By Evelyn Joseph
Gun violence, a term being heard every day, is becoming a contemporary human rights issue that is ongoing. During President Biden’s visit to Uvalde, Texas, he declared gun control on the top of his agenda.
This issue is not only a polarizing topic in Washington, but across the nation. After the devastating shootings in Texas and Buffalo, gun control advocates are pleading with Congress to take action. However, they have been met with opposition from Second Amendment supporters who believe gun laws restrict their ability to own a firearm. In Washington, Joe Biden is tiptoeing a thin line and a narrowly divided Congress. But as he tackles this crisis, many wonder, what now?
Artwork by Sabeena Ramdarie
Gun violence incidents continue to rise in the United States.
There have been many controversies within the issue itself including the Second Amendment, attacks being racially motivated, among others. Due to this, the issue has been subjected to many opinions from numerous people. Many students at NHP have strong opinions on the topic as well.
“I feel like recent events have shown us that gun violence and gun control have an important role in our daily lives. On one hand, people believe that we have had enough violence and that it is time to stop this and take action towards a life without these threats every week,” junior Mirolla Mekaiel. “On the other hand, people believe that it is unconstitutional to get rid of the right to bear arms and that doing so would take away individual rights. However, all these debates do not lead to anything, they just cause more issues. I also feel like since these events happen so often that we have become accustomed to it and it’s almost normal. However, I believe that people should still work towards a common goal so that in the end we can have a safe environment for everyone to live in.”
Arguments about this issue and prolonging a solution is a concern of many because this country's credibility is being questioned.
“We have a serious gun problem in America. But the only thing worse than this problem is our government's inability to pass the most basic gun control measures, red flags laws, background checks, etc.,” junior Mohamed Adam said. “If our politicians only had a pinky size of courage, they would realize that this is not a political issue, and that something needs to change. This is only a dilemma in America and the more we ignore our gun problem, the more pain and suffering.”
The youth of this country see a problem and, as a result, is questioning it constantly. People feel as if they are not being heard by those who are supposed to protect them. So, the real question that many are asking Congress is, who really matters?