Three years ago, I was staying at my college roommate’s house in Kansas for winter break. One day, my roommate invited me to go waterfowl hunting. There we were beside a frozen lake, with a .22 rifle. “Want to give it a try?” he asked. He taught me how to steady the gun and how to shoot it. 

I remember the scent of grass and of oil from the gun. I also remember how strange the gun felt in my hands. I had never touched a gun in my life before then. I know that the issue of guns in America is serious, that there is a great divide between those who favor gun rights and those who favor gun restrictions and that discussions about guns often devolve into name calling. Gun violence is not an abstract issue. It is a daily reality. 

According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 48,000 Americans died from gun-related injuries or suicide in 2024, marking the highest number on record. In Indiana, gun deaths have steadily increased over the past decade, driven not only by homicides but also suicides and accidental shootings. 

Data shows that the amount of people who died from gun-related injuries is 1,200  and 17.5 people per 100,000 died from gun-related injuries in 2024. Those who support unrestricted gun ownership often say, “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people, guns are just a tool,” but it is an incomplete argument. People who have easy access to unsecured guns, people who lack proper training, people who slip through background checks, these too kill people. Rights must come with responsibility. I feel that laws regarding guns should be regulated. 

That’s why I believe universal, effective background checks and secure storage requirements are necessary. This isn’t about taking guns away from law-abiding citizens, but about preventing accidents and tragedies. With nearly every American owning at least one firearm today, we need to think deeply about gun regulations. 

Opponents argue that new laws cannot stop criminals who ignore them. Just as

speed limits do not eliminate traffic accidents, a single law cannot end gun violence. Yet we enforce speed limits because they save lives. In fact, it raises questions why firearms designed for lethality should bear less responsibility than vehicles. 

Last fall semester, during a morning class, my professor informed us about a mass shooting at Martin Supermarket in Elkhart. I felt terrified at that moment. With social systems and cultures quite different from America’s, there is a lot to learn from Japan’s approach to firearms. 

Gun ownership is highly restricted in Japan, and we citizens are not allowed to possess any type of firearm. Possession of a handgun carries a prison sentence. So when I heard that news, I remember feeling a very strange sensation. 

Furthermore, the Japanese government totally prohibits the importation of firearms. Due to these reasons, the number of firearm-related deaths in Japan remains extremely low compared to other parts of the world. Of course, due to differences in historical background, culture and constitutions, it may be difficult to directly adopt the same system as Japan. But I think the perspective of “society as a whole preserving safety” in Japan could be a potentially important reference point for the United States in reducing gun tragedies. 

The ultimate hope is for every country to realize a society where people can live in peace and security. I hope that Japan’s experience will somehow contribute to that end.

Junto Murata is a senior sports management major, originally from Brazil and Japan. He is also a member of the men’s soccer team.