Following the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT., the issue of gun control is one of the most talked about and controversial subjects in American law. Guns are one of the most dangerous and easily accessible weapons, and it seems as though lately, incidents involving guns are on the rise in all corners of the country.

Teenagers have been found shot in their own homes, and schools have been the most likely candidates for a maniac's split decision to construct a mass shooting.

Just Thursday, Jan. 31, a 14-year old student was shot outside Price Middle School in Southeast Atlanta by a 15-year old classmate in what Atlanta Police is speculating is a gang-related shooting. The 14-year old has been released from the hospital and the shooter arrested as authorities decide whether to charge him as an adult.

Atlanta Public Schools has released a statement that the metal detectors at Price weren't working the day of the shooting.

Many citizens want to see guns slowly disappear from American life. They want guns banned completely, hoping that such atrocities never again happen to innocent bystanders.

But what happens when the need to protect yourself arises? How is a person expected to protect themselves and their family if an intruder enters their home?

Without a gun, the situation could change from one of scaring off an intruder into an a situation in which an entire family could be left without a lifetime of valuables and forever living in fear of another burglar tearing their home apart.

Guns do account for a large chunk of the deaths in the nation daily. However, when used correctly and put into the hands of people mentally sane enough to know the consequences of using them, guns aren't as dangerous as they seem.

Most obviously, they offer protection. If some lunatic comes into my home and threatens to kill me and my family, I'd pray to the heavens with every fiber of my being that someone finds a gun and gets rid of the intruder.

Otherwise, what's stopping him from wiping out my family and getting away with all our own little treasures? If there were a gun in the house, my family would be protected, and there wouldn't be an almost sure chance of immediate death at the hands of a criminal.

While guns are one of the main causes of death and violence in the United States, they are almost essential when it comes to protecting yourself, and it's guaranteed that in many situations, without them, someone we all know and love could possibly get seriously injured or killed.

I'm not saying that everyone should be armed with assault rifles to ensure protection, but guns shouldn't be banned completely because in many situations, when used correctly, they are helpful.

 I would agree that there should be stricter laws that would eliminate certain people from obtaining the weapons. Maybe psychological tests should be given to anyone looking to buy a gun to make sure no schizophrenics or others with mental illnesses get their hands on a gun and lead another mass shooting.