Picture Idea: Gun

Word Count: 536

Draft #1
[COMMENTARY]
Losing the Grip on trigger
By Daniel Shin

Recent mass shootings in the US show that people can, and will misuse their freedom
It was a normal day in Marysville Pilchuck High Schools cafeteria. Students were lining up for
food, returning their trays when they heard it a loud and terrifying bang, followed shortly by
many more. After pulling out a 40 caliber pistol, 15-year-old Jaylen Fryburg had fired multiple
bullets before eventually turning the gun on himself.
Events like this cannot happen again. 14-year old Shaylee Cehuckulnaskit, Gia Soriano, Zoe
Galasso and 15-year old Andrew Fryberg were not victims of one student. They were the latest
casualties of a nations unwillingness to listen, a nations stubbornness in adhering to an outdated
policy. Yes, you guessed it: the right to bear arms.

Created originally to prevent the rise of an oppressive government, the right to bear arms has
blossomed into a topic of heated dissent. However, facts are facts. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Protection, there were over 32,000 firearm deaths in 2011. When freedoms
get in the way of public security, it is a time for shift in policy. Because of the many
conservatives in America, a sudden ban on all firearms would be irrational. Rather, the US
should move away from state regulations and instead, like Australia, develop a national system
for registering and licensing all firearms.
The US has always stressed the importance of states rights. Though states rights are important,
a recent study from Columbia University directly attributed inconsistencies in state gun control
policies to an increase of gun deaths. Furthermore, according to the Boston Globe, 250 of the
1,020 guns in Massachusetts, whose origins were successfully traced, came from nearby states
with less restrictive laws. If obtaining a gun is as simple as going into another state, the US will
see no favorable outcomes.
A national movement is clearly desirable. In Australia, after the Port Arthur Massacre left 35
dead, tighter regulations were implemented on a national level. According to the FirearmsControl Legislation and Policy published by the Law Library of Congress, a third of the guns
previously used in Australia were willingly handed back to the government in an enormous
buyback.
[The Port Arthur Massacre] ignited an explosion of public outrage, soul-searching and demands
for better regulation of guns. said Rebecca Peters, leader of the Surviving Gun Violence Project.
We changed our laws. As a result, gun deaths in Australia have dropped by two-thirds, and we
have never had another mass shooting.
Many in the US fear that a policy on such a large scale will go against what many conservative
citizens want, potentially highlighting a misuse of the governments power. However, sources
gathered from the Washington Post found that in Australia, as much as 90 percent of the public
approved of the stricter gun laws after its favorable outcomes were seen. Once the US sees the
benefits of national security, it will, like Australia, be intent on maintaining it.
Australia went in the direction of uniform gun control. Australias firearm homicide rate fell.
When the statistics are so favorable, it is time the United States stop mourning and actually take
action. The US is losing its grip on the trigger. If something is not done, children will continue to
pay for a freedom that elders enjoy.

Works Cited
"All Injuries." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 14 July 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Dovey, Dana. "Gun Deaths Still Tell A Story Of Racial Divide." Medical Daily. N.p.,
18 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
Dylan, Matthew. "Did Gun Control Work in Australia?" Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
"Firearms-Control Legislation and Policy: Australia." Firearms-Control Legislation
and Policy: Australia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
Lowery, Wesely, and Adam Sege. "As Calls for Federal Gun Control Renewed, State
Laws Remain Inconsistent - The Boston Globe." BostonGlobe.com. Globe
Correspondents, 30 July 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
"Marysville Pilchuck High School Shooting." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13
Nov. 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
Peters, Rebecca. "When Will the US Learn from Australia? Stricter Gun Control Laws
save Lives." Theguardian. N.p., 14 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.