The United States does not have a gun problem, it has a gun epidemic, which manifests itself in a maddening amount of ways, including rhetoric in regards to keeping a college campus safe.

This is despite the fact that from 1966 to 2012 the United States has had more mass shootings per year than the Phillipines, Yemen, France and Russia combined.

In 2015 there was at least one mass shooting on any given day in the United States and as many as three. Evidently proponents of gun control have bullets shoved so far into their ears (among other places) in order to block out the voice of reason. They won’t listen to the facts.

They can’t read either, and it isn’t because they shot their eyes out.

According to data collected by the Center for Disease Control, roughly 92 people are killed in gun-related deaths a day on average; about 30 of which are by homicide and a distressing 58 are by suicide.

College campuses are a special case in regards to violence because (with the exception of Trump “University”) colleges are meant to be institutions where people of varied beliefs, races, opinions and backgrounds gather, making it an unreasonable location to attempt to commit hate crimes (with the exception of Trump “University”); but no matter what the reason for violence on campus is, it can be proven that arms are absolutely not the remedy to this widespread illness; and yes, the presence of such a number of unregistered guns in this nation is indeed an illness. It is chronic.

Besides that, it is certain that a higher presence of guns on campus would likely cause higher rates of suicide (as if having to take math classes in the morning were not reason enough).

With the facts being so, we here at Talon Marks have elected to take a controversial stance and are coming out of the closet in favor of gun control as a method of controlling guns and restricting gun violence.

It should be obvious to all that if the already vast availability of guns should increase, the amount of danger on campus would increase in response. This is indisputable in the same way that if one sets hundreds mouse traps in ones hallway, one is likely to step on a mousetrap in the middle of the night when one gets up to poop.

While there is a direct correlation between access to firearms and suicide and homicide – about 89 percent of sexual assaults and rapes are committed without any sort of weapon at all; meaning that illegal firearms are hardly notable instruments in sexual violence on campus, and arming possible victims is not an equalizing maneuver. These possible victims are also more likely to commit homicide or suicide.

What would be more effective are safety briefings and self-defense classes than whatever silly amount Cerritos College has on campus now – and better publicizing of such events, perhaps having free food there too.

Another viable alternative to arming students and instructors is ASCC actually following through and building a tram for students who have classes late into the evening or at night.

In the event of mass shootings, police have said time and time again that it would not be helpful for multiple bystanders to pull out concealed weapons and fire at the assailant, especially if their bullets are not traceable. Keep it in your pants.

What is likely to happen in such an occasion is the police on the scene will confuse the armed bystanders (who likely think this is still the wild west) for the bad guy.

It would be far safer for all parties involved if bystanders got to safety and let the police do their job.

What is needed is more trained police on campus; and more police protecting our safety instead of doling out petty fines for parking violations.

Anyone who purposes more guns on campus is uninformed. Please direct them to this editorial.

Anyone who doesn’t understand that being in favor of gun control is not the same as being against our second amendment suffers from cognitive dissonance, probably from too much ingestion of buckshot.

Another opponent of gun restriction is the National Rifle Association, which is a kindly nonprofit charity that provides firearms to criminals of all sorts, drug cartels, domestic terrorists and dorks.

They are backed by companies that produce weaponry designed for combat and mass destruction, and also lobby for less gun restriction in senate, proving once again that the corporate overlords are killing off the innocent and only mean the greatest harm to the American public.

In light of this disease that is a laxness of gun control, Talon Marks calls all on Cerritos College Campus and any other college campus to learn how to defend themselves without a thunder stick and to promote responsible gun regulation.