By Rakhi Kundra ’17, News Editor

On Thursday, October 1^st, 26 year-old Chris Harper Mercer opened fire at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, killing 10 and injuring several others. The gunman specifically targeted Christians. Law enforcement officials said that Mercer was heavily armed and had enough ammunition to last through a prolonged gunfight. Mercer was killed during the exchange of gunfire with the police officers that responded to the scene.

This is yet another catastrophe to be added to the ever-growing list of mass shootings occurring throughout the United States, highlighting the increasing inability of law enforcement agencies and lawmakers to control guns and their accessibility. In the past 5 years alone, there have been over 15 mass shootings in the US, including the shooting that killed 9 in Charleston this past June, the shooting that killed 27 at Sandy Hook Elementary school in 2012, and the shooting that killed 12 in the movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado, also in 2012.

The continuous debates over gun control in Congress are equally matched with a lack of legislation passed to deal with this issue. This is primarily due to the clashing opinions of the political parties, as democrats generally favor stricter gun control while republicans seem to defend the right to own and carry guns. Proposals to increase background checks and regulate weapons have been strongly opposed by the conservatives in Congress and the National Rifle Association (NRA). However, at the same time, lawmakers from both parties forcefully rejected President Obama’s proposal in 2013 for universal background checks, strengthening the ban on assault weapons, and other restrictive methods to decrease gun violence.

Conservatives argue that the 2^nd amendment of the US Constitution gives people the right to physical self-defense, therefore the right to own firearms. For example, in Conservative states such as Texas and Arizona, one does not need a permit to purchase, own, or carry a gun. Spencer Glassman ’19, believes that gun control laws are not needed and are ineffective. He said, “Gun control cannot be spread throughout the country because it doesn’t solve the problems it aims to fix, threatens our constitutional rights, and leaves citizens defenseless from criminals and the government. Congress needs to pass common sense legislation, such as preventing the mentally ill, and of course criminals, from obtaining guns”.

However, Tyler Friedman ’17, an avid member of the Young Democrats Club, believes that it is time for us to rethink our 2^nd amendment rights, saying, “Although the right to bear arms was relevant and necessary at the time the amendment was passed, our society has changed, our country has changed, our technology has changed, and now it’s time for our laws to change”. Democrats argue that there should be stricter bans placed on weapons, and more extensive background checks on people wishing to purchase guns. To many liberals, the 2^nd amendment does not justify the right to own and carry a firearm.

The increasing gun violence throughout our country makes it obvious that a change needs to be made. However, we are reminded of the many barriers that attempts at change face due to the lack of bipartisanship in our government. The issue of gun control is clearly an issue that cannot be solved quickly, and cooperation and agreement from both sides of the political spectrum are required in order for our nation to take steps towards progress.