By Miya Graham Are you exhausted from hearing about shootings nearly every day? Can you bear hearing the number of more lives lost? The frequency of gun violence appears to be as normal as going to school every day. It shouldn’t be. Unfortunately, these tragic events happen quite frequently. There’s never a day on the news where a gun-related issue isn’t discussed. We cannot let guns be handed over to irresponsible people. Guns are too easily accessible. We often hear people say that guns aren’t the problem, people are. If people are the problem, why are we giving the problem guns? Guns are deadly. Stricter federal gun control laws are crucial to prevent gun violence. Stricter federal gun control laws will reduce the number of gun deaths. If fewer people have guns, fewer gun deaths will occur. States with stricter gun laws have experienced less gun violence, according to an analysis conducted by Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing gun violence. For instance, they found that Hawaii has one of the strongest gun control laws in the country and the lowest rate of guns in households. They also have the lowest rate of gun deaths in the country. As of right now, states can make their own laws regarding gun control, many of which are ineffective in keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and people with mental health issues. On the other hand, many people believe that guns will protect them. However, they fail to mention that guns are rarely used in self-defense. According to National Public Radio, they found nearly 0.9 percent of people used guns for self-defense. The risk of gun ownership outweighs the benefits of owning guns. If guns are in the house, people are more likely to use them in harmful ways. If a gun is not present, people don’t have the temptation to reach for a gun.  In addition, it seems that people rather use guns for harm instead of self-defense. For example, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “We found that firearms are used far more often to frighten and intimidate than they are used for self-defense.” How is a gun, something most people fear, supposed to protect us? Numerous people fear guns. Can you blame them? Teenagers have seen their classmates die in a classroom. How will gun violence ever end if gun legislation does not begin to change? Not only are innocent lives lost from gun violence, but our society pays the price financially. Legislation restricting gun ownership would lower the societal cost associated with gun violence. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, “In an average year, gun violence in America kills 40,000 people, wounds twice as many, and has an economic consequence to our nation of $557 billion.” If there is stricter gun legislation, the prevention of gun violence will lead to an abundance of money saved. The repeated cost spent on police investigations, medical care, and gun purchases would be better spent on other things such as helping people in need.