At what point is the violence and death enough? Why has it gotten to the point where students are scared to go to school? What is the threshold for policy makers to implement gun control reforms to save children’s lives? Change is needed and it is needed now.

According to @everytown on Instagram, more than 110 Americans are killed with guns every day. If no law permits people to kill, how does it happen so often? There are simply too few regulations.

Assault weapons are a class of semi-automatic firearms designed to kill humans quickly and efficiently. Only eight states have bans on assault style weapons and only two others have restrictions. No, that was not a typo, only ten states have restrictions on guns literally designed to kill people. Assault style weapons should not grace the hands of anyone besides military personnel. The common folk has no need to carry an AK-47 over their shoulder.

According to BBC News, 50% of Americans support stricter gun laws. Despite this, we see the exact opposite actions taken by policy-makers. Somehow, the right to carry trumps the right to live without fear. 

There are plenty of arguments from pro-gun enthusiasts. They argue that they need guns to be kept for recreation and hunting, but a single shot from a rifle is sufficient for those purposes. There are also frenzies about stricter laws by those arguing the need for self-defense. A pistol can do that job and instate fear, therefore there is no need for an extended clip on an AR-15.

Gun rights spending has always been disproportionate to gun safety spending. Even with this gap, there is still a large support system behind gun safety. More and more people are beginning to realize how important gun safety is.

As the news of another mass shooting pops up on a person’s Twitter feed, fear and anger fill them. A church, a supermarket and an elementary school; all places young people find themselves in and around daily. All people can think about is, are they next?

Poor families are losing their loved ones while the greed-filled politicians barely bat an eye. Children are scared to go to school in fear they could face the same fate. 

The United Kingdom and Canada see little to no gun violence and have very strict gun laws. While the US could take note of the correlation found by these countries, policymakers choose ignorance and fail to make any corrections to a failed system.

Not all hope is lost. Students, teachers and parents alike need to continue pressuring politicians. They need to sign petitions, go to protests and call up their state’s hotline. Change is necessary now more than ever, and everyone is needed to make it happen.