OUR VIEW: We need common sense on guns

art by Anna Teichroeb

art by Anna Teichroeb

Should it really be harder to get a fishing license than a gun in this country when the second leading cause of death in children and teens in the country is related to firearms?

Nearly 20,000 children and teens are shot by guns every year. We could prevent much of this by limiting unsafe access to firearms. Almost 200,000 children in texas live in homes where loaded guns are not locked up. This is unacceptable in one of the most advanced nations on the earth.

The solutions to this danger are so simple. Keep guns locked up. Teach your children about gun safety. Don’t make guns seem like toys just for fun.

Guns in Texas kill more people annually than automobiles do. It seems like common sense that more safety would be a good thing.

We want America to be number one in the world, but not in gun deaths by a 3 to 1 margin.

Whether you believe it or not, video games desensitize you to this violence. If you are consumed by the fictional, realistic killings on your video games, perhaps you should take a break.

On a higher level, our government needs to do a better job communicating from state to state about who owns and buys guns. The loopholes that exist through gun shows and private shows need to be closed. Every person in this country who buys firearms or ammunition should have an ititial background check with no exceptions. If you’re qualified to own a gun, you will make it through that initial screening.

Mental health should definitely be a requirement to buy a weapon. That is common sense. If someone is not sane, he or she certainly does not need a lethal weapon. The government should coordinate its records nationwide on this. If someone is mentally ill, they should be flagged out as someone who should not be sold a weapon. All guns should be registered and tracked. If that bothers you, what are you hiding? No one wants to take away your deer rifle or skeet shooting gun. We do want to prevent mass murder.

If someone steals your guns, registration can be traced, then criminals will not be able to use them as freely, and crimes can be solved more quickly.

There is no logical reason why any private citizen in America would need rapid fire automatic weapons and multiple hundred-round magazines. It just doesn’t make any sense.

If gun safety will prevent what happened at Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Columbine, Orlando or Sutherland Springs, then why wouldn’t we do it? It’s just common sense.