In 2018, as of today, there have been 307 mass shootings in the United States.

The most recent occurred at the Borderline Bar and Grill on Nov. 7 in Thousand Oaks, Calif. In this shooting 13 people died, including the gunman. This was 11 days after yet-another mass shooting in Pittsburgh, Pa. where 11 people were gunned down during a peaceful worship at the Tree of Life synagogue.

The most infamous shooting, however, happened at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, where 17 students, students just like us, lost their lives to a gunman.

Every time a mass shooting occurs, it brings up the heavily-debated topic of gun control and sensible gun laws, which need to be addressed.

The first change that should happen is stronger background checks.

While current laws in the U.S. require that gun sellers have a Federal Firearms License (FFL) to conduct background checks on potential buyers, the system has some flaws.

Background checks for purchasing guns take 10 minutes to complete. This means the background check is cursory and doesn’t really determine if the buyer is mentally fit for having a gun. These current background checks are not strong enough, it makes it easy for someone with a criminal record to purchase a gun.

There is also the internet and the gun show loopholes that needs to closed. According to author Jeffrey Goldberg, 40 percent of guns purchased in the United States happen at gun show, on the Internet or through other illegal means.  

Then there is the issue of military-style semi-automatic weapons. Maybe we could look to Australia as an example. According to Business Insider, after a mass shooting in 1996 that left 35 people dead, Australia rolled out heavy gun laws that banned automatic and semi automatic weapons.

They also made strict background checks and you have to demonstrate an actual need for a gun in order to buy one, which also made it harder for people to obtain guns illegally.

This obviously worked. There has not been a single mass shooting in Australia since 1996.

Personally, I believe it would be great for the U.S. to make laws like those in Australia. Yet I realize there are Constitutional and culture differences that make banning semi-automatic weapons near-impossible. However, stricter laws, stronger background checks and less access to guns is completely reasonable.

I’m tired of seeing headlines for yet another mass shooting. No one should have to fear for their life when they go to somewhere as common as school or a concert. Something needs to be done.