Some would argue, in the aftermath of the gruesome killings that resulted in all too many deaths of students and teachers, that the time to begin advocating for change is now. They would demand reforms and usher in waves of proposals, claiming that guns have brought us nothing but trouble.

This, though advocated for the right reasons, would be extremely ineffective. There is no way to control guns. Guns are not the problem.

The jail sentence for murder is anywhere from 20 years to life. A lifetime in prison. It’s horrific, really, to imagine living the rest of your days behind bars.

And yet, there are still homicides.

There are people out there willing to break the law, face a lifetime in jail and ignore human morals. If a person who is willing to do all of these things were faced with the dilemma of whether or not to break a gun law, would he or she do the right thing?

Is it reasonable to suggest that someone who is setting out to murder someone, perhaps dozens of people, would be stopped by a few laws regarding gun control?

The way to control shootings is not a matter of gun control. The Columbine shooters broke more than 20 laws — including the use of a firearm to commit murder, showing a firearm in a public place, and murder.

If shooters are breaking laws already in place, would stricter laws help?

Is it possible that more gun control will limit a shooter’s access to guns? Of course it is. Is it possible that having better gun control laws could have prevented the horrific tragedies like Sandy Hook or Columbine? Of course it is.

But it’s also possible that making more gun laws would just be a small roadblock in a killer’s way.

So, if passing laws on gun control make people feel safe, believing that they’ve found a way to stop the shooters, that’s fine — until the next tragedy, when we’re forced to decide once again: Do we need more gun control?

That brings us to mental illness. Many people in the United States suffer from some form of it, but the states have very limited numbers of psychiatrists available and an increasingly grieved population.

If gun control will not work, maybe we should question whether or not our awareness, understanding and care for mental illness is sufficient. Never has the demand for more welltrained professionals been more obvious than now.

There is a distinct need for people to become well versed in the warning signs of mental illness — not just psychiatrists, everyone.

I honestly don’t know much about it, but if it would help to stop the horrific and unthinkable acts that people commit, I’d read about it in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t you?

There is no accounting for the lives lost. The persons responsible should be held accountable.

But gun control is not the solution to our problem. Improving the care and awareness of mental illness is.

ALLISON MELCHER is a sophomore at Mt. Ararat High School.