An article by the National Review discusses the aftermath of a recent shooting. The Sutherland Springs, Texas shooting presented a huge problem for those that claim the government has all of the answers for gun control. The government failed and it was up to a individual to stop one of the worst mass shootings in American history. This man was not allowed on multiple grounds to own a gun, yet he still got his hands on one. The
police were not near the church and couldn’t intervene quickly enough. It took a bystander with an AR-15 to end this shooting. During the aftermath, people were stunned when former vice president, Joe Biden, claimed that the Texas hero who stopped the Sutherland Springs shooting never should have owned the gun he used to do so.
Category: Miscellaneous
Why Gun Control Loses, and Why Las Vegas Might Change That
After the recent mass shootings such as Las Vegas and Orlando, there have been complaints for more gun control laws in the U.S. According to The New York Times article, we need to have the debate about guns and mass murder that the Republicans 
and National Rifle Association (NRA) keep avoiding. Gun rights are one of the few issues where Republicans are actually in touch with what the Americans want. The article discusses why gun control is losing and how the recent events may change that.
Gun Violence: How The U.S. Compares With Other Countries
With all of the violence related to gun control that occurs in America, it is important to note how we compare to other countries in our world. In fact, according to the National Public Radio, the U.S. has the 31st highest rate of gun violence in the world. From this chart, we can see how we rank amongst the countries with the highest rates of gun violence. However, although we rank 31, with a rate of 3.85 deaths due to gun violence per 100,000 people, it is not something we should be proud of. Instead of being compared to countries such as the Bahamas and Jamaica, we should want to be compared to countries such as the UK and China, who both have rates under 0.10 deaths due to gun violence per 100,000 people.
Bipartisan Deal on Gun Control Unveiled
After recent events in Sutherland Springs, TX, there needs to be some sort of action taken in our country regarding gun violence. In fact, as of Thursday, November 16th, 2017, we can gladly say that something has been done. According to NBC News, a bipartisan group of senators unveiled legislation to improve background-checks for gun sales. Although 
this action is rather narrow, it is a huge step in the right direction. This bill was drafted by Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn, pictured above, and Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. According to Cornyn, “This bill aims to help fix what’s become a nationwide, systemic problem so we can better prevent criminals and domestic abusers from obtaining firearms”. Essentially, this bill was created by two Senators who are deeply impacted by this issue and will do everything in their power to fix it. This is what our country needs, more Senators like Cornyn and Murphy who want to get things done and improve the issue of gun control our country is facing.
We Don’t Need the 2nd Amendment — We Need a Real Debate About Guns
Unfortunately, every single time there is a tragic shooting in our country, anti gun control advocates resort to our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms as their most powerful tool in the debate against gun control. This article written by Timothy William Waters explains how the 2nd Amendment ends all discussion on the issue. He states that he heard an expert close a debate by shouting, “Too bad, it’s in the Constitution!” 
Through explanation and historical evidence, Waters explains that because of the serious disagreement about whether guns protect liberty or threaten it, Americans should be focusing on our responsibility to consider not just what the Constitution says, but what it should say regarding gun control. He claims that we do not need an amendment protecting or prohibiting guns, we just need the Constitution to be indifferent, so it allows for a proper debate in which the issues are truly spoken about, and not just our 2nd Amendment right. Waters states, “There are good reasons to limit guns, and to have them. But the 2nd Amendment isn’t one of those reasons.”
Beware the Concern Trolls: The Nine Worst Arguments Against Gun Control
The gun control debate is filled with illogical support from anti gun control advocates. In an article published by Paste Magazine, written by Jacob Weindling, he discusses the nine worst arguments against gun control. Every time our country is mourning yet 
another mass murder is committed by a white man who has legally obtained a gun, this debate unfolds yet again. However, no progress is ever made in terms of gun control. About 90% of Americans support universal background checks, but that has yet to be enforced. According to Weindling, the main reason that no law enforcement is ever accomplished is because the 10% of Americans that are opposed to stricter gun control laws are way more committed to the cause than the rest of the country who support it. One of the most illogical arguments that Weindling mentions is an analogy of guns that are tools that can kill, compared to knives which are a tool that is not being banned. Anti- gun control advocates have yet to prove why gun restrictions will not work with concrete evidence. Their debate is always focused on our second Amendment right, and other arguments that do not seem viable to the debate issue, or the solution for our country.
New Efforts Tackle Gun Control on Capitol Hill
In light of the recent events in Texas, Congress is again pushing stricter legislation. ABC news reports on the current government action. In 2012, we saw similar action by 
Congress after the shooting at Sandy Hook school in Connecticut. The fight to ban these military style assault weapons has been going on for years. Unfortunately, in the past, these bills have been defeated. Both bans on particular weapons and revisions to the background check system are being developed after this most recent shooting. There needs to be major Congressional change in order to protect our citizens. While harmless people attend church as a place of peace, they are faced with horror. Legislation is the key to fixing this problem.
Texas Church Shooting Video Shows Gunman’s Methodical Attack, Official Says
This article discusses the recent shooting that occurred in a church in Texas. There was video footage of the shooting and it explicitly shows our need for gun control. This video shows that this man went in with the agenda to shoot the members of that particular church. He fired fo
r several minutes, only pausing to reload his weapon. Records show this is the worst mass shooting in Texas history. 26 people were left dead and 20 were wounded. This man applied for a license to carry and a check with the national criminal background databases didn’t turn up his military conviction. This shows the importance of better gun control laws and background checks otherwise tragedies like these would never occur.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families that are affected by this tragedy.
A Timeline of Gun Control in the United States
In order to understand gun control today, we need to study where we started. It would be inconclusive to analyze the efforts of gun control just within the past year. To fully grasp the evolution and make substantial change, we must reflect back on the previous laws of our country.
To view a more extensive timeline of gun control policies from 1791 to Present day, click here.
Does the Media Cause Mass Shootings?
It has been argued for years that the media can sculpt the way in which we live. Whether it be news, television entertainment or video games, the presence of violence in any of these media outlets must be analyzed to see how it affects viewers. We found an article that discusses how the media may be causing mass shootings. Many people may be asking, how is that possible? In reality, it is not as cut and dry as it sounds. There are many factors that lead an individual to commit a mass shooting, and media is just a part of it.
Media alone does not create shooters, but rather the way we present the aftermath of shootings may do so. The stereotypical shooter, an isolated individual, may wish to gain social capital by committing this type of crime. The media will play constant coverage of the shooting and the perpetrator. Therefore, the person who wishes to be seen in public will go to great lengths to receive recognition.
Although media effects may be part of the problem for mass shootings, it is also nearly impossible for news stations to not report on crimes committed within our own country. There may have to be some form of balance between the act committed and the coverage it receives.
The Importance of Gun Control 