The gun control debate has been prevalent in the U.S for years. But with an upsoar in gun violence and school shootings, the debate still rages on amongst legislatures and citizens alike. Talk about gun control gained popularity in early 1999, after the Columbine Shooting occurred- the first instance of a modern-day school shooting. The shooting resulted in 15 deaths (including 12 students), causing a burst of outrage and distress throughout the nation. Questions such as “Why did the perpetrators have a gun?” and “How did they obtain one?” began to circulate in response to the tragedy. 

Even though Columbine was the first modern-day shooting, it was certainly not the last. In the 23 years since Columbine, school shootings have become a national dilemma; but school shootings aren’t the only form of gun violence present in America. According to Gun Violence Archives, there were over 44,000 gun deaths in 2021,  roughly a 3% increase from 2020. With gun violence rates rising each year, one question has become  increasingly prevalent: should guns be more regulated in America?

Bea Kaskie, senior, is an avid supporter of Gun Control. She organized a walk-out with classmate Poseybelle Stoeffler at the peak of March for our Lives, and she believes that guns should be more regulated. 

“I think that the key to gun safety and reduced gun violence is consistent and adaptive gun legislation across the United States,” says Kaskie. 

She believes that background checks and classes on how to safely use and handle guns would be beneficial to the public and hopefully reduce gun violence. But some people don’t have the same thought process. 

Gun control is a nationwide debated issue, meaning many people have different opinions about it, even here at Liberty. Ethan Barber, freshman, does not believe that guns should be regulated. 

“I think we’re doing fine (with gun control) right now,” said Barber. 

Barber is a hunter and uses guns frequently but that doesn’t come without training and learning about the guns he uses. Barber believes that it would be beneficial if people would take the time to go take a class to learn about how to operate guns before purchasing one. 

“If people understood guns and what they could actually do and how to use them I feel that would reduce the crime rate,” said Barber. 

As of February 2022, people are not required to take a class before purchasing a firearm. 

Though opinions on whether gun control in America should be increased differs from person to person, some ideas seem to stay consistent among those with different opinions. Barber and Kaskie both agree that guns in schools is not the answer.

“I don’t think the solution to gun violence, particularly in schools, can and should be answered by introducing more weapons to the school building,” stated Kaskie. “Teachers already work tirelessly day in and day out to create safe spaces for students and asking them to potentially wield a weapon in front of that same community they worked so hard to build is frankly unreasonable. To me, this solution takes the problem and instead of addressing the cause, furthers the issue.”