The issue of gun control has managed to slip out of the spotlight this election, despite the violence that plagued the country this past summer in places like Aurora, Colo. And in the past few years, almost nothing has been done to restrict gun ownership.

In the town hall presidential debate at Hofstra University, both candidates vaguely responded to a question on gun control. Former Gov. Mitt Romney indicated that he would not add any new gun control laws. And while President Barack Obama stressed the need to reintroduce the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004, he has had four years to toughen enforcement of current legislation but hasn’t.

Whether you agree with the candidates or not, one thing is clear: Weapons are still getting into the hands of the wrong people.

And states without significant firearm legislation bear the consequences. The Sikh temple shooting this summer took place in Wisconsin, a state with some of the weakest gun control laws in the country. The Virginia Tech shooting took place almost six years ago, but Virginia still has the highest machine gun ownership in the nation, according to The Washington Post.

Gun control has always been a divisive issue, but it’s not one we can ignore. We can’t afford to stand by without discussing how we can prevent these acts of violence.

This issue disappears from the national discussion just weeks after shootings occur. But we should have this conversation now, while we still have time to prevent more devastating massacres.