One of the hottest topics up for debate currently is gun control. In the democratic debate last Friday, Hillary Clinton asserted that gun violence “Has gone on too long, and it’s time the entire country stood up against the NRA.“ She further accused Bernie Sanders of not being harsh enough on gun restrictions. The relations between democrats and the NRA have been progressively getting more and more tense, and as more issues arise with gun control, the more the public seeks deliberate action against unnecessary gun violence.

ZombiCon was hosted in Fort Meyers, Florida on Saturday. This fundraising event is filled with many fans who dress up in their favorite zombie attire and participate in a fun-filled festival. And despite it’s enjoyable beginning, it ended with disastrous results. Around 11:45 p.m. Saturday night, five civilians were injured in a shooting at ZombiCon. One man, Expavious Tyrell Taylor, 20, lost his life due to this act of violence. Currently, any suspects remain at large.

This event followed less than 3 weeks after the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. A 26-year-old man, Chris Harper Mercer, opened fire on faculty and students in yet another U.S. mass shooting. This rampage left ten dead and seven wounded.

Mass shootings have become so common in the United States that the public has become desensitized to them. Since President Obama has been in office, he has had to address the public 15 times due to mass shootings. He begins his speeches by saying, “There’s been another mass shooting in America”. This simple phrase has the power to strike fear in the hearts of all Americans while simultaneously lighting a fire under gun control debaters.

From Columbine to Virginia Tech, thousands have been left dead as the result of gun violence. In 2012, 20 elementary school students and six adults were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. These brutal acts are generally addressed immediately, and then quickly become forgotten about and set aside to make way for more “pressing” issues. Instead of focusing on lives lost, people instead view attempts on gun restrictions as the government coming to “take away their guns”. Gun restrictions, necessary gun restrictions, are crucial to protecting the security of the public.

When it is easier to get a gun than it is to get a driver’s license, something needs to be done. Some compromise needs to be reached, especially in the wake of the recent shootings in Florida and Oregon, when it comes to gun violence. It is time for the United States to stop looking the other direction and make a change.