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I was fortunate that my husband told me about the Umpqua College shootings last week (my daughter goes to college in Oregon), he saved me the moment of panic that he went through when he first got word that there had been another massacre at a college campus. What is happening in this country? Can we not see that loosing so many lives in this way is crazy?

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The United States has more gun murders than other developed countries.

The United States has the highest rate of gun murders in a developed country and has had more mass shootings than days in 2015. These are frightening statistics. Of course I understand that there are many pieces of the puzzle, many issues involved when a person chooses to take another human beings life, let alone several,  but the biggest piece of that damn puzzle has a gun on it, and it needs to be put in place. Controlled.

I normally stay away from ranting and raving and politics, yet at the same time isn’t that the reason that writer’s put words on paper, is for their opinions to be heard? Well, this is one of those moments. We as a nation have to make a change. Does there have to be such a line between Democrat and Republican? Can’t we come together and say LET’S SAVE LIVES? My Facebook newsfeed has been blowing up. And there are definitely two strong opinions out there but in the end how can we not agree that there are too many guns out in this world. Too many lives being lost.

I worry about my husband when he rides his motorcycle and a worry about my son when he plays football, but should I have to worry about my daughter when she goes to her college english class. No.

There are some people who feel safer with a gun in their home to protect them. That’s not me, but that’s okay. Still, do they need a bunch of guns? NO. I understand that people like to hunt, I get that. But do hunters need twenty guns? NO. And why does the average person need an assault weapon, let alone a stash of them? The answer is… THEY DON’T.

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Deaths resulting from firearms in Australia have gone down drastically since introducing strict gun control laws.

Let’s do what Australia did in 1996 after 35 people were killed and 23 wounded during one of the worlds deadliest massacres in Port Arthor, they introduced strict gun control laws and formulated the National Firearms Programme Implementation Act 1996, restricting the private ownership of semi-automatic rifles, semi-automatic shotguns and pump-action shotguns as well as introducing uniform firearms licensing. And things changed for that country. Homicides and suicides have been drastically reduced. Let’s follow suit.

There, I did it. I had my rant. I gave my opinion.

For more information see the New York Times article Bloomberg Plans a $50 Million Challenge to the N.R.A and go to Mom’s Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and let’s find a way to make this world a safer place.

Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion and take a chance on being heard in this world.

WRITING PROMPT: Write about what moves you.