My mom and I spent Christmas this year in a Cold War-style standoff. She said something along the lines of, “if someone broke into my house I would shoot and kill them,” and I replied with something to the tune of, “well you’re a sociopath.”
As the debate about gun control rages on, ruining Christmases all over the country, I have determined that polarizing opinions are not helping anyone. I think in this situation, as is true in most, that moderation is key.  Because a conservative is just someone who has not yet been arrested and a liberal is just someone who has not yet been mugged, I certainly believe we can come to some sensible solution.
After talking with several C of C students, all with different takes on gun control, my view has shifted to the center. Although I do not understand how hunting could be enjoyable, other people do. I do not understand how shooting targets could be enjoyable either, and I certainly couldn’t see myself shooting and killing someone because they forcibly entered my home. Evidently many people do not agree with me, but after speaking with those with differing views, I have begun to understand their points.
A friend of mine who attends the College of Charleston was mugged at gunpoint a few years ago. The incident happened on Glebe Street, which is technically on campus. He escaped unharmed, but this incident is screaming evidence that guns are necessary tools of defense. As the victim of a violent crime, even he says that carrying a weapon is excessive but that he would certainly consider having one in his home as long as it was kept in a safe and there were no children in the house.
On Jan. 6 in my hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., 16-year-old Alex Ross was accidentally shot in the head by his best friend while they were playing around with a gun after school. WHAT? Miraculously Alex lived after spending 29 days in intensive care and can now communicate via sign language. The best friend and shooter, Kenny Stephens, attends my high school and is considered a reasonably likable kid.
What happened here? Why were these children playing with a gun? Who should be held accountable? While there may be situations where guns are necessary or enjoyable, the margin for error is dangerous.
The state of Illinois has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Some people are fed up with the strict laws, but I think they have the answer. Inside the city limits of Chicago, all handguns are banned, no concealed weapons permits are issued and all firearms must be registered with local police. There are strenuous screening procedures to buy a firearm and every weapon must be reregistered every year and a fee must be paid. This process is tedious and irks people who own multiple weapons. I believe this is valuable. Although some argue that making laws so restrictive creates a black market, putting guns in the hands of criminals, this is inevitable no matter how tight the laws are. From my point of view, all Chicago is doing is making it significantly harder for an Alex Ross situation to occur.
With its tighter laws, more rigorous screening and harsher punishments for offenders,  Chicago-style gun control is a beautiful compromise in which everyone wins. It appeases people like my mom but protects those who would otherwise have the same fate as Alex Ross. It is a fine compromise for both camps and I call for the entire country follow suit.