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SCOOP: DEPARTURE LOUNGE Quentin Palfrey is planning to end his campaign for attorney general as soon as today, according to three people familiar with his thinking.

Chatter about Palfrey potentially exiting the Democratic primary and endorsing one of his competitors has grown in recent days as new polls showed the former assistant attorney struggling to keep pace with Andrea Campbell and Shannon Liss-Riordan, and with key endorsements breaking for his rivals. He also cut $140,000 of his $231,000 in pre-primary ad buys, according to ad tracker AdImpact. Palfrey did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Palfrey began telegraphing his attorney general campaign over a year ago, when the 2018 Democratic lieutenant governor nominee told the Boston Globe he would run for the states top law enforcement job if Attorney General Maura Healey ran for governor.

He racked up endorsements from Democratic Party activists and progressive groups after formally launching his campaign in February and went on to secure the state partys endorsement at its June convention.

But Palfrey has struggled to grow his campaign beyond party insiders. Hes been outpaced in fundraising by Campbell and trounced by Liss-Riordan, whos now poured at least $4.8 million of her own money into her campaign. And he's trailed in polling while Liss-Riordan is closing the gap with Campbell after blanketing the airwaves since early July.

The path to victory got even narrower this past weekend, when Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and former Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey endorsed Liss-Riordan. Their late-breaking support effectively recast the primary as a two-woman race between the Brookline labor attorney and Campbell, the former Boston city councilor whos backed by Healey, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Sen. Ed Markey and other prominent politicians.

Palfrey may endorse one of his rivals to blunt the others rise. Most political watchers would assume Palfrey would endorse Liss-Riordan, who he often teamed up with earlier in the campaign to attack Campbell over super PAC spending and certain policy stances. But theres a chance Palfrey, off-put by the millions of dollars Liss-Riordan has given her campaign to fuel her more than $5 million in advertising, could set aside his differences with Campbell and back her instead.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Primary day is a week away! What races are you watching? What mailers are you getting? Share your thoughts: [emailprotected].

TODAY Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attend the Greylock Glen ceremonial groundbreaking at 10 a.m. in Adams, announce Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant awards at noon in Williamsburg and visit Valley Venture Mentors at 2 p.m. in Springfield. The GOP governor/LG team of Geoff Diehl and Leah Cole Allen hold a media availability at 1 p.m. at UMass Lowell. LG hopeful and state Rep. Tami Gouveia casts her ballot at 6 p.m. at Acton Town Hall.

Many Dems will breeze through election amid shortage of GOP challengers, by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: Dozens of democratic lawmakers are getting a free pass to another two-year term with the Republican Party fielding few challengers in the upcoming elections. Every seat in the 200-member state Legislature is up for grabs in the fall elections, but the majority of incumbents will cruise to another term with few contenders vying to unseat them. Among 18 House races in the North of Boston region, only two Republicans were nominated to run against incumbent Democratic lawmakers. In three wide-open races to fill House seats the newly created 4th Essex in the Merrimack Valley, and 7th and 8th Essex Districts on the North Shore Democrats dominate the field of candidates. There are no Republicans aiming for the seats.

ENDORSEMENT ALERT: State Rep. Chynah Tyler is endorsing Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden at 1:30 p.m. at the Malcolm X mural in Roxbury.

It sounds like I dont want to vote for either of them: Controversy defines Suffolk DAs race, by Danny McDonald and Tiana Woodard, Boston Globe: With little more than a week to go before primary day, voters find themselves contemplating two Suffolk district attorney candidates buffeted by controversy. Thats left many local residents changing their minds about the race; still others greeted the whole firestorm with indifference. Revelations that Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, a former public defender, was twice investigated though never charged for possible sexual assault as a teenager have rocked city politics. Meanwhile, District Attorney Kevin Hayden continues to face questions and criticism after a Boston Globe investigation exposed a coverup by Transit Police officers that raised questions about how prosecutors handled the case.

Chaos on Boston City Council: Flynn moves to strip Arroyos leadership assignments; Baker and Lara file dueling records requests, by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: The Boston City Council is tearing itself apart as President Ed Flynn moves to strip embattled councilor Ricardo Arroyos committee leadership assignments a move Arroyo slams as undemocratic and city councilors pursue each other with pointed records requests: Frank Baker against the DA candidate Arroyo and Kendra Lara in turn against Baker.

FROM THE OPINION PAGES: A year after endorsing Andrea Campbell for Boston mayor, the Boston Globe editorial board has endorsed the former city councilor for state attorney general.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The Boston Teachers Union, which represents about 10,000 educators, and the Greater Boston Labor Council, which represents about 100,000 workers, have endorsed state Sen. Diana DiZoglio for auditor, adding to her broad union support.

Teamsters Local 25 has endorsed Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll for lieutenant governor.

Sen. Ed Markey has endorsed Sydney Levin-Epstein for Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester state senator, saying in a statement that shell fight to make sure the region gets its fair share of resources and to create good jobs.

State Treasurer Deb Goldberg has endorsed Worcester Mayor Joe Petty for First Worcester state senator, saying in a statement that Petty is a consensus builder who will bring that same work ethic to the State House.

State Rep. Russell Holmes has been endorsed for reelection in the 6th Suffolk District by 1199 SEIU, SEIU Local 509, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts & Northern New England Laborers' District Council.

A right-wing agitator who attended Jan. 6 riot is running for the Mass. House, testing state GOPs appetite for extremism, by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: A little-watched legislative contest on the northeast coast of Massachusetts could be a bellwether for the bitterly divided state GOP, as party leaders consider throwing their support behind Samson Racioppi, a right-wing agitator who led a 2019 Straight Pride Parade in Boston and organized buses to Washington, D.C., for the protest that became the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Massachusetts district attorney races and the progressive prosecutor, by Deborah Becker, WBUR: San Francisco residents recalled progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin after he was blamed for a rash of brazen thefts across the city. Pennsylvania Republicans are trying to impeach the liberal DA in Philadelphia. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis removed a progressive prosecutor in his state this month. And Suffolk DA Rachael Rollins faced a bitter confirmation fight before she became U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts early this year. Now the conflict has shifted to Massachusetts, where the battle is playing out very differently from one county to the next.

Coppinger touts reforms as he seeks another term, by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: When former Lynn Police Chief Kevin Coppinger took over as Essex County's sheriff nearly six years ago, he never expected to play the role of a reformer. But a few years after taking over the helm, the veteran law enforcement officer found himself at the center of a national debate over whether to allow medication assisted treatment in jails and correctional facilities to help blunt the impact of a wave of opioid addiction that had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. In the Sept. 6 primary Coppinger faces a challenge from Virginia Leigh, a Lynn social worker who argues he hasn't done enough to improve access to substance-abuse treatment and mental health services for inmates.

More: Leigh vows close 'revolving door' at Middleton jail, by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: As a clinical social worker, Virginia Leigh has spent years working with individuals struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues whose lives often become tangled up in the state's complex criminal justice system. Her work has taken her into county jails and state prisons and convinced her that the best way to reduce crime and the number of people serving time is to deal with the root causes of incarceration.

Have a mail ballot sitting at home? Do not trust it to the mail at this point, top Mass. elections official says, by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: Have a mail-in ballot sitting on your kitchen table or tacked up on your refrigerator? Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin advises that you fill it out and take it to a secure drop box, early voting site, or your local city or town hall before 8 p.m. on Sept. 6 if you want it to be counted for the state primary election.

Report finds regionalization may only be partial solution to challenges posed by low enrollment, less rural school aid, by Chris Larabee, Daily Hampshire Gazette: In Franklin and Hampshire counties, regional school districts including Pioneer, Mohawk Trail and Gateway already draw from a wide pool of towns across a large geographic range. If those schools were to join up with their neighbors, school officials and state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland, who co-chaired the Special Commission on Rural School Districts, say serious consideration needs to be taken into whether the pros of regionalization outweigh the cons.

Grid operator, utilities call for energy reserve, by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: The operator of the New England power grid and six of the regions major utilities are calling on state and federal policymakers to develop an energy reserve that can be tapped when energy supply chains are disrupted.

Worcester to begin construction on micro-units for chronically homeless, by Sam Turken, GBH News: Amid a rise in homelessness across Worcester, the citys housing authority will start constructing what officials called the first-in-the-state building of micro-units to house people who have been chronically homeless.

New Hampshire governor denounces tweets by state Libertarian party as horribly insulting, by Emily Sweeney, Boston Globe: The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire has drawn outrage for mocking the Holocaust and the death of Senator John McCain on social media, with New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu calling the Twitter posts horribly insulting. In a recent interview on CNN, Sununu said that should pretty much be the end of the Libertarian Party in New Hampshire.'"

WEEKEND WEDDING Megan Corrigan, an Eric Lesser and Lydia Edwards campaign alum, and Kevin Lownds, deputy chief of the Medicaid Fraud Division at the attorney generals office, were married on Friday at the Gardens at Elm Bank in Wellesley. Garrett Casey, policy director and counsel for state Sen. Cynthia Creem, and Nelson Tamayo, a foreign service officer at the State Department, officiated. SPOTTED: Edwards, former state transportation secretary Fred Salvucci, John Sasso, Nick Mitropoulos, Dewey Square COO John Giesser, former U.S. Ambassador to Portugal Gerry McGowan; Will Poff Webster, Matt Shapanka, Elizabeth Keyes, former Rhode Island state Rep. Aaron Regunberg, Tim Flaherty and Mary-Jo Adams.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Washington Posts Martine Powers, a Boston Globe/POLITICO alum, and Julia Hoffman.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause youre promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: [emailprotected].

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Palfrey eyes the exits- POLITICO - POLITICO

Meghan Markle has launched her latest attack on the royal family, saying she was happy to leave in part because she lost control of her beloved social media accounts claiming her images were instead given to people who were calling my children the N-word.

The 41-year-old rookie podcaster insisted in a scathing interview with New York Magazines The Cut that she and husband Prince Harry never stood a chance in the UK because just by existing, we were upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy.

She also admitted that their decision to flee royal life as well as launch legal action against her own estranged father has torn apart both their families.

Harry said to me, I lost my dad in this process. It doesnt have to be the same for them as it was for me, but thats his decision, she said in the profile published Monday.

Despite this cost, Markle told interviewer Allison Davis ahead of her latest royal-bashing, Im, like, so excited to talk.

During the sitdown at her $14.65 million mansion in Californias celeb-packed Montecito, Markles eyes became alight and devilish when she asked, Do you want to know a secret?

Im getting back on Instagram, she said, launching into her biggest gripe about her short-lived time as a senior royal how she had to sacrifice her online life.

Her only Instagram account for a time became @KensingtonRoyal, one shared with Harrys brother, Prince William, and Williams wife, Kate Middleton and one Markle had no control over.

It was a big adjustment a huge adjustment to go from that kind of autonomy to a different life, she complained of losing the 3 million followers she had spent years growing.

Now, instead of posting her own snaps, the historic images were shared with royal watchers around the world via the press.

Theres literally a structure by which if you want to release photos of your child, as a member of the family, you first have to give them to the Royal Rota, she griped of the UK media royal pool, sharing the historic images with royal watchers worldwide.

Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child? she asked.

Her comments did not specify whether she was accusing the press, the public or her new royal handlers of making such racist slurs. However, The Cut stressed that she was notably still ruffled over it.

You tell me how that makes sense and then Ill play that game, she said.

She also blamed the intense scrutiny for the seeds of Megxit, saying it stemmed from a plan to remove the press packs guise of public interest in reporting on them because their lives were taxpayer funded.

If they left the country and made their own money, then maybe all the noise would stop, Meghan said, saying they hoped at first to serve in other parts of the British Commonwealth, such as Canada.

Anything to just because just by existing, we were upsetting the dynamic of the hierarchy. So we go, Okay, fine, lets get out of here. Happy to, she said.

That, for whatever reason, is not something that we were allowed to do, even though several other members of the family do that exact thing, she complained, without citing specific examples.

Finally going back to the UK this summer to help celebrate Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Jubilee was surreal and bittersweet, she said, knowing none of it had to be this way.

The former Suits star admitted that she had initially assumed her TV career would help make royal life a breeze.

I was an actress, she said. My entire job was, Tell me where to stand. Tell me what to say. Tell me how to say it. Tell me what to wear, and Ill do it.

Now, she wishes she had seen movies that forewarned of the likely pressures, such as 2004s The Prince & Me, in which Julia Stiles plays a student who falls for a Danish prince, just to clash with his family.

Yeah. That wouldve been really helpful. That wouldve been a very key tutorial to have had in advance of all this, she told the interviewer, who noted she said it not quite sarcastically but with a steel rod in it.

Despite her N-word claim, Markle believes her clash came not from racism but just from her being American.

However, she insisted that being half black had made her brief time in the royal family all the more pivotal, recalling the high praise of a South African cast member of the live-action version of The Lion King at the London premiere in 2019, before she fled.

He looked at me, and hes just like light. He said, I just need you to know: When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison,' she claimed.

Markle who has taken digs at the royal family on her new Spotify podcast hinted that there is likely far more to come.

Its interesting, Ive never had to sign anything that restricts me from talking, she said.

I can talk about my whole experience and make a choice not to, she said, saying she has only held back because she is still healing.

I think forgiveness is really important. It takes a lot more energy to not forgive But it takes a lot of effort to forgive. Ive really made an active effort, especially knowing that I can say anything, she said.

However, she would not reveal just how intimate that will get with their upcoming docu-series for Netflix.

While Markle again insisted it is not a reality TV show, she would not elaborate on just how far it will differ from one.

The piece of my life I havent been able to share, that people havent been able to see, is our love story, she said of Harry, with whom she is like salt and pepper because we always move together.

I hope that is the sentiment that people feel when they see any of the content or the projects that we are working on, she said, vaguely.

Whats so funny is Im not trying to be cagey, she said.

When the media has shaped the story around you, its really nice to be able to tell your own story.

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Meghan Markle was 'happy' to leave the royal family, get her social media accounts back - New York Post

Research on excessive digital media usage finds pediatric vision suffers negative effects

Pediatric eye health is important in all aspects of a childs life and development. Not simply represented by clarity, vision is a functional system thatwhen operating at its best is both flexible and efficient.

Vision is a primary sensory input that influences a childs learning, development, demeanor, and stamina, and is biologically unsuited for the excessive near demands of the digital culture children find themselves in.

Todays families face the challenges of managing an onslaught of digital media in their lives. Digital media includes a child interfacing with television content, cellular phones, tablets, computers, etc.

Digital media devices and the technology they deliver have many benefits, including the expansion of communication tools, easy and immediate access to information, and the ability to accommodate both our childrens strengths and challenges.

As with all things, the benefits of technology are counteracted by risks.

The current exposure to digital media has a profound effect on children. We have never had a generation of infants and toddlers with such increased near visual demands and sensory stimulation brought on by the cell phones and tablets that they interact with daily.

The excess near demands experienced by children of all ages creates a visual system that is fatigued and unable to operate efficiently.

Common Sense Media Research reported in 2021 that use of entertainment media alone approached 9 hours daily in teenagers and 6 hours daily in tweens.1 For both tweens and teens, screen media use increased 17% since the start of the pandemic.1 These statistics are staggering and often lead to parents feeling helpless and out of control when addressing screen time habits and their children.

Excessive digital media use has also proven to risk addiction in children. Addiction to device use, addiction to social media, and addiction to gaming are very real and serious consequences that are noted in the pediatric population.

In 2018 the World Health Organization added a gaming disorder to the International Classification of Diseases.2 MRI studies reveal that gaming and smart phone addictions change the physical structure of the brain in a manner that parallels drug and gambling additions.

Related: (VIDEO) The negative effects of digital media on pediatric development

As optometrists, we know that the power of the accommodative (focusing) system is age dependent. Excess use of this system without the proper visual hygiene wears down the strength and stamina of accommodation.

Todays optometric practices diagnose many patients with accommodative insufficiency due to a world driven by excessive digital demands. These excessive near demands reveal significantly reduced accommodative clinical findings, including visual acuity that is reduced and variable and the detection of low amounts of against the rule astigmatism.

Recognizing these clinical findingsin addition to the asthenopia, headaches, and fatigue that accompany accommodative issuesare critical to properly treat our patients.

In addition to the accommodative system, we see an inherent stress put on the binocular vision system. Binocular vision development begins in the brain, and there are valid neurologic concerns that screen-based activity stimulates visual processing more heavily than even the sensory processing systemsthus interrupting the development of binocular vision.

In our practices, we see binocular vision dysfunction in the form of convergence excess and convergence insufficiency that are influenced by the excessive screen time of todays youth.

A close viewing distance when looking at digital devices also influences the onslaught of visual symptoms.

Clinical studies reveal that the close viewing distance often accompanying the use of handheld digital devices becomes even closer with prolonged use.3 A primary chief complaint of parents bringing young children in for an eye exam is the observation of how close the child views a cell phone or tablet.

The closer the viewing distanceaccompanied with excess usagethe more likely an increase in diagnoses of accommodative and binocular vision issues, and the visual symptoms that accompany them.

There are several treatment options available for accommodative and binocular vision issues. Reading glasses and bifocals are prescribed to support the visual systems and aim to decrease the patients visual symptoms. Vision therapy is another treatment option for accommodative and binocular vision issues, aimed at improving the efficiency of all aspects of visual function.

Its been known that the progression of myopia is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, but digital media also influences the progression of myopia development.

Todays emphasis on the treatment of myopiawith a goal of minimizing progressionforces an optometrist to examine the screen time habits of our patients. We know that there are modifiable behaviors that influence the development of myopia.

Scientific research demonstrates that increased outdoor exposure positively influences the development of myopia.4 The exact cause of this is not fully understood, but outdoor time likely contributes to a limit of near demands and will have a more positive impact on the visual system.

A January 2021 JAMA article shares, Home confinement due to coronavirus disease [in] 2019 appeared to be associated with a substantial myopic shift in children.5 This observation demonstrates the effect of excessive screen time on the development of myopia.

Beyond influencing a childs visual system, digital media also has a significant impact on the overall development of our pediatric population.

We know that early exposure to digital media negatively affects a childs intellectual, social, and emotional development. Elevated digital media use more specifically results in decreased cognition and language skills. Further, the way children use digital media has a strong correlation with their mental health.

An area to examine is the influence of technology on the quality of sleep among the youth.

In the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, it was noted that Adolescents' bad sleep quality was consistently associated with the mobile phone use and number of devices in the bedroom, while in preadolescents, with Internet use and turning-off time.6

Children and teens with devices in the bedroom experience decreased sleep duration, increased daytime drowsiness, and decreased academic performance. Poor sleep habits align with additional issues in the realm of mental health.

Unhealthy online habits result in elevated incidences of anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity diagnoses. Structural changes in the brain related to cognitive control and emotional regulation are associated with a digital media addiction.7 Neurologic changes noted with digital media addictions correlate clinically with the patterns of substance behavior dependence.

The path of excessive and unhealthy digital media use may lead to mental health challenges and addiction in our adolescent population. This is a path that every family wants to avoid.

The best way to achieve balance in ones family regarding digital media use is to develop rules and boundaries. Each family can strive to create a system that works for them.

Digital media use can be classified in three categories, known as the the 3 Cs of media:

1. Consumption: taking in media in a passive manner2. Creation: active engagement and development of skills3. Communication: using media to connect to another person

A well-balanced approach to digital media limits consumption and communication to 1-2 hours daily. However, it is understood that schools rely heavily on digital devices in their educational model, and this does contribute to the stress on the visual system and impact on development.

Parents must focus on what they can control and create a home environment that supports the benefits of technology and balances screen time in a manner that has a positive effect on all aspects of their childs life.

As Catherine Steiner-Adair, EdD, author of The Big Disconnect, says: Parenting in the digital age challenges in ways the human brainAND heart can hardly process fast enough. We do not want to surrender ourselves unquestioningly to adapt to technology.

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Pediatric eye health and digital media: negative effects - Optometry Times

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During a White House event on Friday, President Biden appeared to apologize to his own staff after being instructed to stop taking questions from reporters at the meeting.

Biden met with local officials and activists on Womens Equality Day to discuss guaranteeing abortion access throughout the country in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe V. Wade.

Though the most attention-grabbing moment of the entire sit down came when a confused Biden tried to take one too many questions from the press and awkwardly apologized to his staff for taking "control" of the situation.

After finishing one question, Biden pointed to another reporter, ready to field more inquires. Though as seen in video recorded at the meeting, an administration staff member interrupted Biden, trying to force an end to the questions.

President Biden apologized to his staff for taking "control" and fielding too many questions from the press on Friday. (AP Newsroom)

BIDEN MOCKED FOR AGAIN USING PREPARED LIST OF REPORTERS AFTER GENEVA SUMMIT: 'EMBARRASSING'

The offscreen staffer stated, "Thank you so much, Mr. President for " Caught off guard, Biden abruptly interjected with an apology. "Oh Im sorry, I " he trailed off, stammering.

Leaning back with his arms up as if trying to defuse the situation, Biden added, "I took control. I shouldnt do that." The staffer assured him it was "no problem," though Biden once again acknowledged, "Im not allowed to do that."

He then seemed to cede authority to his handlers, prompting them by saying, "Go ahead, you tell me." Without skipping a beat, the unknown staffer took control of the situation, stating, "I think were gonna go ahead and have the rest of the conversation [barely audible] closed to press. Thank you all so much."

Biden sat there awkwardly as journalists exited the room, still shouting questions at the president as they left.

Biden's apology to his own staff had social media users wondering if he was in control of his own presidency. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The strange scene had several conservatives on Twitter wondering whether Biden calls the shots or whether his handlers do.

"Who's really in control?" asked conservative pundit Ian Miles Cheong.

BIDEN APPEARS TO USE PREPARED LIST OF REPORTERS AGAIN FOLLOWING G20 SUMMIT IN ROME

Author and former NYPD police commissioner Bernard Kerik asked a similar question, tweeting, "WHO IS HE TAKING ORDERS FROM?"

Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., press secretary Abigail Marone declared, "The President of the United States isnt allowed to decide when he takes questions from the press."

"Who's in charge?" asked The Daily Wires Twitter account.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

President Joe Biden apologized to his staff for taking "control" during a White House meeting after he let the press ask one too many questions. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Gabriel Hays is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @gabrieljhays.

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Biden seemingly apologizes to White House staff after taking too many media questions: I shouldnt do that - Fox News

People who attended the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, fled the scene in a rush after hearing numerous gunshots. Parents grabbed their children and others helped people flee to safety. A few members of the community were so shaken they did not return until days later to claim the belongings they had left behind. These people who felt safe in a town they had grown to know and love will not see it the same.

Guns being in the hands of someone ill-equipped is the reason peoples nerves are so shaken. The danger in areas such as grocery stores, schools, and more cause them to no longer see these places as safe. While the issue of gun control may be coming to peoples attention now, it has been a topic of debate since James Madison wrote the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights.

The second amendment, simplified, protects a person who owns a weapon and is not in the militia. This means that a person can use their weapons to strictly defend their property. While this may have been a revolutionary amendment for those living in 1791, the amendment is not fit for twenty-first-century America.

Security and safety have changed from 1791 to 2022. From our clothes and mannerisms, all the way to women being able to vote and members of the LGBTQIA+ community being able to get married. Why should gun laws be any different? We live in a time when people feel they have to defend themselves.

Some people in todays society choose to buy guns to protect themselves for self-defense, hunting, and collecting. These guns, while small in size, are large in power. Guns, depending on the model, can be sold to any person who is 18 years old or older. In the U.S. a background check is not required when buying a gun from a private seller. This is an issue because, while 18 years old is a legal age to be considered an adult, it does not mean an 18-year-old can make adult decisions yet. According to the National Library of Medicine, human brains develop up until you are around 25 years old making it a big responsibility for people to make rational decisions while being under the age of development. Which can lead to an accident in a few short minutes. When it is easy to obtain guns, it is unchallenging for people to harm others and themselves.

Since 2006, there have been 504 mass shootings in the U.S., and 2,644 people have been killed. Two of the victims of the Highland Park shooting, Kevin and Irina McCarthy, had a two-year-old son. He is now an orphan due to this tragedy.

Others who have died due to a mass shooting were kids themselves. Nineteen elementary school children and two teachers passed away in the mass shooting of Robb Elementary on May 24. These children did not get to live long enough to explore, learn, and have fun as kids should. Instead, they spent their last minutes on earth hoping to see their parents again at such a young age.

A place of learning turned into a place of worry for many students, not just that day, but every day from here on out. No one should fear getting an education or going to a parade out of fear of a mass shooting taking place. We have our amendments in place to protect us, but the second amendment does not seem to be doing its job.

America needs all the help it can get to help revise the Second Amendment. This can happen through peaceful protests, voting during elections, and speaking up. Rather than standing by and watching more unreasonable murders, you can make a change. So step up and do your part to help reform gun control laws in America for a better future.

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Opinions: Gun control laws in the United States have to change - Metea Media