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The horrific shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando last week was considered “the most deadly mass shooting in the history of the United States.” With 50 dead and 53 wounded, citizens all over the U.S. are coming together to support victims, aid families and spread love to the LGBT community. While this tragedy has had an emotional impact on our entire country, it has also affected the way many citizens are viewing our current gun control regulations. Lawmakers all over the country are coming together to decide what is best for our citizens and how we can move forward from here.  

Because of the current laws set in place, the gunman in Orlando legally obtained a semi-automatic rifle, despite being previously investigated by the FBI for associations to ISIS. Many Democrats are questioning why someone who has been investigated for terrorism is able to legally obtain a deadly weapon. For years, Democrats in the House of Representatives have been pushing for stricter gun control laws, but Republicans have withheld a vote time and time again. Now, there is a stronger push than ever before.

Today, June 22nd, Dems in the House have staged a sit-in with the hopes of influencing Republicans to agree to stricter gun control laws. Using the hastag #NoBillNoBreak, Democrats have made it clear that they're not leaving until the House agrees to vote on a bill for stricter gun control. However, this comes with difficulty, as many Republicans believe in strictly upholding the Constitutional right to bear arms as outlined in the second amendment.

The discussion on gun control will continue in upcoming weeks as politicians nationwide are taking stances on their beliefs. For now, all we know is that “[Democrats] will not be silenced, the voices of the American people will not be silenced, [and Democrats] insist that the people’s House live up to its name and have a vote.”

You can learn more about the sit-in—and even check out some footage filmed by state representatives in this article from The New York Times.

What do you think about the recent discussions of gun control? Do you think we need stricter laws or do you think that we can't set limits on the second amendment?

Photo credit: Time

by Julia Selsky | 6/22/2016