With recent shootings along our local highway of I-10 and the Virginia Shooting, the overall debate of gun control has been loaded in the barrel of issues again.  The problem is, America has been faced with this problem before and sadly haven’t done anything successful after time and time again. From restricting bullets to the guns used, America has put itself in a gun control choke hold that we cannot solve with the current status quo

However, as the Democratic party urges to restrict guns and the Republican party fires back with the Second Amendment of the Constitution, nothing is getting done as this problem is only becoming worse. The solution, as one might think this is a fallacy, is as simple as looking towards our small chocolate making and bank kings of the European Union: Switzerland.

Unlike most countries with their gun control policies, Switzerland does the opposite and not only encourages people to carry firearms, but requires all males over the age of 18 to carry one. In addition, children 10-12 year-olds and 15-16 year-olds have to go through gun safety classes. This is the fundamental ideas of gun training; to give the population proper training in safety and how to use the gun so if a situation happens, everyone for the majority knows what to do in this status quo.

Something like this would work in the United States, if gun training options were available to students at Perry at a small scale. Economics teacher and constitutionalist Mr. Thornton quotes, “ [Guns] are a God given right to keep us as the people of the United States safe”. He also adds how, “back when he was a kid, they had marksmanship clubs where teenagers learned how to properly shoot a rifle” in response for a possible equivalent at Perry.

However, his reasons for gun training goes roots in a little deeper than a club that he was a part of. His biggest reason though is that gun training and similar laws as Switzerland can protect the thing he cares for, his family and in particularly his two daughters. “My girls shoot all of my guns, besides the 22 gage,” Thornton said as well as its “his duty as a father to train them to know how to use a gun so they can defend themselves if the situation happens”.  

Is this why this nearly crazy idea is actually liked by not only people who know of the idea here but in Switzerland? People are willing to do things this extreme because people want to see change that isn’t happening with the status quo of removing our way of defense. Simply, train and not constrict guns.