VOL. XXII, NO. 7
FEBRUARY 27, 1981

Editorial
All We Are Saying Is Give Life a Chance
With gun related violence at an all-time high, the time has come to do something about gun control.

Many innocent people die each year from being shot. The people who do the shooting usually aren't criminals until they pull the trigger. With guns easily obtainable, anyone can become a victim.

In England and Japan, handguns are illegal. The crime rates in these countries are lower than in the United States, especially in the area of gun-related deaths. English policemen don't carry guns either, so both citizens and the law are on an equal footing. Many Americans argue that the police would "take over" if they had the guns and the citizens didn't. If we take the guns away from our police, as England did, they wouldn't be able to take over.
 Another argument Americans have is that it's a constitutional right to bear arms and that outlawing guns would be against the constitution. Americans also have the right to not be killed for no reason, and these rights are conflicting. Since the right to life is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, we believe this right should take precedence, and guns should be banned.

We're not saying that guns should be banned just because John Lennon was killed by one. When we speak of gun control, we also think of a 17-year-old football player coming home from a dance and an 8-year-old trying to get into a club who would be alive today if guns were banned.