Meghan Harmening | Staff Writer

Over the past several weeks, many parents and politicians have been pushing new gun laws to the top of the politician’s agenda. For those of you who need a refresher, on Dec. 14, 2012, Adam Lanza stole two guns from his mother, shot her, and proceeded to fatally shoot 20 elementary students and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. As with any tragedy, the whole country has sent prayers, kind thoughts, and intents of political action.

Many citizens and politicians have suggested requirements on registration of firearms, background checks, banning assault rifles, and other restrictions on the current laws. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Joe Lieberman have called for a ban on all assault weapons. While a ban on these types of weapons may be the answer, many citizens feel this is not the way. The question is, what happens when the United States government bans assault weapons? Those who wish to commit violent crimes can and will turn to a different weapon of choice.

However, the answer is not to ban guns all together. It simply will not change how criminals do their work. Although massacres like the one that happened Sandy Hook Elementary School and Virginia Tech in 2007 are horrible events, according to the FBI website, as the US population increases, all criminal activities – robberies, murders, etc. – have been on the decline (http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/table-1).

Many Congressmen are simply not looking at the facts of what a gun ban would do to our country. Say we ban certain types of guns. When has illegal activity ever stopped criminals? Let’s be honest for a bit. The legal drinking age is 21, yet many minors choose to overstep that law and drink anyway. Smoking, possessing, and growing marijuana is illegal in most states, yet many users overstep that law as well and use it anyway. It will work in the same way with guns.

When Adam Lanza shot and killed 27 people on Dec. 14, 2012, he was breaking at least three laws: stealing guns that were registered to his mother, bringing guns onto a school campus, and murdering. It didn’t matter whether the guns were legal or not, Adam Lanza broke three laws that day. What makes us think that by adding new gun laws we can prevent this type of thing?

There are a few ways that politicians could take this issue. One way would be to focus time and energy into improving mental health care facilities and treatments. The other would be train and then station armed security professionals in schools; however, the simplest way to reduce the chances of these types of things happening would be to lock all doors during school and class hours with special processes for students when leaving the classroom.

I completely understand the need and the want to keep our children safe; it’s a basic right that we all have, but it simply isn’t feasible to keep every single person out of harm’s way. Simply by living, walking in the streets, and running errands, we put ourselves at risk. We all need to realize if we, as a nation, want to be safer in our own country, our priorities need to change. Family and building relationships must come first. Once we learn to respect any and everyone, we can build that peace of mind back

Graphic by Keyla Sosa