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Pros And Cons Of Stricter Gun Control Laws In The United States

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The Second Amendment to the Constitution upholds the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Throughout American history there have been many regulations placed on gun ownership, but they prove to be ineffective as almost anyone can obtain a gun through both legal and illegal methods. Many gun control legislations meant to regulate gun ownership have been stalled in Congress. Recent events in the past decade, such as the Las Vegas shooting in October 2017 and the Sandy Hook shooting in December 2012, seem to provide more than enough reason for stricter gun control laws in the United States, but there is not much progress being made to establish stricter laws as both sides of the debate cannot come to a fair compromise. If the United States were to adopt stricter gun control laws, there would be fewer mass shootings, a lower murder rate, and less violent crime. The United States should pursue new gun laws to create a safer environment for everyone. In the past decade alone, there have been countless mass shootings in the United States alone resulting in a large body count. Whenever a mass shooting occurs, a debate always follows about how easy it is to obtain firearms, despite background checks that have been enacted to make it difficult to purchase firearms. Background checks are “designed to determine if the prospective buyer fits any criteria that prohibit purchase or possession of firearms, including a prior felony conviction, certain domestic violence misdemeanors, unlawful use of controlled substances or, inter alia, commitment to a mental institution.” (Vernick et al. 98). Background checks are necessary for public safety, but people manage to maneuver their way around background checks when it comes to purchasing a firearm. A background check is not required when purchasing from an unlicensed dealer such as an online store or dealers at a gun show. People prohibited from purchasing guns go through unlicensed dealers because they are not required by law to perform background checks for a firearm purchase. For example, four to ten percent of online shoppers are prohibited by law from possessing firearms, yet they still are looking around in online gun stores (98). Legislation should be passed to

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