Conflict regarding gun regulation is a serious issue that America faces today. The conflict stems from occurences of gun violence and misuse. People have opposing ideas on how to prevent more tragedies, and this opposition creates strong divisions in society. The central question is, “Should the government enact more gun control laws?” The differing opinions are aligned with political party lines, as democrats generally support more restrictions, while republicans often argue freer gun laws. Much history has built up this issue, and created such division on the subject.
On April 20, 1999, a pair of shooters killed twelve students, one teacher, and injured twenty-one additional people in the event now called the Columbine High School Massacre.
…show more content…
In 1994, President Clinton signed a bill that temporarily banned assault weapons. Well, this temporary ban expired in 2004, and, following its expiration, part of the country vied for its renewal, while others strongly opposed it. (Gray) This conflict further distinguished the two sides of the gun control debate. Moving forward in time, the United States had to endure another mass shooting, this one at an elementary school. Adam Lanza, a mentally ill 20-year old man, killed twenty first-graders and six adults in the Sandy Hook shooting. Similar to the behavior seen in other cases, the shooter killed himself as police approached the scene. Again, the nation divided even more over what to do about this serious issue; some called for more restrictions, while others fought back with their second amendment rights. Aside from school shootings, other instances of gun violence have contributed to the problem. On October 1, 2017, a man opened fire in Las Vegas, killing fifty-nine individuals, and wounding hundreds of others. The big deal with this event was the shooter’s use of bump fire stocks to increase his firing rate. Bump fire stocks are accessories that allow a gun to slide back-and-forth when fired, “bumping” the