There’s a saying, “guns don’t kill people, people with guns do.” With the U.S being one of the leading countries with the highest gun-related deaths, that saying isn’t hard to believe. Every year thousands of Americans will die from some sort of gun-related thing. While other countries, like the U.K will have less than 100 gun-related deaths a year. Why is there such a big difference? Because each country has their own set of gun control and restriction laws. The U.S has so many gun-related deaths, because of how lenient their gun laws are. Stricter gun control laws could help reduce gun-related deaths in the U.S. if the U.S followed the example of its neighboring countries, then more deaths could be prevented.

Guns are everywhere in America. Gun shows are a popular place to stock up on rifles, handguns, ect. Even go to the local Wal-Mart, and they have guns. There are gun-restrictions and laws in the U.S, but they aren’t always followed. People who own guns and want to carry them on their personal need permits. But what does this permit do to stop that person from going on a shooting rampage? Jiverly Wong, who had a permit to carry guns, shot and killed 14 people in Binghamton, N.Y (Matthews). The U.S makes it so easy to get and carry guns. Which is why compared to other countries, the U.S has such a high death rate and gun-related deaths.

Researchers say easy access to guns and society’s acceptance of violence are part of U.S’s gun problem. (Los Angeles times) In Japan, very few people who own guns and the country, on average usually only have 124 gun-related attacks a year. That’s less than 1% of deaths. That’s a huge difference from the thousands of gun-related deaths in America. The problem is that the use of guns and violence has become accepted into society, almost a normal part of life. But it’s possible to add more restrictions, like other countries do, to reduce the amount of deaths in the U.S

Putting more restrictions on buying guns, would not be violating anyone’s rights as an American citizen. They would simply be saving lives of thousands of people. “We make it so easy for dangerous people to get guns. If it’s the second amendment, it doesn’t matter if they’re Osama Bin Laden” Says Paul Helmke. (Collins) Enforcing the background check policy and extending the waiting period to get a gun would help reduce the death rate by a lot. Also the banding of handguns on a personal would reduce the deaths significantly. This is not violating someone’s personal rights. Just pre-cautions to help save thousands of lives a year. Thousands of people’s right to live is violated every year in the U.S.

The U.S is one of the leading countries with the most gun-related deaths, and poor gun control. Other countries, like Japan are able to keep gun-related deaths to less than 1%, by taking gun violence seriously and taking the appropriate cautions. Stricter gun control laws could help reduce gun-related deaths in the U.S.