On the night of Oct. 1, Andrea Castilla was celebrating her birthday in Las Vegas at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. She held hands with her sister and danced with her boyfriend, Derek Miller, who received permission from Andrea’s father to propose.

Instead of continuing with the planned proposal, Derek carried his girlfriend through a hail of gunfire after a bullet passed through her head. He found a passing truck driver that took them to the hospital. One does not have to wonder what was going through his mind that night as he waited to hear the news that the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with would never be in his arms again. Andrea Castilla died a few hours later after arriving at a hospital.

This story is tragic. What’s worse is that this story is just a drop in a bucket. The bucket is filled with the broken lives, horrifying stories, and overwhelming sadness of about 33,000 families annually who have lost their loved ones to gun violence.

Gun violence is at the forefront of political conversation in America, yet nothing is being done about it. Arguments about the second amendment, property protection and legality aside the American people are dying as if they were in a war zone because of gun violence.

In the aftermath of the 2015 Charleston Church massacre, where nine people were shot and killed during a bible study group, the US House of Representatives Appropriations Committee rejected an amendment that would enable the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the causes behind gun violence.

A Pew Research study shows that more than half of Americans want stricter gun laws. Instead of adding regulation to control gun violence, President Trump is overturning current gun legislation to make firearms easier to obtain.

These incidents are becoming more frequent. I see reports of mass shootings and wonder why no action is taken to prevent these acts of violence.

How many innocent men, women and children have to die as a result of gun violence before every individual person is in agreement that America needs more limitations on firearms? Will the death toll ever be high enough that Republicans, Democrats and everyone in between will draw the line and say enough is enough?

In the Sandy Hook school shooting, 16 of the victims were just six years old and four of them were seven. Innocent children, the future of this country, are dying and no one is doing anything. I have a nine year old little brother. When he walks into the school building everyday, I don’t want to have any doubt that he will walk out that same day and everyday after that safe and sound.

We need restrictions and limitations on firearms and ammunition. Why is it such an issue to limit the amount of guns per capita? We only have two hands. There is no point in owning more guns than you can carry. For hunting, you can own one rifle and 5 bullets. I do not want to take all firearms away, I just want people to stop dying.

It is common sense to take any action necessary to ensure the safety and security of all inhabitants of the US. It is everyone’s duty to take part in elections and put politicians into office who will take that action. We are supposed to elect candidates who will protect and serve their constituents with their best interest in mind, but the elected officials are falling short. When it comes to firearms, I do not feel protected.