced. Those who agree often claim that because it was established as a right to own guns hundreds of years ago by the Constitution, it should still be a right. On the other hand, although it’s technically a constitutional right, those pushing for stricter gun control point out that the 2nd Amendment was only established so citizens could fight back when they felt the government was being tyrannical. This means that the second amendment was ratified to save the country, but now that its the 21st century, things have changed, and it has begun tearing the country apart.

Many people have different opinions on guns. Some believe we should have them, some believe we shouldn’t. Some people are even undecided on the issue. Although everybody has different opinion, that shouldn’t stop this country from finding a solution to gun violence. Until everybody can come together, the violence will continue and incidents like the one in Sutherland Springs will continue to plague this great country.