By Deanna Thoma

 Valentine’s Day of 2018,was a day meant for love and family, but not for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Instead, it held new meaning, one of death and sorrow. Just one year ago, 17 high schoolers’ lives were taken in a school shooting by Nikolas Cruz, a former student at MSDHS.

And what controls have been enacted since then? Virtually nothing.

Since the assassination of  President John F Kennedy in 1963, almost no serious legislation has been passed to end the violence caused by weapons championed by the National Rifle Association.

 We might think it is obvious  that there should be more gun control so tragedies become a thing of the past. It is absolutely sickening to know that this was the 18th school shooting since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary back in 2012, and there have been six more since MSDHS.

It is beginning to become normal to hear of a shooting somewhere in the U.S.

    The 2nd Amendment states that  “a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed,” and indeed, many anti-gun control supporters own guns for protection, which is valid in today’s society.

Contrary to what the 2nd Amendment states, there really is not a need for a militia seeing that we have five branches of military service, which covers land, air, and sea. The definition of a militia is ¨a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.¨ This Amendment was made back when Britain was constantly invading the US, and civilians had to be armed to repeal them. Due to the advancements in technology, the movements and locations are monitored and there is not a need for an emergency militia; however, if there was, then all U.S. citizens would be notified and the correct precautions would be taken.

 Today’s America has weapons available to the public much more dangerous than the single-shot muskets used in the Revolutionary War.

America has a vicious cycle that avoids addressing the issue of gun control; when there is a mass shooting, thoughts and prayers go out to the families and victims, everyone debates it, everyone begins to forget, Congress does nothing and then crickets chirp. It’s ridiculous how even since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, there haven’t been serious decisions made on gun control. If Congress would stop avoiding it out of fear of the reach of the NRA, then maybe the list of mass shootings would be shorter.

    Speaking of Congress, Florida lawmakers and basically all Republicans (and some Democrats) have been accepting money from the NRA. Many politicians vote down gun control legislation because they are in debt to the NRA.

For instance, Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been paid $3.3 million by the NRA as of late last year. Even after Sandy Hook in April of 2013, he and many other congressmen and women voted against a measure to ban high-capacity magazine, with Republicans blocking  attempts to renew the ban, even though most shooters use AR-15´s. These lawmakers, such as Rubio, are greedy and do not take into consideration that they are hurting the nation rather than helping it; it is as if they don’t care about the lives of millions of people, instead just the millions of dollars they are receiving.  Many conservatives are quick to rule out a mass shooting as a result of mental illness, because they are trying to find any excuse that is not lack of gun control.

In fact, guns are way more accessible than many think, some as easy as buy and keep the same day. It is completely ludicrous that when people turn the age of 18 they are not allowed to drink alcohol, yet they can buy tobacco products and buy a gun.

Hmm. Can’t buy booze. Can buy tools of death.

The world is coming to a breaking point when it comes to the issue of gun control, it is becoming completely clear to U.S. citizens that the government is creating excuses and avoiding such an easy fix to such a society-shaking issue. These lawmakers say that they are doing what is best for this nation, but if that was the case then so many families would not be mourning their loved ones. If they really cared about their fellow citizens then they would have made gun control more strict instead of letting lunatics or teens buy guns, because although 18 is considered an adult legally, we are still trying to develop mentally. These lawmakers need to realize what decisions they are making when accepting money from the NRA.

These lawmakers need to understand the pain and sorrow of these families that will never get to see their children grow up. These lawmakers need to stop being afraid of the truth: This nation needs more gun control.