Eleven more lives.

That is how many were lost Saturday in a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, adding to a growing list of lives lost from gun violence.

This issue, as well as how it connects to the Constitution, is one that politicians have been disagreeing about for years. Their constituents, meanwhile, are dying at the hands of people who should have never had access to guns in the first place.

On the day of the shooting, President Donald Trump sidestepped questions of whether gun violence played a role in the shooting. Instead, he said, the synagogue should have had armed security inside.

Yes — armed security inside a religious institution.

We have a serious problem if the U.S. has reached the point where it needs to arm everyone to keep them safe. In doing so, the country is becoming dangerously militaristic and putting a Band-Aid over a much larger issue.

Today, a lot of the political back-and-forth over gun control stems from the nature of the system itself. For conservatives, giving in on gun control means letting liberals “win.” It also means letting down the people who elected them, many of whom are strict conservatives who will die protecting their gun rights.

There is also the federal government’s long and nefarious ties to the National Rifle Association (NRA), which for its own purposes has done nothing to encourage safe firearm usage. 

It was the NRA that previously blocked government-funded gun violence research and a proposed assault weapons ban, according to Business Insider. With an organization as powerful as the NRA in the mix, it is hard to push for legislation that defies its agenda.

Many Americans do not want increased gun regulation because they believe it takes away from their right to bear arms, as granted by the Second Amendment.

If someone owns guns and has passed the necessary background checks, there is no harm in allowing them to buy a gun. Many liberals and conservatives agree on this point.

The arguments start when someone brings up their rights. “I should have the right to do this.” Or, “By taking this away you’re taking away my rights as an American.”

Someone who wants a gun for protection or hunting does not need a weapon with the ability to cause mass destruction. While background checks can prolong the process of getting one, responsible owners have nothing to worry about; the checks are only keeping the wrong people from getting ahold of weapons they should not have.

Meanwhile, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence reported that 96 people will die each day on average from gun violence. The U.S. has had so many chances to combat this issue, and more people die every day because it is still unresolved.

The senseless tragedy in Pittsburgh is made even worse by the fact that in a few weeks its story will disappear from the news. The public will move on, and our politicians will breathe a sigh of relief that they can go back to ignoring the issue.

But until we get on the same page regarding gun control, the blood of these people is on our hands too.

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