Gun conflict is something that is being widely debated and written about. The article Guns and the Soul of America talk about the divide that is becoming most Americans. Depending on someone’s view it seems that if they oppose someone, they cut that individual off entirely, needless to say, this is a less talked about issue. Is the debate causing more problems than it’s fixing? In short, no it isn’t. This topic needs to be talked about. Mass shootings are becoming more and more popular and obviously, this isn’t a good thing; so solutions need to be talked about.

The big solutions I’m hearing about are a nationwide background check and prohibiting assault-style weapons. I’m in favor of both of these, the background check should have been a thing from the start and it’s ridiculous that it isn’t. The assault weapons being taken out of the stores is something I support. I don’t think the average citizen needs a high powered automatic weapon. It’s also a nice compromise for both sides, you get the biggest threat to the people out of the store and you don’t violate any amendments.  

Many Americans are in agreement with both of those ideas. There is still much debating that needs to be done but for the most part, I think they are good solutions. I understand that many people do disagree with these propositions. Guns aren’t so much a weapon to them as they are a symbol. Guns can mean that you will stand up for what's right and it's a big part of some people’s identity as Americans. It’s also in our instinct to have something that we can use to protect yourself. At some point, you have to ask: is it worth it? You have to weigh the number of people dying to the number of people being saved by guns. I don’t think it's worth it anymore and something needs to be done.