This essay investigates the Australian gun laws and whether they are effective or not. In particular, with a focus on what the current gun laws are and how they have or have not worked also if they need to be updated. The current gun laws were first introduced by John Howard in 1997 after the mass shooting in Port Arthur where 35 people were killed and a further 18 injured on the 28th of April, 1996 (Sharpe, 2016), the laws were them further improved in 2002, after the Monash University shooting, where a commerce student with mental impairments came in to class armed with 6 loaded handguns, 2 students died and an additional 5 were injured (ABC News, 2015). It has been almost 20 years since the introduction of the current gun laws, the essay …show more content…
Since then the number of privately owned guns by civilians in 2005 is estimated to be 3,050,000, this number is constantly increasing and just 2,653,000 of these guns are registered and legal (Alpers & Rossetti, 2016). This is telling that there is an estimated 400,00 illegal and unregistered guns circling around Australia. Although the current guns in Australia are different types and are generally safer than the gun in 1996, this is due to the restrictions of handguns, rapid fire, semi-automatic and automatic …show more content…
For the first time since the introduction of the current gun laws Australia national number of privately owned guns is higher than it was prior to the Port Arthur massacre. It is also important to take into account that Australia’s population has increased by almost 5 million in the last 20 years, this means that the per-capita gun ownership is still 23 per cent lower than it was in 1996 (Alpers, 2016). In a survey by the author it was found that 90% of the respondents believe that the gun laws affected Australia positively, the rest said they haven’t affected Australia. It was surprisingly found that no one said the gun laws had a negative effect on Australia, this could be due to the lack of respondents as some citizens believe the gun laws have effected Australia negatively, because they believe individuals need the right to bear arms and protect themselves (Alpers,
In Australia and America, gun control laws are very different, therefore, the populations of the two countries have different mindsets regarding gun control and violence. America’s gun control laws are based on history while Australia is more open to changing their laws. Because America’s gun control laws are stated in the Bill of Rights, the government is more reluctant to change them. Therefore, gun violence is more prevalent in the United States due to the higher prevalence of guns in general. However, Australia has altered its gun control laws as a result of a mass shooting and has not had any ever since.
People who appreciate activities like shooting competitions and hunting, use firearms responsibly. This use contrasts with other uses, which often result in consequences that can be both intended and unintended. With past and present mass shootings, and acts of bloodshed perpetrated with the usage of weapons; has triggered a focus on gun control that once again has been brought into the spotlight. The purpose of the ongoing gun argument addresses the crimes that are committed with guns. This issue of gun control separated people into two groups: those who believe that carrying guns might prevent some crimes and fatalities, and those who don’t. There are individuals who believe absolutely the reverse: that more crime and deaths
In about every nation, gun control has always been an issue of controversy. Gun control laws are quite different from country to country, each possessing different requirements, specifications, and ordinances, so on and so on. What will be examined are the specified gun control laws in three international countries, ranging from Canada, Australia, and Japan, as well as a comparison and contrast of the the similarities and unique differences toward American gun control laws and those in other countries, and finally, the effects of having loose gun control laws. Unlike America, these countries possess stricter laws regarding gun control.
Gun violence is one of the most serious problems in the United States. Each year in the U.S., more than 35,000 people are killed by guns, a death rate much higher than that in any other industrial nations. In 1997, approximately 70 percent of the murders in the United States were committed with guns. However, ironically, the United States also is the country that has the most gun control laws. Gun control laws generally focus on passing legislation—by local state, or national government—to restrict legal ownership of certain firearms. Seemingly, gun control laws may decrease criminals’ access to guns, but in fact the same laws also have their negative effects. Thus, the controversy over gun control is always heated. But my paper is not
cited for demanding unlimited access to firearms, but according to the data provided in this paper, there is only a small chance that privately owned guns will be used in a situation against a robber, intruder, or a criminal. Firearms that are legally purchased by civilians will most likely be used by criminals and will leave innocent citizens injured. Also, supporters of gun rights believe that ‘the right to keep and bear arms” is a guaranteed right to all citizens of the United States and cann
According to the Coalition for Gun Control, last year a total of 291 people were killed by handguns in Australia, Sweden, Great Britain, Japan, and Switzerland. In the United States more than 24,000 people will be killed by the end of this year. So what is the big difference between the U.S. and these other countries? In these other countries it nearly impossible to buy any kind of gun. In these countries there are no gun shows. In these countries you can’t buy a gun at a pawnshop or your local Wal-Mart. These countries have strict gun laws and are all about gun control. In this paper I will discus the correct interpretation of the Second Amendment, why guns are such a problem in the U.S., and why guns are more likely to kill a friend
Jill Silos-Rooney’s current professional associations include Bethel Woods Center for the Arts., MassBay Community College, and Oxford University Press. She begins her article, “The Top 3 Liberal Arguments for Gun Control”, with an anecdote about a nine-year-old girl who accidentally killed her gun instructor with an Uzi and proceeds to list off two counterarguments and rebuttals and three assertions for gun control in her Thought Co. article, covering what she believes the best arguments for said gun control are. Her strongest pieces of evidence that support her central claim that “America Needs More Gun Control” (page 1) are “Australia, which has a similar frontier history to that of the United
Stricter laws against guns should definitely be initiated in the United States. It is too easy for just anyone to get their hands on guns, especially teenagers. The events that have happened in years past is proof that if gun laws get more lenient then more people will get killed in tragic situations such as the ones I’ll discuss in this essay. America should learn from its past, and not only think of new laws to prevent these types of events from happening, but should also begin to enforce the laws that are already in place.
America has the highest total gun per capita in the world, which would amount to about 270,000,000 guns, or in other words 88.8 guns per 100 people (ProCon). Now, most states have common gun control laws which include background checks, waiting periods, and registration requirements to purchase or sell guns, but not all states require these. However, we have made some progress, after the Stoneman Douglas massacre, “state lawmakers around the country have introduced bills to ban bump stocks, ban assault weapons, and expand background checks...”
For this reason, it is incredibly hard for the country to agree or disagree on controversial topics such as gun control. Gun control laws and restrictions are methods in reducing the accessibility of firearms to the ordinary citizen. The belief is that with less dangerous firearms in the streets, the less crime there will be. Numerous studies and evidence show that a reduction of gun ownership can ironically increase the crime rate. This trend might seem counter intuitive but when seen at a different perspective, it becomes logical. When law abiding citizens are not able to purchase a weapon but a criminal is through illegal means such as the black market, it leaves people helpless against the gunman. Many advocates for gun control seem to ignore the facts and trends that show that gun ownership and crime rate does not have any correlation. Instead, these advocates seem to rely on the emotional appeal of people, exploiting the tragedies that are caused by shootings, wars, and criminal activities. The purpose of this essay is to educate people on the negative side effects of gun control and on how guns can actually decrease
Since the Port Arthur and the Monash University shootings in Australia, there has been a substantial reduction in the number of firearm homicides and firearm suicides, due to the gun law that was introduced by John Howard. The law restricted those who could own guns and the type of firearm. Due to this law, homicide rates in Australia are only
In the United States of America the right to bear arms gave birth to a phenomenon called the “gun culture,” the term coined in 1970 by a historian Richard Hofstadter, which describes America’s heritage and affection for weapons(1). Not only did gun culture become an inseparable part of American democracy, but also it is considered to be synonymous with independence and freedom, the most important values for American society. Even though the crime rate and murder rate in the U.S. is higher than in any other developed country, U.S. citizens oppose every attempt made to pass gun control legislation(2). However, it may sound like a paradox, but the crime level in the most liberal states, when it comes to gun ownership, is the lowest in the
A common controversial topic that is discussed universally is the issue of shootings and gun use. Citizens views on the topic range from the wishes to completely ban guns, to the total allowance and ownership of such items. In comparison, some drugs may be illegal, although people still possess them. Would the same be for guns? Should more be done to implement the control over guns? Or should more freedom be given to gun owners? One can visualize the positives and negatives regarding gun control by learning more about the following: the suspected terrorists list, the black market, increase in gun crime, rarely using guns for self-defense and how extensive background checks would prohibit unqualified people from obtaining firearms.
Gun Control Part I:Introduction The issue of gun control and violence, both in Canada and the United States, is one that simply will not go away. If history is to be any guide, no matter what the resolution to the gun control debate is, it is probable that the arguments pro and con will be much the same as they
Former Governor of New York Eliot Spitzer once said "Yes, people pull the trigger - but guns are the instrument of death. Gun control is necessary, and delay means more death and horror". Spitzer’s words makes one think: should we fear the person behind the gun or the gun itself? The majority of violent crimes that happen in America are not only caused by a criminal, but also the weapon in which the criminal is holding. America’s gun violence problem stems from the increasing accessibility of firearms. Many of the mass shootings in America could have been prevented if access to semi-automatic and automatic weapons were completely banned. Gun violence is an arising issue, and a change needs to be made concerning the gun laws in the U.S. Stricter gun control laws is necessary to prevent high accessibility to firearms and mass shootings, also research shows that Australia’s strict gun control laws are proven to be more efficient in preventing gun violence.