As I reflect on this past year’s top news stories and headlines, one of the main legal issues that continues to arise and cause terror in our own country is gun control. This is a controversial issue that has been debated for years, especially as more and more shootings occur. We’ve seen deadly mass shootings in our schools, churches, malls, nightclubs, concert venues, and most recently in Las Vegas, which is now classified as the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, leaving 58 people dead and 546 injured. All of these mass shootings are senseless actions caused by a small few but have a nationwide effect on countless families and loved ones. People are afraid for their safety with a fear of not knowing when and where the next shooting will take place. This is why there are so many proponents of stricter gun regulations. As I was doing my research on gun control, I found that in America, there is an average of 88 guns per 100 people (about 270 million guns), which is the highest total and per capita number in the entire world, according to the 2011 Small Arms Survey. Additionally, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence estimates that around 114,994 people are shot each year in the US, including murders, assaults, accidents, police intervention, suicide attempts, and suicides. There are also people who fear that stricter gun regulations will make them have a loss of security, arguing that restricting their right to bear arms would leave citizens unable to protect themselves in times of self-defense from local criminals or foreign invaders, or if in a rare case the government were to turn against the people someday. Many gun owners believe it is their birthright to have a gun in their possession as it is part of America’s great heritage, with the country’s colonial history and revolutionary roots. People are divided in their view of what gun control should and shouldn’t be. America has around 35-50 percent of the world’s civilian-owned guns, according to a 2007 report by the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey. That being said, the United States also has the highest homicide by firearm rate among the world’s most developed nations. Over the years these statistics have gone up and down but one thing that
Gun control should not exist at all in the United States. Mass shootings have almost become seen as normal event in the United States. What people do not understand is that gun control is not the answer; there are countries with little to no control that have fewer shootings. According to The Washington Post,Finland is ranked number 4 in countries with the most guns despite that they only had 24 homicides by firearm (“Gun homicides and ownership by countries” n.pag.) . In the article Did Gun Control Work In Australia “it is shown that gun control has reduced the problems but it still has not completely got rid of all firearm deaths”(Matthews n.pag.). The number of murders, homicides, or suicides do not go up due to people just owning more guns. Clayton Perry, a staff writer at the University of Maine, even points out “Stricter gun laws were in place during the Assault Weapons Ban between 1994 and 2004, but that didn't stop the shooters at Columbine in 1999 ”(Perry n. pag.). In Iceland, thirty out of a hundred people own a gun and they have zero homicides caused by guns a year(“Gun Homicides and ownership by country” n. pag.). In this day and age, everything is unpredictable, guns are a form of protection for everyone and there should not be restrictions on protection. The U.S. Department of Justice released a data brief that states, “ On average in 1987-92 about 83,000 crime victims per year used a firearm to defend themselves or their property”(Rand BJS Statistician n. pag.). The National Sheriffs Association released that the average police response time is at eighteen minutes while the average school shooting only last twelve minutes (“Embracing Technology To Decrease Response Time” n. pag.). Gun control should not exist because other countries do fine without it , high gun ownership has no link with increasing death rates , and guns are not harmful when instructions are followed.
Every day in America an average of 93 are killed people due to gun violence. One of the biggest concerns today in American policy is gun control. This is a very controversial and complicated topic for both pro-gun and anti-gun supporters. American policy makers need to make it harder for the wrong people to obtain firearms and the fact that Second Amendment and gun control can co-exist. Mental illness constantly emerges in relation to mass shootings and shooters a like, as well as day to day homicides and suicides. America doesn’t necessarily have more crime then other developed countries the crime is just much more lethal. Right-wing Republicans constantly use the Second Amendment as shield to use firearms, the fact is the document is
School should be a place of peace and opportunity, but gaps in the system of gun control threatens the safety of faculty and students. School shootings have killed a total of 297 lives, young and old (Slate Magazine). Gun control has been a continuous nationwide debate for many years. It seems that no one wants to take a stance against guns unless they are personally affected. In order to take control of the matter and prevent more incidents from continuing schools need to change. To achieve a safe environment in schools need to educate faculty, safe and students, heighten security, and assess mental health issues.
Every so often the media and news feeds flood with reports of a mass shooting. Families mourn. In the days that follow, calls to action can be heard, and there is a demand for change. Sometimes minor legislation passes, but in the United States extreme change is rarely seen. Other developed nations provide an opposite comparison. Following the Port Arthur shooting in Australia and the shooting in Great Britain, both countries organized for significant gun reform.
Have you at any point felt terrified and unprotected? You know, that feeling you get when you 're strolling through a terrible piece of town alone and you understand that your telephone just kicked the bucket and there 's nobody around to hear you scream if something happened? Presently envision feeling that way wherever you go, constantly. This is the truth that we Joined States nationals would be living in if our legislature were to execute add up to firearm control. Completely there should be some control, and no uncertainty more stringent directions to possess and convey a firearm than we have now, yet removing weapons from all of us together would be a disaster!
According to Nicholas Kristof’s article “our blind spot about guns” gun control is a lot like cars regulation such that if we can regulate cars we can regulate guns. It took a lot of time and effort but thanks to regulations cars are safer than they were many years ago, and the same is very possible with guns. We need to keep our country safe. The first steps to gun control are improving on background checks and also requiring trigger locks on all guns.
From 1988 to 2001, the usage of anti-depressant drugs in the general public increased by four-hundred percent (Swanson). The mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary took place in December of 2012, and during 2014, firearms were used in 88 percent of teen homicides, and 41 percent of teen suicides (“Suicidal Teens”). On February 28th, 2017, the Trump administration repealed a firearms regulation that prevented mentally disabled persons from owning guns. At the same time, teenage mental illness is on the rise, specifically in cases of depression and anxiety. A report from the Surgeon General shows that over 90 percent of adolescents that committed either suicide or homicide have or had a mental disability. Mental disabilities such as depression and anxiety put teenagers at a high risk for homicides and suicides. Teenagers who are stressed due to school, lack of parenting, puberty, bullying, and other factors can develop depression, anxiety or another mental illness. Allowing these teens easy access to firearms proves time and time again to be very dangerous. In some cases, the families of these teens have never been assessed to see if they can responsibly store firearms. The only background check performed is on the owner of the firearm, meaning that a person may own the weapon even if another family member living with them legally cannot. Loose gun control laws allow families with physiologically ill children to have access to firearms, without first checking to see if the disabled children in the home are responsible enough to be around said firearms. Repealing gun control laws instated by the Obama administration will cause an increase in adolescent firearm-related homicides, suicides, and tragedies similar to the one at Sandy Hook Elementary.
Imagine walking into a Walmart on a normal morning. Little did you know that in the back of the store, someone was being background checked so that they could purchase a gun. Even though they had a criminal record, they were still able to walk out of that Walmart with a gun in their possession. In the twenty first century, this could happen in so many different stores that you probably didn't know this occurred.
After witnessing countless murders with the use of rifles and hand guns, gun control may be one of the first ideas that may come to mind. These criminals always seem to have high capacity magazines and weapons with fast fire rates. This would cause people to say, “let’s reduce the legal magazine capacity, and enforce stricter gun laws.” This ideology might sound great on paper, but it may ignore a more serious issue. It could be understood that there may not be any intention to ban guns completely, but certain aspects of gun control have negative effects on law abiding citizens who legally own guns. Gun control may sound like a great idea, but I believe that it is not going to act as a long-term deterrent for gun violence and murders in the future. The point is that no matter the laws enforced, there are always alternatives to buying a firearm legally, especially when purchasing guns for criminal intent. No matter what gun laws are enforced; criminals will always turn to the black market to purchase guns, purchase firearm ammunition, and how to prevent criminals from getting their hands on firearms through screening.
With all of the conclusions stated up to this point, the future in the United States does not look promising for responsible U.S. citizen gun-owners. The government does not appear to be heading towards the diminution of the strict gun control laws. With the new laws being issued and put into effect around the years of 2013-2014, all United States citizens that legally own firearms now must register all of their personally owned guns to the government. The recent date of 1 April 2014 has just passed, but this day stood the date when a long gun "eligibility certificate" is required to be issued to all citizens owning a gun that is not a handgun (General Statutes of Connecticut). The government believes that it is solving its firearm-related crime
Gun control is one of the most talked about topics in modern day America. 43 of 50 states have the right to bear arms. Most states have to background check you in order for you to purchase or sell guns. Some other states prevent carrying guns and some other ban assault rifle weapons. People who support the gun laws say that the second amendment was meant for militias and that gun restrictions have always existed. People who oppose that say that guns are needed for self-defense from people who invade houses or are actual threats. Although both of those are correct, there will always be two sides for control laws.
A few months ago, on October 1, a gunman opened fire on the crowd of concert goers at a Harvest music festival. The gunman, 64 year old Stephen Paddock started shooting at a crowd of roughly 22,000 people from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. He was able to kill 58 people and injure almost 500 in only 10 to 15 minutes, resulting in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
“If a child can’t open a bottle of Aspirin, we should make sure that they can’t pull a trigger on a gun.”
How many people have to die before this world will let go of these dangerous weapons? The Chinese invented gunpowder in the 9th century which lead to the creation of guns. A repeating firearm is a firearm that holds more that one cartridge and can be fired more than once between chargings. Gun control should be enforced more because it will help prevent violence, it can help stop crime, and although some people may argue that gun control should not be enforced because guns can help save people’s lives but they are wrong because people misuse guns.
Guns are used all over the world and are controlled in some countries but in others people are allowed to have any type of gun ranging from automatic assault rifles to big rocket launches. Should it also be controlled in our country the United States of America? Many say no yes and many others say NO! In my opinion it should be controlled.