The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of The Prowler.

Imagine if you lived in a world where everything is the same, except people are allowed to own tanks. On the news you hear about a guy who fired a tank on Ventura Boulevard and killed a bunch of people. A few weeks earlier, a kid got access to his parents’ tank and shot up a lot of kids at the gym. Recently-fired employees went back to their workplace and fired a tank at their bosses and their old coworkers. 

Wouldn’t you think that’s insane? Of course you would. 

You may want the right to have your own gun, but look at all the problems guns are causing. We read and hear about mass shootings all the time and have gotten used to it. That’s crazy, and our society should do better.

These mass shootings are all intentional killings, and you may be thinking that you shouldn’t have to give up your gun because you would never kill anybody. But most gun-related deaths are accidental. 

The presence of guns also increases suicides. The states with the most guns report the most suicides. You might think that if a suicidal person doesn’t have a gun, they would just use another mechanism. However, reports show that non-firearm suicide rates do NOT increase when states have strict gun control. When people are not able to use a gun and quickly end their own life, they often use that extra time to rethink. Gun restrictions will save many of these lives.

So why do you think the public tolerates around 40,000 people killed by guns in this country per year, including a thousand kids?

Many gun owners want guns for self defense. Well, if we control the amount of guns people have, you would not have to worry. If people did not have guns, others would not have to defend themselves with guns, and there would be so much less death. 

Also, some young people buy guns because they think they are cool. How cool is it for innocent people to die everyday? I get that your gun is your safety blanket, but these same guns are endangering the safety of others. We need to stop this madness immediately.

Yes, the Second Amendment to the Constitution says we have the right to bear arms, but that was written in 1791.  Now, the guns are so much more deadly than they were before. Fine, everyone can have a musket ball, but why does that right extend to AR-15s? I do not see the word AR-15 at all in the Constitution. And any right has limitations. The Constitution does not say everyone has the right to bear arms without limitation. If that was the case, why are people not allowed to have nuclear weapons, fighter jets, or missiles? Why can’t I fire torpedoes off my sailboat if someone gets in my way in the marina or the bay? The reason is obvious: innocent people will be getting killed at a crazy rate and the public would not tolerate it. 

Too many people are allowed to have guns for the wrong reasons. Then there are mass shootings in schools, stores, places where people work, malls, parks, peoples’ homes, basically anywhere you can imagine. This is a true tragedy.

Now, gun owners are basically encouraging others to have guns, causing deadly shootings, and “doing all these abhorrent things” (Jeremiah 7:10).  They almost pretend that guns are just toys even though they have serious consequences.  

How do you think it’s ok to give your mentally ill child a gun? Michigan teen  Ethan Crumbley caused a huge shooting Nov. 30, killing four people, and will probably be in jail for the rest of his life. His parents —who are charged with involuntary manslaughter, according to the AP article–should be ashamed. 

Imagine being able to walk down the road at night and not have any fear around you. To be able to go out and protest for your rights without getting murdered. To be friends with the people in your society and “not oppress the stranger, the orphan, and the widow” (Jeremiah 7:6). Fear would go away in almost an instant and people would feel safe. They will be open to sharing their opinions and almost feel free. 

People would feel OK walking down the streets in the pitch dark, not looking over their shoulder every second. The hatred of people would slowly become the love of people. I hope one day I can live in this society.