Thoughts and prayers’ are not enough! Gun legislation is needed!

Within 24 hours, a total of 29 American people from two different states were dead due to mass shootings and inadequate gun control laws.

On Aug. 3, a gunman armed with an assault riffle killed 20 people who were shopping in a packed Walmart in El Paso, Texas. In addition to killing 20 people, the gunman injured more than two dozen people in the attack.

Less than 13 hours later, nine people were killed by a lone shooter in Dayton, Ohio. In addition to those nine people, at least 27 people were injured.

In the 21 century, mass shootings have become a major issue. According to the data from the nonprofit organization Gun Violence Archive (GVA), the number of mass shootings have surpassed the amount of days that have passed in the year. As of Sept. 1, which was the 244th day of the year, there had been 283 mass shootings in the United States, according to data collected from the nonprofit, which tracks every mass shooting in the country.

Although the rate of American people being killed due to gun violence is quickly rising and many American people have asked for tougher gun control laws, there has no been a significant change in these laws. With all of the mass shootings that have been reported since 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, gunman are still able to buy a shotgun from the local Walmart.

There are only seven states that completely ban any and all open carry activity. Only eight out of 50 states require people who own firearms to register them with the state. There are 22 states that enforce regulations known as deadly force laws.

Deadly force laws are laws that protect a person who caused death or serious physical injury to another person depending on the circumstances. These circumstances include self-defense, protecting the theft, sabotage or control of nuclear weapons, if it is necessary for the apprehension of a person who is believed to pose a significant threat of death or serious bodily harm to a protective force officer and more.

In addition to the deadly force laws, there are 27 states that uphold a law called the Stand Your Ground Law. These laws allow armed individuals who believe that they are in imminent danger to use deadly force.

There have been many cases were these laws have been proven unlawful and unjustified.

Cyntoia Brown, an alleged victim of sex trafficking, served 15 years in prison after killing a man, named Johnny Allen at the age of 16 years old.

In the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an African-American teenager who lived in Miami Gardens, Florida, George Zimmerman, the man responsible for Martin’s death, stated that he felt threatened by Martin, who was simply wearing a hoodie and going back home.

Within the state of Georgia, a shall-issue state, if an applicant passes the basic requirements of the state law a gun will be issued to them. There is no permit, background check or firearms registration required when buying from a private seller.

It is legal in Georgia to carry a gun with a license or a concealed carry permit; however, there are certain places that are restricted, such as courthouses.

In 2017, Georgia passed a bill, called The Georgia Gun Carry Bill, which allows Georgia Weapons Carry License holders to carry a concealed handgun onto college campuses. There are some restrictions on this law; however, ultimately anyone over the age of 21, unless he or she is an active military member under that age, could carry a concealed handgun onto a college campus. This new bill leaves students unprotected by the law.

On Aug. 20, hours before the beginning of a new school semester, a gunman opened fire at the Atlanta University Center. Although there were no deaths, the gunman injured four female students: two from Clark Atlanta University and two from Spelman College.

With all of these deaths due to gun violence and lack of gun control, President Trump said that he was going to move slowly when it comes to gun control reform. Although Trump does not want people with bad intentions to have weapons, he will not allow any plan to move forward that takes away the right for people to have guns or that restricts Second Amendment rights.

Although there are many American people calling for tighter gun laws, there are many advocates for looser gun laws. Many people believe that they have a right to carry a gun and that there should not be any restrictions on that right. Pro-gun advocates believe that adding more restrictions to guns robs them of the human right of self-defense.

With all of the deaths caused by loose gun laws, the people are calling for a better way to ensure safety and protection against guns.

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This article is published in the Clark Atlanta University Panther.