Gun control is again a prominent issue in the news due to mass shootings in Aurora, Colo., and at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Sandy Hook was the second deadliest shooting in the history of the United States, and its events prompted a new dialogue about gun control around the country.

Shootings in public areas such as movie theaters or educational institutions are becoming too common in American society. Government needs to place stricter penalties and create harsher laws directed to the ownership of guns.

The topic of gun control is a heated one. While some are passionate about stricter gun laws, others believe that with stricter gun control laws, the government is limiting their 2nd Amendment right, which states that citizens are entitled to “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,” and that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

President Obama is a supporter of strengthening gun laws. In a recent press conference, Obama made a proposal for gun control. His proposal included requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales, including those by private sellers that currently are exempt, reinstating the ban on assault weapons that was in place from 1994 to 2004, and limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, among other laws.

Obama also wants to fund schools to develop emergency response plans, as well as increase criminal charges for people who pass a required background check under the guise of someone else and providing mental health programs for young people. The President’s proposal for gun control is an encouraging first step to a solution for this increasing national security threat.

In Colorado, lawmakers imposed stricter gun laws in their state. Governor John Hickenlooper signed a bill which will require Colorado residents to get background checks for private and online gun sales as well as ban ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds. This bill was signed the same day as the state Corrections Department director was shot and killed in his home.

Opponents argue that increasing harsher gun control laws will not have an effect on the nation’s safety. Instead of the plans that the President has proposed, opponents such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) suggest focusing on “securing our schools” by having armed guards at schools across the nation, “fixing the nation’s mental health system” and “prosecuting violent criminals to the fullest extent of the law” instead of focusing on laws made specifically for guns.

While the NRA has the correct idea of securing schools across the nation, having armed guards at schools has not been an effective solution to impede violence. In fact, at the colleges where shootings have occurred, armed guards were on duty.

Critics of the President’s proposals say that these laws unnecessarily limit responsible gun owners’ rights. Yet, who needs magazines of multiple rounds in an automatic or semi-automatic weapon? Who is the enemy? Many gun enthusiasts claim that they will will protect their families from violent intruders if they are in possession of a gun. However, studies have shown that owning a gun does not decrease a risk of homicide by any means.

In 2011, according to the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, conducted by the State University of New York at Albany, 45 percent of American families have guns in their homes. According to the Southern Medical Journal, having a gun at home increases the risk of harm to oneself and family, as well as high risk to society. Those who keep a gun at home are twice as likely to die in a gun-related death, and suicide is 17 times more likely for people who live in a home where there is a gun.

Strengthening gun laws is a necessity. The root of the problem is that guns are in the hands of those who are not able to handle them responsibly. By imposing stricter gun laws on American citizens, the government will be focusing on the root of the problem. Stricter gun laws in the United States will have a positive impact on society as a whole.