The average bullet travels at 2,500 feet per second(1,700 mph). The average physically active person can sprint at about 22 feet per second(15mph). Usain Bolt, a previous Olympic sprinter and gold medalist, could sprint at 41 feet per second(28 mph).

In a race against time, a bullet will always win. No matter how fast, no matter how hard you try, you can’t escape the 9mm ball of jacketed lead. A bullet is capable of taking the most valuable thing in the world– a life. A life is so precious, it simply cannot be replaced.

Any and all precautions should be taken in order to preserve a life. No harm can come from becoming overly cautious, but a lot of damage can be done from not being cautious enough.

Trying to imagine a world completely free of violence feels more like a fairy tale than it does than a distant reality. But imagining a world without gun violence is a different story.

By eliminating one of the most deadly weapons known to man, countless lives could be saved. Nobody should have to shake in fear for their lives because they are faced with a hand held machine that can puncture something at 2,500 feet per second. Children should not go to school in fear that this day may be their last. People should be able to practice religion without being at risk of becoming a target.

To live in fear of dying is not truly living life to the fullest, and no human being deserves to worry about the potential dangers if it can be prevented; and it can.

The second amendment states that all American citizens have the right to bear arms. This right was established in 1791 yet this precedent still remains as a modern policy. But it is not 1791 anymore, it is 2019 and with time comes change.

Revoking guns as a whole can eliminate a lot of violence, but there are still people who feel safe knowing they have a gun locked away ‘just in case’.

Guns were once used for self defense and to provide protection. But our country has come so far in terms of safety; American citizens are protected by the government and that is one of our country’s great aspects.

But even with an incredibly strong central government some citizens prefer to own a gun to protect themselves even more so, but with more guns means more gun deaths. This raises the question of whether or not the second amendment is more beneficial or more self-damaging to our nation.

The United States has the 31st highest gun violence rate in the world as of 2016 statistics. Eight times higher than Canada, and 27 times higher than Denmark. What are Canada and Denmark doing better than us? They have a better grip on gun control.

In 1971 Japan officially banned the right to bear arms, with few exceptions. These exceptions include owning a gun for the purpose of specific research. In 2009 Japan had a total of 22 gun related deaths, and the people were horrified. Within the first two days of 2019, the United States has had 77 gun related deaths, the difference is that nobody is surprised.

A change needs to be installed in order to save lives. The second amendment is no longer in our favor, it is our enemy.