On February 14^th there was a mass shooting killing 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

According to the Gun Violence Archive (an independent data collection group) there have been 61 fatalities caused by gun violence since February 11, 2018, excluding Douglas High.

Convenience stores, gas stations, movie theaters, churches, schools are all places that reek of vulnerability.

About four in ten Americans say they own a gun or live in a household with one according to Pew Research Center. The rate of murder by firearm in the U.S. is the highest in the developed world.

In a study presented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, of all the murders in the US in 2012, 60 percent were by firearm compared with 31 percent in Canada, 18 percent in Australia, and just 10 percent in the Great Britain.

So what can we do as a society to ensure safety for our children, community and culture?

Canada and Mexico have both passed laws regulating guns that include restrictions on assault-style rifles and enhanced background checks and inspection.

While under U.S. federal law, an individual can buy a gun from a private seller without a background check and since the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban in 2004, there are little limitations to acquiring a stockpile of highly dangerous weapons.

So here’s our call to action: close the “private sale” loophole and require a background check for all gun sales, not just those expedited by a licensed dealer.

Gun regulations would not hinder those who hunt for sport or enjoy recreational target practice. They would not prevent responsible individuals from having a gun for self-protection either.

Such measures will likely not prevent those with malevolent intent from attempting mass killings, but instead, if lawfully enforced, would make it much more difficult for said individuals to succeed at mass shootings.

What are we waiting for? At what point will we rise to what is seemingly a life and death challenge?

We need to be active with our voices and our time and show more support for a responsible and healthy gun culture.

This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.