Firearms have been used throughout history for war, hunting, and protection. Since then, the destructive capacity and speed of firearms have improved significantly. Guns have been a part of American culture since its roots. However, as times have changed and guns are no longer a necessity, gun control has become increasingly urgent to prevent unnecessary crime and murder. Guns should be banned for everyone except law enforcement and the military. Guns should be banned to prevent mass shootings and reduce crime rates, while building on history and the Constitution. The ever-increasing emphasis on preventing mass shootings has presented the option of gun control and banning. Mass shootings have occurred numerous times throughout history, but they have become more frequent as the spread of information has increased through new forms of media. Two recent mass shootings took place at Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary School. At Columbine, Dylan Kliebold and Eric Harris killed 12 students and 1 teacher. In Sandy Hook, Adam Lanza, a socially awkward and mildly autistic student with no criminal record, killed his mother, took 4 of her AR-15 rifles and .223 caliber bullets to murder 20 children and 6 adults. The effectiveness of gun control in preventing mass shootings is often debated. “A mass shooting at the workplace of Salvador Tapia, who had several domestic violence arrests under his belt, could have been avoided if the company Tapia worked for had required a background check before hiring him” ( May np). Furthermore, "the weapons used in the Colorado attack were purchased from private collectors at gun shows and none of the 'straw' buyers who obtained them for the killers were subject to background check” (Rosen np). Based on this information......middle of article......kmark&u=scss11_ebooks&jsid=b7bb0f9fb00c7c1c50890d2ccc179f15>US Const. to modify. II. Print. Westen, Drew. "Guns in the Brain: When it comes to gun control, Democrats remain silent. As with many hot-button social issues, they don't know how to reach people's emotions. Here's how they can regain their senses moral - and their power of speech. » The American Perspective 18.6 (2007): 51+ Internet.