There have been many shootings in this country recently. Some feel that the guns are to blame and others feel that it’s the government’s fault, but regardless of who is to blame it’s still a major problem that needs to be dealt with.

Violence is reaching targets in a wide range of fields. Civilians, policemen, journalists and students are just a few examples of the many different people who have dealt with gun violence. Just yesterday a professor was killed in Mississippi.

Banning guns is not the answer. The people committing these crimes aren’t going to stop just because guns are illegal. Banning them would also take away the only line of defense a victim could have against an attacker. Banning guns would also infringe on the Second Amendment of the Constitution. People in this country are guaranteed the right to defend themselves by this amendment. Taking guns away would eat away at the core values that this nation was founded upon.

Criminals are called such for a reason. They do not abide by the rules and laws put forth by the government. Putting a ban on guns will not magically stop them from obtaining them. They know how to get around the system.

There has to be some kind of happy medium that could be met. Obviously, no single law can make everyone happy, but we can strive to do what’s best for all citizens of this country.

Things like more strict background checks, being more strict on permits and requiring classes to be taken to get a permit are just a few of the many things that could be done to make obtaining guns more difficult for those who shouldn’t have them.

We can’t end all violence. Things would be so much simpler if we could. People are going to get hurt. A lot of the time, lives lost will be those of innocent people. That’s something we simply cannot control.

Teaching responsibility is the only way that we will ever begin to see results.

Nancy Peyton can be contacted at [email protected]