I distinctly remember what I was doing on the morning of Dec. 4, 2012. I was home sick in bed watching The Secret of LIfe of the American Teenager on Netflix. When I went downstairs and the TV was turned onto CNN news.The screen read “BREAKING NEWS: Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School” and “Twenty-six people — 20 students and six adults killed.” It was a very emotional day. My emotions  ran the gamut from sadness,  and anger to confusion.

The horrific events that happened in Sandy Hook still leave me confused. My confusion comes out of the fact that no laws have been established to prevent gun violence from occurring again.

“Senate Democrats recently removed bans on semi-automatic weapons from pending gun-control legislation in apparent hopes of passing the more politically acceptable universal background checks — even referring to the checks as the “sweet spot” of the proposal” said Fox News on March 31.

Establishing so called “politically acceptable” universal background checks will not solve gun violence. Purchasing guns today is as simple as a signature, address, giving your social security number, a half page of “yes” or “no” questions, swiping your credit card and walking out the door. These “background checks” are not nearly as effective as needed, clearly.

Banning the retail sales of semi-automatic weapons to all civilians could significantly reduce the number of acts of violence due to guns. But wait, that would require gun manufacturers and retailers to lose big money wouldn’t it? I wonder if Senators and Congress members that voted no on banning semi-automatic weapons would lose money to bring back a child from Sandy Hook. America’s government seems to be losing its moral and ethical values.

Some of the possible solutions are to take legal action such as participating in protests and rallies for the banishment of semi-automatic weapons.One can also take the more formal route and write to State Senators in attempt to persuade them to vote yes on this measure.

The victims of Sandy Hook did not deserve to become victims, but they do deserve to be honored. They should be honored by banning semi-automatic weapons.