Bianca Anguilm (12th Grade)

What is your opinion on gun control?“

Q: I feel like the guns should not be like the automatic ones you would find in the military.

A: I feel like that is part of the problem but the other part of the problem is how accessible the guns are. You can literally go to Walmart and say ‘I want a gun.

Q: To what extent should background checks be expanded?

A: It should include what the people previously had done in their lives, their mental health and if they had any problems in school or back in  primary school because that can happen. Also if they have ever been to a therapist or had family problems.

Justin Anderson (12th Grade)

Q: What would improved gun control look like to you?

A: Raise the age restrictions on weapons up because no matter how old or mature you are, I think that you should have to take a mental test to make sure that you are stable enough to have a gun. They already have background checks but they will just be like ‘oh yeah, have you ever been to jail? No? Okay you’re good’. I feel like they should actually do legitimate background checks instead of just having them check off boxes and asking if you are a felon or not.

Q: To what extent should background checks be expanded?

A: There are so many types of guns and categories for guns. I think that they should base it off of the type of gun that you get is based off of where you rank on mental tests. Say for example, you are stable but not all the way there, you should only have access to handguns. Then again if you are just sitting in an apartment you don’t need a handgun typically so it really depends on the situation.

Smrithi Tirumalapudi (11th Grade)

Q: How would fewer guns result in reduced gun violence?

A: The main thing with regulating gun laws is that it cuts down on many legal ways to procure them. If it’s harder to get a gun then it’s reasonable to infer that the number of shootings will go down as a result of increased difficulty.

Q: To what extent should background checks be expanded?

A: I think there needs to be some sort of either state or federal regulated way to make sure that background checks are continuously enforced. Over the internet it is harder to do but I think that until we create a system where background checks are accurately and consistently being enforced, you shouldn’t be able to buy a gun on the internet.

Lela Holt (10th Grade)

Q: What would improved gun control look like to you?

A: I just want it to be more regulated and less likely for people to get a gun. I don’t think there should be a ban on guns because there are people that feel like they need to protect themselves.

Q: How would fewer guns result in reduced gun violence?

A: In Australia they stopped guns and there hasn’t been a mass shooting in 20 years. I don’t think there should be a ban on guns because there are people that feel like they need to protect themselves. There should only be the need for a rifle for when you’re hunting and then there should be just a handgun. I don’t think there should be anything else because there is no point.