According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, firearm-related crimes have risen since 2004. Use of guns in such violent crimes as rape and sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault experienced the most dramatic increase, and, on Oct. 28, four men were charged with involvement in the recent Central Arkansas University shootings.

Considering the Second Amendment was created when prominent politicians Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr found it appropriate to duel to the death, reassessing the rights to gun ownership seems plausible.

Law-abiding citizens who own guns should have no apprehension toward such reassessment because the true problem lies with the illegal ownership of guns.

Organizations like the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence advocate for gun control.

“Our intention is to help stop gun trafficking, which is a vast illegal market,” said Becca Knox, director of research for the Brady Center. “Our number one priority is to make sure background checks are implemented at every transfer of guns. There are a small percentage of legal gun dealers who are responsible for 60 percent of illegally owned guns.”

Some gun owners find gun control distasteful because they fear it threatens their ability to defend their families.

Appropriate laws, however, would actually further protect these families by ensuring that guns do not fall into the wrong hands.

Actions like monitoring gun inventories at dealerships or larger punishments for illegally owning guns should be implemented. A gun dealership should not have a problem with a government body keeping track of their gun sales. If they are not doing anything wrong, then they should have nothing to fear and their sales would continue as normal. Gun control would not threaten law-abiding citizens.

“I think guns should be regulated more,” said freshman accounting major Cameron Eskoff. “I do not see any point in having a gun unless it is for hunting or protection.”

The Second Amendment was created at a time without the police or National Guard.

We can still have respect for the Second Amendment, but we should treat guns more as a privilege to reputable citizens, instead of a right to all.

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