Make access to guns harder for non-law abiding citizens

After the horrible shooting at Sandy Hook elementary, a lot of commotion about making gun laws stricter started to reappear. Growing up on a ranch has given me a different perspective on guns.

We use guns to hunt and to protect our home and our livestock. But guns are not toys, and must be handled correctly. The problem with stricter guns laws is that they could prevent law abiding citizens from being able to protect themselves. In 2001, the Center of Disease Control (CDC) concluded that there is no evidence that gun control reduces homicide.

My family has been in cases where the threat of a gun was enough to make the intruder leave. No shots were fired. No one was hurt, but the gun proved that we weren’t playing a game.

Each year 2.5 million people across the nation protect themselves with guns. Criminals are not the ones who are going follow stricter gun laws. Anyone can get their guns from the black market. However, in order to help prevent criminals from having access to guns, I agree that gun shows should be outlawed or more heavily regulated with background checks for sales.

Currently the process to purchase a handgun requires that one must be over the age of 21 with a valid I.D. or driver’s license. Then, the one purchasing the gun must take and pass a gun safety test. If he or she passed, the customer undergoes a background check and waits ten days. The same process goes for rifles and shotguns, except the age requirement is 18 years old. Gun enthusiasts will do whatever they need to do to get what they want, so they will go through a longer process if necessary.

Drastic problems need drastic solutions. For example, since 2007, a the school district in Harrold, Texas allows its teachers to carry a gun. No one in the community has a problem with it and they feel their children are safe.

As a society we have to be careful how we direct legislation. Good legislation has to solve real problems. Law abiding citizens are not the problem. The legislation should make it harder for non-law abiding citizens to get guns.