Stopping the Wrong People from Getting Guns
The second amendment of the Constitution states, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." While it says we have the right to bear arms and it cannot be infringed, to what extent must we allow guns to take the lives of many everyday? In 2015, at least 265 children under the age of eighteen shot themselves or someone else accidently (Ingraham). How many more people have to be massacred or hurt for the government to pass stricter laws that require a more extensive check on people buying guns? Allowing new laws to take the place of the old ones, may just save the lives of many, and
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People should not have such an effortless way of acquiring a firearm that can kill a person with a pull of a trigger. In recent years there has been more than a handful of massacres all over the country. Some of the more famous massacres are the Charleston church shooting, the 2015 Lafayette shooting, and the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. On June 17th, 2015, a man named Dylann Roof, who had a criminal record, shot up a historic church in Charleston, South Carolina where he killed nine people including the pastor. Not only was he charged with nine counts of murder, but with possession of a firearm, and all because the church was an African-American church (CBS NEWS). In that very same year in Lafayette, a man by the name of John Russell traveled 500 miles from Alabama to Lafayette, and shot up a movie theater, were he injured eleven people leaving some injured he injured with more than one gun shot wound, and in addition he killed two women, all before shooting himself. With a legally purchased gun from a pawnshop, he not only ended his life but of two women as well. Although he passed background checks necessary for the purchase, he had a history of mental illness that did not appear in those background checks that were meant to keep people somewhat “safe” (CNN). Yet the most despairing and infamous massacre of all, in my opinion, is the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, This story really hits home because it took place in Connecticut, the state I grew up in, a place I thought, and those children thought, was safe. Twenty-six people, twenty of who were kids and six of who were adults, were brutally shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Adam Lanza a deeply troubled young man went to the elementary school, after he allegedly shot and killed his mother, carrying three guns, one of which was a semi-automatic assault rifle. Lanza had a history among his school and peers of being a bit “weird”
What if an individual could acquire a gun like you buy a pair of shoes whatever size or color you want? Could you imagine what it would be like? The mere thought of every person in the city walking around with guns is frightening. That will be the United States if Congress does not put stricter policies in place to control the situation. When looking at the news, or reading the paper or even surfing the web you will see overwhelming statistics. According to the USA Gun Violence Statistics, More than 30,000 people are killed by firearms each year in this country and More than 30 people are shot and murdered each day, 1/2 of them are between the ages of 18 and 35 and 1/3 of them are under the age of 20. Gun violence has caused terror and fear across the country due to the attacks on innocent people like Sandy Hook Elementary, where a 20 year old killed 20 children and 6 adults, a Shooting Frenzy at Fort Hood in 2009, or the movie goer who was shot and killed for texting in the movie theater, and Jordan Davis who was shot while in his car at a gas station in Jacksonville Florida, and we will never forget the massacres at Columbine and Virginia Tech. How many more people will have to die or become injured in these senseless acts of violence before changes are made to this problematic situation? Innocent individuals are being gun down for no apparent reasons. Enough is enough; I’m not saying that we should completely do away with the right to “Bear arms”; but the policies
The Second Amendment of the US Constitution protects individual gun ownership. The Second Amendment of the US Constitution reads, "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Gun ownership is an American tradition older than the country itself and is protected by the Second Amendment; more gun control laws would infringe upon the right to bear arms. Justice Antonin Scalia, LLB, in the June 26, 2008 District of Columbia et al. v. Heller US Supreme Court majority opinion syllabus stated, "The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home." The McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) ruling also stated that the Second Amendment is an individual right. Lawrence Hunter, Chairman of Revolution PAC, stated, "The Founders understood that the right to own and bear laws is as fundamental and as essential to maintaining liberty as are the rights of free speech, a free press, freedom of religion and the other protections against government encroachments on liberty delineated in the Bill of Rights."
When tragic, major events happen in the United States, you can always expect an argument or something to unfold about how to prevent something similar from happening again. On October 1st, a man named Stephan Paddock, shot and killed 59 people including himself, while injuring an additional 546. This shooting is now considered the deadliest attack in United States history, so of course you can expect an ongoing political conversation on how to prevent attacks like this. During the attack, Paddock used what is called a “bump stock,” on many of his guns, making his guns’ rapid fire, like an automatic gun, which is what made it so easy for him to open fire and attack so many. After the tragic event, a gun control organization looked into the
Roughly 16,459 murders were committed in the United States during 2016. Of these, about 11,961 or 73% were committed with firearms because people have been killed with gun shot, example the las vegas shooting. A Pew Foundation report found that 79% of male gun owners and 80% of female gun owners said owning a gun made them feel safer, and 64% of people living in a home in which someone else owns a gun felt safer.The Centers for Disease Control listed firearms as the #12 cause of all deaths between 1999 and 2013, representing 1.3% of total deaths. They were also the #1 method of death by homicide (66.6% of all homicides) and by suicide (52.2% of all suicides).
Sandy Hook Elementary. Aurora, Colorado. San Bernardino, California. Las Vegas, Nevada. Orlando, Florida. (Words with Negative Connotation) These are just some of the biggest mass shootings that have swept America in the past few years. Hundreds of lives are lost each year to gun related violence in the United States alone. Gun control has been a topic in our country since our founding fathers adopted the second amendment to the US constitution. Although recently controversy has sparked to an all-new extent in America due to the recent spike in mass shootings and gun related homicides. So many families and loves ones are affected each year in the United States because of gun related violence and other mass killing events, because of these events gun control laws need to be revamped and strengthened in American in order to protect the citizens.
‘“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”’ (“Gun Control”) Due to firearms, more than 30,000 people die in America every year. Mass shootings happen frequently and people die because of the lack of laws and their security. The United States needs better gun control laws because automatic assault rifles are easy to buy, the mentally ill can purchase guns, and many die from guns each year.
Mass shootings are now usual occurrence in the United States of America. In 2017, there were 346 mass shootings committed. The United States of America has seen a surge in mass shootings that have not been acts of terrorism, but rather citizens with mental health issues. Many citizens simply believe strict gun control is the solution to these mass shootings. Politicians like to soothe these citizens by saying increasing gun control will prevent mass shooters, but is there evidence to back up their claims or are they just using these tragedies to push their policies? More importantly, is this the main reason these individuals commit mass shootings? I have recently read multiple articles to get insight on how citizens view this situation, most articles
Furthermore, civilians in America feel that owning a gun help them protect themselves and to stay safe. Again, this right is protected by the American constitution, mainly by the Second Amendment which is the following: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed". This shows that liberty and being independent is an important value in the American society. Americans view their rights to bear arms as a way to assure their protection and freedom. Not to mention that the Fifth, Ninth, Tenth and Fourteen Amendments also, in some way, mentions guns laws (DeBell 1). Instead, guns are not seen that way in Japan. Actually, most Japanese do not feel
As Americans, we are very used to the scene after a new mass shooting happens: outrage, fear, and families suffering the death of their beloved ones. Politicians start debating on gun policy, again, arriving at no solution. This has been America’s reality for the past decades. The problem in which lobbyists and a dominant minority stop any attempt to find a solution. Dan Gross, as president of the Brady Campaign, is seeking to promote sensible gun control in the United States. Mr. Gross advocates for gun control and for laws that put a stop to the gun violence problem (Ted Talk). Another article by Tom McCarthy in The Guardian gives some data and ideas about what gun control would look like. McCarthy’s article gives us a context in which
(1) In America, gun control has already taken place, but they have not yet taken a stand on ammunition amounts. America has the most mass shooting rates in the past 50 years compared to any other country. People blame it on “mentally unstable” people because they think that they are a problem in America when really they aren't focusing on the real problem: ammunition. Ammunition is used in every shooting no matter if it was an automatic gun or semi-automatic pistol. (1) (2) America does not have ammunition regulations and some believe if the U.S. had ammunition laws the people with guns would have a harder time shooting mass amounts of people with a restricted amount of bullets. In the past year, the U.S. has had multiple mass shootings, but they have not been put on the news or put out to the
Because of the recent shootings in Newton and Aurora, the topic of gun regulations and control has become more debated. Could these tragic events have been prevented if stricter gun regulations existed? Maybe they cannot prevent every shooting, but if gun regulations can save life, isn’t it worth it for gun owners to have a couple extra steps in buying a gun or less ammunition in their magazine? Gun regulations should be implemented into society to prevent evil people from getting military grade weapons.
Gun control, one of the most sensitive issues in America today; should we the people believe in gun control or should we discard it as futile. The American constitution states in the second amendment “ A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed“, and so why should there be a need to put regulations on gun ownership. On the other hand gun control helps regulate on persons who can own a gun such as the mentally ill and convicted felons who can cause more harm to others and themselves. Gun control will also help decrease school shootings and other mayhem that occurs in the United states. If gun control helps regulate on gun violence why is it so controversial?
Gun control does not stop criminals from obtaining guns; guns deter crime, but there should be some gun control such as universal background checks all federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL) can use. That is why there should be some gun control but not much. Guns are weapons and like any weapons, there are certain restrictions you must follow but, for the most part, any weapon/tool is allowed. What is so bad about that? Firstly,there is one major flaw with gun control and that is criminals can still buy a gun illegally and use it. So by creating gun laws it will not help, only hinder, the American citizen about the way to buy guns. To criminals, breaking the law is not a big deal; that is why criminals have the name. “To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to
According to USA Today, a famous newspaper stated that, within the past seven years a total more than nine hundred people have died in mass shootings within the United States. In which, most of the victims were murdered by a firearm that was legally purchased and obtained by the shooter. The Second Amendment says, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” But, when an individual takes a semiautomatic rifle to a school slaying innocent people, tension begins to form on why ordinary law abiding citizens should be stripped of their Second Amendment rights.
"The long, difficult history of gun control." Washington Post. 23 Dec. 2012: A8. eLibrary. Web.