The Second Amendment gives average citizens the right to keep and bear arms. This issue has been around for some time, but the recent school shooting in December 2012 by Adam Lanza, an unstable man who had access to assault weapons, killed 26 people. Do you feel safer under the Second Amendment? Many people believe that these mass shootings could have been stopped if the government had never repealed the 1994 assault weapons ban or if we had implemented universal background checks. Maintaining this ban could have saved 26 adults and children from death. Not only do mass shootings happen too often, but so do attacks that end in tragedy. Trayvon Martin is just one of many who were killed for being an average teenager in the United States. His life was cut short because he decided to walk through a very unwelcoming neighborhood. Under the Second Amendment, ordinary citizens are not protected by current gun control laws. Mass shootings often occur in a country that is the land of the free and appears safe. Universal background checks are a necessity. Too many assault weapons fall into the hands of the wrong people and the consequences are irreversible. An incident in Connecticut involves Sandy Hook Elementary School. This is a prime example of how assault weapons fell into the hands of the wrong person. Adam Lanza did not own these weapons, but he had access to them. With universal background checks, the lives of 20 children and 6 adults could have been protected. Columbine is a prime example of the need for universal background checks. The shooting took place on April 20, 1999. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were the shooters, they got their hands on guns and bombs and attacked the school. They killed a total of 12 people... middle of paper ...... Living in a country where we are described as the land of the free and home of the brave does not improve our image during mass shootings. , murders and innocent people die. Many people leave their home countries to achieve "the American dream", but if that's how they see it, our country will be a much better place. Having universal background checks and identical gun laws in all fifty states will improve many things in our country. Fewer innocent lives will be killed, fewer people will become criminals, fewer people will suffer. If we want this country to be safer, we need to take steps in the right direction, we need to improve our gun control so that ordinary citizens feel comfortable with the people they encounter during the day . Improving our country's security is one way to improve our country. Country, what would be the point of leaving your family and friends, for something that might not be