As more and more innocent lives are lost at the hands of gun violence, the trite response of “thoughts and prayers” holds less water. The time for action has come, and gone, seemingly hundreds of times, but yet here we stand with no sensible gun legislation being talked about in a serious manner by the Republican Party in Congress.

The topic of gun control is not one that will go away soon unless legislation is passed. If not, the ill-effects of Congressional inaction will continue to reverberate for decades.

The issue of guns is one that is front and center on the minds of students here at Fairleigh Dickinson University. They are concerned about innocent lives being lost each and every day, and are wondering when Congress will stand up and say “enough is enough.”

Students believe, as do many Americans, that assault weapons should not be on our streets in 2019, and the time has come for sensible gun control measures.

The fascination this country has with their guns is one that is difficult to comprehend, which makes the habitual congressional inaction even more difficult to swallow.

The belief that these senseless attacks will not happen in the Northeast because of the region’s stricter gun control went out the window in 2012 when the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary took place. This horrific incident occurred in the state of Connecticut, which is firmly entrenched in the northeast. These sorts of incidents bring the issue of gun control closer and closer to home.

Also, with the FDU campus being so wide open, whether it be in the dining halls, dormitories or classrooms, seemingly any person can come onto the campus undeterred and possibly cause harm to unsuspecting members of the FDU community.

With each and every incident seen on the news surrounding gun violence, the fear among FDU students grows. Will something unspeakable happen on this campus due to the ease of access for all types of people? We pray not!

Even though the FDU campus was voted the safest college campus in the state of New Jersey last year, this does not put the students minds any more at ease.

Or, let them sleep any more comfortably at night.

In a situation like this, perception is greater than reality.

The issue of guns is one the FDU students care deeply about, and they would like to see measures put in place so their children will not have to grow up in a world where mass shootings are nothing out of the norm, instead of an event worthy of a national outcry.

The topic of gun control never seems to lose relevancy, partly because of the gun culture in this country.

Photo by Dagney Gromer

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