The Killers Who Carry Death

Smoky Hill students talk about AR-15’s and the acceptable age to purchase them.

Jaden Gale, Staffer

Should the AR-15 be exterminated?

  • Yes..7
  • No..8
  • Idk..5 25

 

Should bump stocks be eliminated?

  • Yes..10
  • No..3
  • Idk..7

Should we change the age to purchase a semi automatic (AR-15)  to 21?

  • Yes..15
  • No..3
  • Idk..2

 

Should there be a background check for every purchase of a gun?

  • Yes..19
  • No..1
  • Idk..0

 

In Congress today, many ideas on gun control laws have been thrown around to help make our society a safer place to be in. Gun control laws have happened to be a very big topic around the U.S after being triggered by the Florida school shooting on February 14, 2018 and previous shootings that have happened around the U.S during this time.

 

Many individuals around Smoky Hill High School have been surveyed on Congress’s top four ideas on gun control laws which are; Should the AR-15 be exterminated? Should bump stocks be exterminated? Should congress change the age to purchase a AR-15 to 21? And should there be a background check for every purchase of a gun?

 

There were a variety of opinions and answers at Smoky Hill on whether or not the AR-15 should be  eliminated. The most common answer from people when asked this question was “no.” On the other hand junior, Aliya Givens said, “Almost all guns should be eliminated and kept out of criminals and bad people’s hands, especially automatic guns.” Aliya believes that the only people that should be allowed to have an automatic gun or AR-15 is the FBI, not even police. “It’s unnecessary for a hunter to hunt with a automatic, or a police officer to even own a AR-15.” she said.

 

According to New York Times, a bump stock is, “An attachment that enables a semi-automatic rifle to fire faster. A bump stock replaces a rifle’s standard stock, which is the part held against the shoulder.” The majority of people that voted from Smoky Hill High School believed that bump stocks should be eliminated. Sophomore, Dasani Darnell said,“It doesn’t makes sense to me why they have these bump stocks, if someone needs an automatic gun why not just buy one?” Many people believe that you should just buy a automatic gun and take away the bump stocks because, “there’s no need.” Freshman, Jordan Whitaker said, “ when bringing up this topic it creates more arguments like is there really a need for a automatic gun to be the hands of a citizen anyways?”

 

The AR-15 with a bump stock recently killed 17 people in the Florida school shooting, being in the hands of 19 year old former student Nikolas Cruz. Congress ideas on these gun control laws were motivated by the shooter. Congress thinks if bringing up age limits to purchase a semi automatic rifle (AR-15) to 21 was in place before Florida school shooting that it may have, “prevented a former student from killing 17 people at the school in Parkland, Florida, he had attended.” according to vox.com. The people who were surveyed at Smoky Hill strongly favor the idea of changing the age to purchase a semi automatic gun to 21, in fact some say that it should be that for every gun.

 

People’s background being checked before being abe to purchase a gun seems to be Congresses best idea according to Smoky Hill surveyors. 95% of people agree to the idea. Junior, Andrea Ekiko said, “I think that this law will prevent criminals that haven’t committed a crime yet to not get the chance to. This also will bring the murder rate down from school shootings as well murders around the city.”

 

Congress still today is determining whether or not if these ideas are worthy enough to be laws or not.