305 people, including 27 children, were murdered and 125 people were injured while worshipping, on Friday, November 24 at an Al Rawda mosque in Egypt’s northern Sinai region.

This terrorist attack happened in the district that is one of the three major areas of the Sufi-Muslim religion; the Sufis focus on the inward search of God and they resist materialism and are known as Mystic Islamic.  

The slaughter started with a large bomb in a crowd of worshipers, followed with an estimated of 25-40 armed attackers who showed up at the mosque in what is said to be five SUVs, reportedly carrying an ISIS flag and some completely covered in black clothing, all heavily armed. ISIS has not confirmed responsibility for the massacre, nor has any other group.

In the past four years, Egypt has had an approximate 1,700 attacks, especially seen in the Sinai. In 2014 Egypt declared a state of emergency in the Sinai region and expanded it to the entire country last April. Since the Egyptian revolution of 2011, there have been multiple declarations of states of emergency lasting three months each as limited by laws.

Egypt itself has legal gun permits, civilians are allowed to have gun permits and to own guns if they are 21 or have not been convicted of a felony or had have any criminal act that has any gun relation.

Egypt is not the only country where their citizens are being murdered by the dozens because of their gun laws.

In 2016 there were a reported 477 mass shootings in the US, with June 2016 having the largest total of 104 deaths and January 2016 having the smallest total of 31 deaths.

A mass shooting, as the New York Times defines it, is a shooting at the one location where four or more people are murdered or injured.

The right to bear arms is an important part of representing freedom in the United States; however, this freedom causes death.

In 2017, as stated by the New York Times, the first 332 days of the year have had 404 mass shootings; this means there are more shootings than there have been days within the year with the year not being over.

The Vegas shooter murdered a total of 59 people this October, at a three-day country music concert with Jason Aldean, the shooter Steven Paddock had a large arsenal of 23 guns, including modified rifles, handguns and assault rifles. All were legally bought, some he had for over 20 years, most he just bought in the last year.

It is not usual for someone to own such a large amount of guns, according to a CNN interview with Sam Rabadi, a retired special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

It was his right by the constitution, it was his choice to own and buy so many weapons, 59 people died and 500 were injured because of his inhuman choice and his right granted by the US government.

I understand the 2nd Amendment; I definitely understand wanting to protect loved ones and oneself, but needing a vast collection of arsenals is extreme and seemingly unnecessary.

When the 2nd Amendment was ratified in 1789, guns were just as dangerous as they are today and assault rifles even existed; the founding fathers knew exactly what they were doing to let the average US citizen own firearms. However America is different; it is been over 200 years and this amendment is now outdated and does not apply to our modern country.

⅔ of our founding fathers owned slaves and had one even had wooden teeth; they themselves were racist and outdated.

Is it not be possible to make new rules with the changing America?

With the U.S. taking up less than 5 percent of entire worlds the population, it has about 35–50 percent of the world’s civilian-owned guns, according to a report by the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey, reported by the Council on Foreign Relations.

Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom all have something important in common, when a mass shooting such as the Montreal engineering school shooting (Canada 1989), the Port Arthur massacre (Australia 1996), and Hungerford massacre (UK 1987) happen they restrict their gun laws and change them, limiting the possibility of more mass shootings from occuring.

These countries learn from their deadly mistakes. I believe the United States should follow in their footsteps.

If you want to help limit mass shootings and make a real change to our country then write to your local congressmen, join a local gun reform or be more aware and make others aware of the mass shootings that happen everyday.

The congresswomen for Downey, CA is Lucille Roybal-Allard.

Times have changed, America has changed, and the 2nd Amendment has to change.