Gun Control Debate: The opinions on both sides

The story

Americans are the most heavily armed people in the world per capita. Depending on who you ask about the Second Amendment

The what

Tell me about the NRA.

Meet the biggest and most influential pro-gun lobby in Washington, DC. The NRA reportedly has

millions of members

. It heavily

funds the campaigns

of pro-gun lawmakers, publicly

‘grades’

Gimme some background.

Mass shootings happen all the time. But one of the worst in recent memory was

Sandy Hook

. In 2012, a gunman killed 20 kids and six adults with an

assault rifle

at Sandy Hook elementary in Newtown, CT. President Obama tried to get

new gun controls

Anything else?

After Sandy Hook, President Obama had to give remarks on at least

eight mass shootings

. Then Orlando happened. In June 2016, a shooter killed 49 people and injured 53 in an Orlando, FL gay club. The shooter spent some time on the FBI’s terror watch list, but was

taken off

when they couldn’t find hard evidence. Even if he had still been on the list, he could have bought a gun. Congress considered banning those on federal terror watch lists from getting guns, and requiring universal background checks.

Nothing was passed

Anything else?

In September 2017, a gunman killed at least 58 people at a concert in Las Vegas in the worst shooting in modern US history. The gunman’s believed to have legally purchased the 23 weapons he had with him. While Nevada has some of the most

lax gun laws

in the country, one restriction is against fully automatic weapons. But he used a legal device called 'bump stocks' to basically

turn a semiautomatic into an automatic

. In November 2017, a gunman killed at least 26 people inside a church in a

small south Texas town

Where are we now?

In February, a 19-year-old gunman killed at least 17 people at a high school in

Parkland, FL.

It was one of the deadliest school shootings in US history. The gunman was armed with a semiautomatic rifle and was a former student who was expelled for disciplinary reasons. The FBI got tips about him, but says it

didn’t act on them.

What the GOP says...

Guns don't kill people. People kill people. We need more guns in the hands of those who could fight back. Many who carry out mass shootings are mentally ill. Instead of limiting access to guns, let’s shape up the

mental health system

What Democrats say...

’Thoughts and prayers’ are not enough. The Second Amendment was written hundreds of years ago. It

doesn’t make sense

theSkimm

A majority of Americans believe that gun laws

should be stricter

. Most people want

expanded background checks

and a

ban on assault weapons