It is too easy to get a gun in this country

All it took was a friend of mine to go to someone's house, show her FOID card, pay money and purchase a gun. There was no verification process, a vague background check and no psychological evaluation.

It has happened again and now at Mercy Hospital in my neighborhood. Nightclubs, schools, churches and even walking down the streets in our country is becoming perilous. When gun violence happens, we turn to doctors, nurses and surgeons to help save lives. However, what are we supposed to do when our lifesavers are losing their own lives? We are supposed to be safe in a hospital, we are supposed to heal in a hospital. These days, lives are lost because a fellow American decides to take others' lives with an assault weapon.

This is such a deathly issue and we continue to dance around it until the next shooting. When will America learn that the right to bear arms is costing lives? When will America come up with a more serious and in-depth process to purchase a gun?

Guns aren't just used for fighting for our country. They are used to tear families apart. They are used to shed tears and plan funeral ceremonies. They are used to say "goodbye" to people forever, without having the chance to even say it.

Is this the country we are proud to live in? Is this the lifestyle we want to live in? Why do more people have to die for this country to realize, lives are more important than guns. Next time you vote, think about if something like this would happen to a loved one. Think about something like this happening to you. Think about the world we are supposed to live in versus the world we are living in.

Sushila Jackson.

West Chicago