*Editor Note: This article was submitted to HoundBytes during the Fall 2019 Semester.*
By Rebecca Cruz
It is a warm Saturday morning; you load your family into the car and head to Walmart to pick up your weekly groceries. This is nothing out of the ordinary, something that you do every weekend in preparation for your week. While in the store, the unthinkable happens. A man walks in armed with guns and starts shooting at people. This may seem like an unrealistic scenario because something like this would never happen to you. However, for those citizens in El Paso, Texas on August 3, 2019 this scenario became a reality. A single shooter walked into Walmart targeting Mexicans, killed at least 22 people and wounded at least 27 others. Fortunately, neither you nor your family were injured during this incident.
Our nation today remains divided on our second amendment rights, with little in between. You have never previously carried a handgun or had any previous formal training, but immediately following this disaster, you do one of two things: take an active stance against guns and fight to ban them or swear that you will never be caught off guard again and buy a gun for self-defense. If you are in an open carry state, you do not worry about taking a concealed carry class, but if you are, you complete the necessary course.
While this incident amongst all mass shootings are tragic, you blame guns for being the problem, but are they? According to the FBI in an article written on Law Enforcement Today, as of 2018, more people are killed with hammers, knives, clubs and even feet than are killed with rifles. This number is astounding considering the number of people who are killed by guns every year. Consider for a moment that the laws in these states allow guns to come into the hands of those who should not have them. According to Columbia University, states with more permissive gun laws had more gun killings than those with stringent gun laws. Instead of focusing on the ban of guns and those committing these atrocities, the state should instead focus on the environment promoting the shootings.
Rather than banning guns, you decide you are going to purchase one for yourself and you will be armed in every public place allowed. You complete the training for conceal carry, but also choose to open carry as a show of force where allowed. While this is well within your rights and the law, consider for a moment that there are consequences for this.
Open carrying of a firearm may make it more difficult for law enforcement to identify those prohibited from carrying a weapon versus those who have the legal right. Being armed with a gun risks an everyday disagreement between people being unnecessarily escalated. Consider also, what you will do with your gun when you are running errands and must stop at a store where you cannot bring it inside. You lock your gun in the car while you go inside thinking it is okay as long as the car is locked, because that provides you with a sense of security. Except, while inside, someone breaks into your car and takes your gun.
Consider also the several reports of a police officer firing his weapon, lawfully carrying out his or her duties. This officer has received innumerous amounts of training for scenarios just as this, but still do not recollect pulling the trigger. Now picture yourself or the average citizen in this same situation in a public place, with no training at all. While a person(s) in this situation may have the best intentions, the risk for someone accidentally and pointlessly getting injured or killed is much higher. This scenario is much different than owning a gun in your own home to defend your family. Here, you do not have the high risk of harming any other bystanders around you.
Ultimately, it is the right of every citizen to carry a gun providing he or she conforms to the laws of their specific state. Many of us spend a significant amount of time in public places and with the number of mass shootings we see today, we run the risk of being a victim. This is a risk
in today’s society, and it is not necessary to ban guns. However, states must make their laws more stringent to ensure the safety of everyone. The bottom line is that anything can be used as a weapon. If someone wishes to kill another person, they will find a way to do so, gun or no gun. It is up to us to educate our children and pay attention to those around us; it will take a group effort to work to prevent these mass shootings.
