On November 5^th, Devin Patrick Kelley, entered the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and opened fire, taking 26 lives. After being pursued by a civilian, law enforcement found Kelley dead in his vehicle after he ran his car off the road.

Just a few weeks earlier, Steven Paddock attacked a Jason Aldean concert in Las Vegasin what soon became the largest mass killing in recent history.

Unfortunately, while these may seem like isolated incidents, reality paints a far bleaker picture. In fact, according to CNN, the United States has 25.2 times more gun homicides than any other high-income nation.

It is indisputable that America has a problem with gun violence. The question is how to solve it. University School’s student population offers a wide array of potential solutions.

Some claim that common-sense gun laws, such as universal background checks, are the solution. “We need to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands. Studies have shown that the best way to do that is through background checks,” argued Sai Karnati ’20. “ I feel extremely unsafe when going out at night because of all of the gun crime plaguing our cities,” he complained. Many find the notion of background checks appealing because law-abiding citizens would theoretically still be able to purchase guns.

Others argue that stricter measures are needed. For example, Jack Miranda ’20 believes that the United States ought to ban guns altogether. “If we ban all guns and ammunition, then criminals will inevitably run out of guns. It worked in Australia, and it will work here,” he claimed. While this argument may seem appealing, it does not have much support as many view it as far too radical.

In fact, many criticize arguments for gun control of all kinds. “If we restrict guns, then ordinary citizens won’t be able to buy guns for self-defense,” argued Rigzin Lhatoo ’20. “Criminals will always figure out a way to get a gun, whether it be through theft or the black market,” contended Lhatoo. He claimed that gun control would only worsen the problem of gun crime.

Congress has been unable to decide on any sort of gun restrictions, and the probability of any real legislation passing is close to zero due to partisan gridlock. While there is no clear consensus on which policy is the right one, it is clear that something must be done about America’s gun problem.