By: Akriti Ahuja I would like to take a moment to express the great sorrow and, of course, extreme horror I feel after the recent shooting in Tucson, Arizona on January 6. This unfortunate tragedy claimed six lives, including one of a nine-year-old girl, Christina Green. Twelve people were injured in the shooting, among them Congresswoman Giffords. Authorities have reported the bullet was shot through the Congresswoman’s head and, although she was in critical condition for a period of time, she has luckily been making a slow and steady recovery. Is it too easy to buy a gun? After a major tragedy like the one that has occurred in Arizona, I can’t help but think that it is too easy to purchase firearms. According to the gun control laws of Arizona, state permit is not required to purchase a shotgun or rifle nor is a permit required to possess a shotgun or rifle. So basically any lunatic, such as the one responsible for the Tucson shooting, can walk into a store, purchase a gun, and go about his business (which may include murder) without a permit. The Second Amendment gives all of us the right to bear arms. I agree, we all have a right to protect ourselves, feel safe, and have a mechanism of defense if need be. However, as opposed to three hundred years ago, I don’t believe guns are quite as necessary for protection today. In today’s society, firearms seem to be used more for causing harm than as a means of self-defense. Guns pose a major threat in schools. Take the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007 that left 32 dead. Most schools don’t have metal detectors that students walk through at the entrance. Colleges definitely don’t. If a permit isn’t even required to purchase a gun, is it difficult for a student to just buy a gun, sneak it into school in their backpack, and shoot? No. It really isn’t. I definitely believe gun control laws should be strengthened, especially after a tragedy like the one in Arizona has occurred. Permits should definitely be required to both own and purchase firearms no matter the state in which one lives. Protection is necessary but maybe we should be protecting ourselves from guns rather than people with guns.