Americans pride themselves on independence and want to take security into their own hands by purchasing guns, but not all Americans are capable of owning them. Weapons are meant to protect people; when one falls into the wrong hands, however, disaster strikes.

Shootings occur all over the country. Some 11,208 firearm homicides occurred in the United States during 2013, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We could prevent these some of these shootings if we implement background checks for all purchases of firearms.

Michigan law requires every buyer of a handgun to have either a handgun purchase license or a license to carry a concealed handgun, regardless of whether the seller is a licensed dealer or a private individual, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Dealer to customer sales require background checks. Person to person sales only require buyers to register their pistols with their local county sheriff. Buying long guns, such as shotguns, muzzleloaders and rifles, are another story altogether by not requiring them to be registered with sheriffs. This results in potentially raising the chances of firearms being used by criminals, all because of the lack of background checks.

While many stolen guns used in shootings are not registered or are not purchased directly from a reputable dealer, according to The National Criminal Justice Reference Service, there are still some criminals who purchase their firearms from a gun store.

The only prominent necessity in a dealer to customer sale is an ID, a background check run by the National Instant Background Check System and a form with a checklist that asks if the person purchasing a gun has or has ever had a mental illness, has been institutionalized, or is addicted to illegal drugs, but the buyer’s background is the dealer’s biggest concern.

In Michigan, the capability of avoiding background checks can be achieved by obtaining a CPL. While avoiding checks are a felon’s dream, it takes an abundance of eyes over an identity to become an owner of a CPL.

Background checks should be required whether for a dealer to customer purchase or person to person purchase, no exceptions. We don’t need to give criminals a chance to commit murder.

“If they do not have a Concealed Pistol License, I have to do a background check on ‘em,’” said local gun store owner, located off M52 on Leake Road, Ralph Myer. “If they fill out the 4473 form incorrectly, it is a felony.”