December’s horrific tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, has ignited a new discussion on violence in America.

People argue for the need of the United States to refine private gun ownership laws.

The lucid problem is, the change in gun laws is not simple. The Second Amendment of the United States state: “... the right of people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” I support and defend the constitution. These were the principles America was founded upon and the government does not have the right to utterly strip Americans off of guns, as this would be the same as striping people off of their rights. The Supreme Court Case District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) solidified the right to take ownership of weapons. The decision stated: “The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm...” Later, in 2010, McDonald v. Chicago, elucidated peoples’ right to “keep and bear arms,” protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, requiring respect from the government. The government can’t alter the gun laws without amending the constitution. The SCOTUS ruled ownership of firearms as an individual, natural right. Everyone must respect, even with exigency, that people feel the concern of self defense.

The problem is not the guns. When are Americans going to have a serious discussion about Social Welfare? Most shooters come from a background of adversity. James Holmes. Radcliffe Haughton. Adam Lanza. They are all similar. Besides the fact that they were all shooters, they all had a history of mental illnesses, or abuse. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 20% of children either currently have or had a serious, debilitating mental disorder. We repeatedly see the shooters with abnormal characters. Yet, the majority continue to blame it on guns. Even if banned, a person can attain a gun illegally, with ease. Take the war on illegal drugs, as an example. Even though drugs such as heroin is illegal, finding people who use the substance is a widely prevalent case, as it is easy to purchase. If guns were to be illegal, there is no doubt people will still find a way to get one.

I’m going to repeat this again: a serious discussion about Social Welfare is needed. Stop looking at the big picture. Yes, Adam Lanza has done a horrendous crime, but we mustn’t judge him solely by his crime. It is crucial to look at his psychological state, his history, what lead him on. If we take a second to look at Adam Lanza, you will find that he had a form of autism. He never had a real school experience; he was home schooled. There were financial issues, his mother sued his father for divorce in 2008, three days before Thanksgiving. Following the divorce in 2009, Adam lived with Nancy. His only brother, Ryan, hadn’t been in touch with him since 2010.

His father remarried. Adam Lanza became a murderer.

Social Welfare. When is President Obama going to act on it?