The Parkland, Florida mass shooting is now the 30th mass shooting to happen in the United States in 2018. It claimed the lives of 17 people, including students and faculty of the school. Any time a mass shooting like this occurs, the topic of gun control is at the forefront of the conversation.

Many people claim it is a mental health issue, a crime issue or an issue that simply has no solution. Many members of Congress are sending out “thoughts and prayers” and paying for the funerals of those lost, but it has become clear that “thoughts and prayers” are not enough anymore.

Real action should be and needs to be taken so children are not fearing for their lives at school and gunman lockdown drills are nonexistent. Gun regulations need to finally change.  

I am not arguing for everyone’s guns to be taken away. I understand that responsible and capable people can own a gun, but these mass shootings are being done by those who obtained these guns legally. They were people who should have never owned these guns in the first place, yet were permitted to attain them under current regulations and law.

This is not a mental illness issue. That argument stigmatizes mental illness by labeling that vulnerable community as violent. However, it is important to note that those with a severe mental illness like schizophrenia are about three times more likely to be violent. This still does not mean they are going to commit a mass shooting. Overall, only 4 percent of violent crime is thought to be caused by mental illness.

But here is the hypocrisy and confusion coming from the government on why mass shootings occur. President Trump believes mental illness is the only cause of the shootings and never mentioned guns at all. He said in a tweet after the Florida shooting, “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!” The statement is victim-blaming those who knew the shooter when they actually did report to the authorities about him.

Additionally, he stated in an address to the nation after the Florida shooting that he was going “to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.” With this being said, in February of 2017 he signed a bill that would revoke a regulatory initiative that made it harder for those with mental illness to obtain a gun. Even though there were issues with this original bill, it is confusing for him to sign a bill that makes it easier for mentally ill people to buy a gun when it is clearly his only reasoning for these mass shootings.

While mental illness is sometimes a factor in these mass shootings, the common denominator is guns. The gun purchased by the Florida shooter was an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle — the same type used during the Sandy Hook shooting and the Orlando shooting. It is a weapon that is still easily accessible in this country and can easily land in the wrong hands.

This is not a crime issue either. Marco Rubio told the Today Show during the presidential election that “In the cases of someone who just wants a gun to carry out a crime, they’re not going to follow the law.” By saying this, he is effectively claiming that it is only a crime issue and not a gun issue. But why have any laws at all if they are only going to affect law-abiding citizens? Yes, people break the law but it still does not stop the law from being effective.

We hear all the time that the weapon does not matter. If it is not a gun, then it would be a knife, car, bomb, etc. However, knives cannot kill 59 people at once. And if that happens, why wouldn’t we argue for knife control? The weapon is the main issue with these mass shootings.

Our background check system for purchasing guns only looks at felony convictions, domestic violence, addiction to illegal drugs and involuntary commitments due to mental illness. It does not check the early warning signs exhibited by the Florida shooter, school expulsions or any mental health history that did not lead to criminal charges. This is how he slid through the cracks of the system and obtained a gun.

Hopefully, Congress will finally do something to stop these mass shootings from happening because no child should be scared to go to school and no parents should fear sending their kids to school. These shootings are happening too often for nothing to be done. Change should have been made long ago. 

Congress members need to stop prioritizing money from the NRA as the most important need and start putting the safety of the American citizens they represent first.

We should remember the victims of these shootings and remember that they could actually be any of us if gun laws do not change soon. We must all try and make a change for future generations so they can live safely.