The United States is often thought of as the #1 country in areas such as economy and technology. However, the United States has continuously failed to be named as one of the safest countries. The United States is one of the top countries with the most mass shootings in the world. The country is well-known for its lack of action towards the situation.

The United States should create better gun control and laws that help to protect its citizens.

The United States has had numerous mass shootings throughout the years. Just this year, the United States has had 260 mass shootings as of now, and there have only been 172 days this year. 

According to the University of Chicago, over 71% of Americans believe that there should be gun control in the United States. The United States is a country that has dedicated itself to being known as the country “for the people and by the people.” If this is so, since over half of Americans believe that there should be gun control, the government should take citizens’ beliefs not only into consideration, but take action.

Growing up between New York and New Jersey all my life, I watched as little as five years old on the news: another mass shooting in the United States. This time it was nearby, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut. Kids close to my age and older adults having to go through this at an Elementary School… somewhere where most would not expect. Twenty students from the ages of 6 to 7 passed away that day, and six adults, too.

Unfortunately, mass shootings in schools, colleges, and even other places such as the grocery store are not as shocking anymore given how many have happened in the United States.

As a teenager attending high school in the United States, (close to ten years later from the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting), turning on the tv or opening my phone to social media, I still see many mass shootings being reported on. Nearly every week, I go onto apps like Instagram or Tiktok, or turn on the news, and see yet another politician expressing their “thoughts and prayers”; yet, no action is taken. Nearly. Every. Week. It is frustrating, scary, and saddening to live in the United States not knowing when this will end and when, unfortunately, another mass shooting will take place until there is action taken.

It is scary living in the United States and knowing that there is a possibility that there may be another mass shooting today, the next day, and the many days after. It is scary knowing that when my family, friends, others, and even myself go out anywhere in the United States, or even if we stay at home, there is a possibility that we could be next. “Thoughts and prayers” will not protect us, and many of our politicians certainly will not, either.

In the United States, gun violence disproportionately affects children and teens at a high rate. It is the number one cause of death among minors in the United States. CNN reported from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder database that children from ages 1-18 die 19% of the time by guns. CNN also reported that, “There have been 130 mass shootings so far in 2023” (Choi). Though this was not reported long ago, (the last edit being March 29th of this year), this number has already increased nearly three months later. The Gun Violence Archive has reported that 319 mass shootings have occurred in the United States.

With gun violence continuing to rise in the U.S., particularly mass shootings, there has been opposition on how to solve this problem. While many have advocated for gun control, others say that they do not agree and believe that rather than guns being the problem, it is the people that are the problem. A saying made popular by the opposing side is “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. This was popularized by the National Rifle Association (also known as the NRA) and other gun supporters of this saying. People who support this also believe that by there being gun control, their Second Amendment rights in the United States Constitution are being unrightfully taken away. 

While the opposing side may believe this to be true, it does not provide a solution to the problem. Rather, it deflects from what the problem is. This does not lead those who believe in gun control to what the solution to the problem may be, in their opinion.

Evidently, there must be immediate action on this issue, which is agreed upon by a majority of Americans as gun control. Besides, there is a difference between creating gun control laws and taking away guns from citizens completely.

While certain states do have stricter gun control laws, such as Connecticut, New Jersey, and Illinois, this must be executed throughout the entire country.

The United States has much to improve on. Through strengthening gun control within the entirety of the United States, creating stricter background checks, and regulating which guns should or should not be used (such as the AR-15 which has been used in numerous mass shootings in the U.S.), the United States can move towards building a safer nation for current and future generations. Stricter and stronger gun control legislation should be passed so as to prevent more mass shootings in the United States.

Works Cited

Choi, Annette. “Children and teens are more likely to die by guns than anything else.” CNN, 29 Mar. 2023, 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/29/health/us-children-gun-deaths-dg/index.html.

Debussmann Jr., Bernd. “AR-15: The lethal weapon at heart of US gun debate.” BBC, 15 Apr. 2023, 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65242244.

Hawkins G, Zimring FE. “Firearms and Assault: ‘Guns Don’t Kill People, People Kill People’ (From Gun Control Debate, P 170-176, 1990, Lee Nisbet, ed. — See NCJ – 127634).” OJP, 

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/firearms-and-assault-guns-dont-kill-people-people-kill-people-gun.

“Gun Violence Archive 2023.” Gun Violence Archive, 21 Jun. 2023, https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/.

“Poll: Most Americans see gun violence as a major problem, want stricter gun laws.” UChicago, 23 Aug. 2023, https://news.uchicago.edu/story/poll-most-americans-see-gun-violence-major-problem-want-stricter-gun-laws.

“Strictest Gun Laws by State.” World Population Review, Apr. 2023, https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/strictest-gun-laws-by-state.