...Gun Control in the United States With recent tragedies like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, as well as other mass shootings like the massacre at Virginia Tech, the debate over gun control is at the forefront of American politics. This debate is extremely controversial, as it calls to question some deeply rooted American traditions. In general terms, on one side of the debate are those who support looser regulation of guns in the United States. These people firmly believe in their second amendment right to bear arms. Opposing them on the other side are Americans who support the tightening of gun restrictions in the United States. These people believe that several laws must be passed to make access to firearms limited. The debate over gun control in the United States is both a social and economic issue. This is apparent through the role interest groups, as well as public opinion in the debate over firearm regulations. Through these two political linkage mechanisms, we can see how well democratic principles like popular sovereignty and political equality are maintained through this debate. Public opinion remains one of the most powerful influences on public policy in the United States. This is why politicians are constantly referencing the enormous volume of public opinion polling conducted in the United States. These polls allow representatives to see what their constituents think about certain issues and tailor their agenda accordingly. However, as we will see...
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...The Truth about Guns and Rights Christine Tarver COM220 February 17, 2013 Lori Pash Amendments amend provisions to the Constitution. The Second Amendment’s provisions are in regard to a militia with the right to bear arms. The word militia is not specifically defined in the Constitution or within the Second Amendment. With no specific definition, this brings about many debates of whose rights these documents protect. The word militia in these terms can be defined as a “general” militia, made up of all able bodied men. This was a check on governmental entities and the belief that people could be protected by individual rights. In 2008, for the first time in American history the Supreme Court defined the right to bear arms. This took place in District of Columbia v. Heller. The Supreme Court stated the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to possess firearms independent of service in a state militia and to use firearms for traditionally lawful purposes, including self-defense within the home. Gun control laws in America are responsible for the possibility of who can or cannot purchase and possess guns; laws also give valid reasons to gun ownership. The right to bear arms has limitations and debates. The second amendment does not protect people against any and every weapon readily available. In fact there are obstacles one must cross before they legally have full ownership of a gun. The rules, regulations, and laws according to this process vary greatly from state...
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...massacres, gun control has once again been thrust back onto the main stage in the United States. In a New York Times op-ed titled, “How to Win an Argument About Guns”, Nicholas Kristof takes on this very issue. According to his bio, Kristof has been a foreign correspondent and columnist for the New York Times since 2001. However, his bio says nothing about any involvement with firearm related topics. This makes his opinions less trustworthy than that of an actual expert on the issue. Kristof is very pro gun control and dispels five main myths from those that oppose his views on gun control. The author believes that greater restrictions and laws concerning firearms will lead to a safer country and far less casualties....
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...to us, then why do we need to be restricted with gun control amongst our nation? One of the trending topics of conversation, which has been blowing up media sites recently, is the discussion of gun control. Gun control laws attempt to regulate the sale, acquisition, or ownership of firearms through registration and identification. Now if the right to bear arms is a freedom granted to us, then why is this a topic of discussion and debate, and should it be regulated or not? Many sources state that guns lead to violence and crime, and we would be much better off without them, while the opposition to this argument states that taking away the right to carry a gun is unconstitutional, and it’s the individuals behind the firearms committing the crimes and not the guns themselves. Either way, this topic has been in debate for a duration now, and it is one to be addressed to understand whether the regulation of firearms has an impact on our society through absolving crime. Crime appears to be the obvious reason that guns are regulated by law in most countries, including the United States. The question that pertains to this situation is whether or not heavy regulation of arms actually deters crime, and if it does, should the United States follow in the footsteps of that of other countries who disallow even any ownership of firearms, or if this freedom that is granted to us should be actually free? Currently, the United States regulation of arms has an impact on who can actually own and...
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...Gun Control Debate Paper Today in the United States gun control is a topic of immense debate, because of the shooting that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary located in Newtown, Connecticut. This most recent tragic event ended the lives of 20 students and six adults. Similar events have occurred across the United States at a movie theater in Colorado, on college campuses in Texas and Virginia, or at the grocery store in Arizona each destroying families in many communities. The questions deserving consideration is have the American people had enough lives destroyed by these horrible events and are Americans ready for the federal government to impose stricter gun control laws. Learning Team C is for stricter gun control laws and will outline their thoughts in this debate paper. Current Gun Laws For numerous Americans, bearing arms is one of the important inalienable rights that each individual possess. This association originated during the period of American frontier history, where guns were vital in the expansion of the society moving westward. These settlers relied on guns to guard themselves from others that would cause them harm, vicious animal attacks as well as hunting for food. In rural states, developing shooting and survival skills is a ‘rite of passage’ before entering manhood. Currently, in metropolitan cities young men still use firearms as a means to gain acceptance, respect, and to prove their manhood. During the past few decades several gun control...
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...The gun control debate is one of the hottest topics of current media - and it will be discussed further in this paper. This research paper will be oriented against gun control, therefore being for gun ownership. Many aspects of gun control will be discussed, and the argument of this this research paper will be for gun rights and ownership. A lesser-known but important topic in the larger scale gun control debate is handicapped individuals owning a firearm and permit for self defense. Handicapped citizens are more opposed to gun control laws than most, due to the fact that some grips and stocks that are illegal are more necessary (Ennis, 2013). Assault-style weapons, such as AR-15’s, are very customizable, and such customizations could compensate for an individual’s disabilities. Banning that genre of firearms would remove the broad personalization options, and therefore making it more difficult for handicapped shooters to modify a gun to their needs. Also, some disabled shooters may have certain conditions that prevent them from assuming a normal shooting stance. If accommodations can made for the shooter to use their gun effectively, such as a lighter weight gun or laser...
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...Gun Control Debate By Mary Dyke, Lindsey Kjer, Stuart Moneymaker, Christina Marquez and Josh Marr BCOM/275 April 15, 2013 Gun Control Debate Gun control is a heated topic for debate right now in the United States. Many people are pro-gun control while others are against it. One fact is: “The Second Amendment only restricts the federal and state governments from imposing gun control that would completely deprive citizens of the right to defend their homes and their right to take part in defending their liberties as members of a national militia” (Charles, 2013). There is always some level of gun control. It can rise of course, but they cannot be taken away to their entirety. There are many pros to debate as well as cons. As gun control is discussed, we will come across ethical, moral, and legal issues. The Pros of Gun Control Do we not have enough gun violence occurring in today’s society that we feel the need to grant Americans permission to bear arms? Regulation of guns is a necessary action that needs to be taken in order to save lives. Gun control is an effort to stop the rise in violent crime by strengthening laws on the ownership of firearms. “According to studies, 54 percent of Americans say stricter laws would reduce the number of deaths caused by mass shootings.” Terrorism, schools shootings and other modern circumstances cannot be prevented all together; however stricter gun laws will limit the access to firearms and decrease the rate of deaths. Many...
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...Enesi Aliu-MBA 732 –Consumer Behavior Consumer Possession on the Extended Self Write Up on Gun Culture in America. Introduction The culture of Gun use and ownership by private citizens date backs to the days of the founding fathers, with the bill of rights passage in 1791.The use and possession of guns and firearms has historically been rife with controversy. In 2008, with the Heller V District of Columbia case, the Supreme Court finally clarified the right for individual Americans to bear arms thereby settling century’s long debate on one of the most controversial issues in American history. The culture of Gun ownership and personal attachment individuals feel about guns and firearms is a very interesting dynamic. In the old confederacy (Now nicknamed Red States), according to Barack Obama in 2007,people in this region who feel left out of the modern day progressive society tend to cling to their guns and religions as to further find a sense of purpose and fulfillment. While this view point cannot be empirically proved, there is a level of validity in such a claim as historically known, those areas tend not to support any form of Gun Control. In the more liberal parts of the country, from New York City to the New England Colonies, the attitudes towards gun and firearms ownership is more subtle, there is no religious following however statistically the occurrence of gun crimes and other mass shootings is more prevalent in this part of america than in the old confederacy...
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...Gun control is a controversial issue that continues to spark heated debates and calls for action. With over 48,800 firearm-related deaths reported in the United States in 2021, the need for effective measures to curb gun violence is more pressing than ever. This essay examines the escalating demand for increased gun control, exploring the complicated aspects of the debate and the importance of stricter regulations. The call for enhanced gun control gained momentum as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a significant increase in the rate of gun deaths between 2016 and 2020, with a 15 percent rise in 2020 alone. Democratic lawmakers staged a sit-in on the House floor, recommending the reintroduction of bills on gun control,...
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...Gun Control: The Battle Rages On Tyler D. Scott Ozarks Technical Community College Abstract This paper discusses and is centered around the on-going debate over gun control, I directly address how each major political party views this subject and what I believe the United States Government should do to be able to best combat this tremendous issue. I use research from multiple sources that contrast each side of the argument and give an overall insight into the world of modernized gun control. Gun Control: The Battle Rages On With the Second Amendment giving American citizens the rights to bear arms, and approximately fifty percent of Americans owning some form of a firearm, issues involving the ownership and possession of guns have led to heated debates in American society. Most notably is the issue of gun control. Many feel that the some form of gun regulation is necessary in order to lower the level of gun related violence in the country. On the other hand, the opponents of gun control feel that it would be an infringement on their second amendment rights. The outcome and extent of gun control has strong political implications because it basically determines the present day meaning of the Second Amendment. While each side has strong points to their arguments, one quote by writer Michael Warfel basically sums up the need for gun control. He writes, “An individual’s right to own and bear arms must be balanced by the greater social needs of a society” (Warfel, 2000, p...
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...The Great Gun Debate Introduction Among the more diverse issues in an already polarized society is a national perspective of guns (Hargrove & Perdue, 2015). The gun debate in the U.S. dates back to the 18th century, when the nation’s founders were crafting the Bill of Rights—the first ten amendments to the Constitution, adopted in 1791 (Smith & Ross, 2013). All gun control debates turn on interpretations of the Second Amendment, the worst written and most bizarre part of the constitution (Eichenwald, 2015). The Second Amendment gave Americans the right to “bear arms;” however, for more than 200 years, people have disagreed over how to interpret the amendment (Smith & Ross, 2013). Heated debates over guns have created division among “we the people.” On one end of the divide are pro-gun extremists. On the opposite end of the divide are anti-gun extremists. Then, there is the rational middle—the group that is often left out of the debate. This group typically consists of average law-abiding citizens who do not believe that Americans should be stripped of their rights to bear arms, but, rather, that some laws should be tightened up to ensure that guns and deadly accessories, such as high-capacity magazines, stay out of the wrong hands. Over the years, numerous mass shootings in schools have forced lawmakers to assess and tighten gun-control laws, which has also reignited the fiery gun debate. This assessment will attempt to uncover a proper course of action via a rigorous...
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...Gun Control in the U.S. It is not difficult to find news concerning gun incidents, where many innocent people are killed or injured by firearms in the U.S. Some people think that the solution to the gun problem, during which many innocent people are killed or hurt, is simply making laws concerning gun control. However, they would never think that gun control is a simple problem to solve, if they knew about this issue concerning the basic right to protect oneself according to the Second Amendment in the U.S. There are always fierce debates about gun control between supporters and opponents of regulation of firearms. As a result, the key of debates can be summarized into two subjects; ‘personal right to have guns for protecting oneself’, and ‘government’s right to control gun possession for protecting our society from violent crimes’. Supporters of gun control argue that there have been many crimes and murders by firearms and if we make a strong gun control law, the crime rate will be lowered and we can save many innocent lives including young students. On the other hand, opponents argue that they need to carry firearms because gun possession is the basic right to protect themselves from violent crimes according to the Second Amendment. They claim that if there are strong gun control laws, many innocent people will suffer from brutal crimes because they can’t possess firearms. Although some people believe that being able to carry a gun is one of the basic rights according...
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...Campus: Yea or Nay? Toni Struve COM/155 University Composition and Communication I May 6, 2012 Kathleen Zurich Concealed Carry on Campus: Yea or Nay? 2 Abstract This essay debates the pros and cons of allowing concealed carry weapons on campuses. Both sides have relevant information that supports their point of view. I have presented data from both sides of this issue and leave it to the reader to decide which argument they will support. Concealed Carry on Campus: Yea or Nay? 3 In the war over guns, the first casualty was the truth (Kleck, 2009). Could the results of the tragedies at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and the private college in California been lessened if concealed weapons were permitted on campuses? Studies have been conducted, but there have been no definitive results. Each side of this question can quote statistics and studies that will prove their point of view. There is no absolute answer to this question, but many people believe that the outcome may have been much different if concealed weapons were present on campus. As with every issue of this magnitude, there are two sides to this question. The debate about whether to allow concealed weapons on campus raises questions of personal safety, legality and are gun-free zones really safer. Students for Concealed Carry is a nationwide organization made up of over 43,000 students, professors and professionals fighting for the legal right to carry concealed weapons...
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...Gun Control Political Science 1333 Dr. Garrison December 3rd, 2009 The Gun Control Debate Gun control and the supposed right to a gun have been at the war for many decades. The term gun control refers to policies which seek to regulate the manufacture, sale, ownership, and the use of guns. These policies or the lack there of, are reinforced and intensified ever so often when an unfortunate tragedy occurs. For instance, after the April 16th, 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech University, in which left thirty-three persons including the gunman died, many persons were of the opinion that such an incident could have been avoided through effective gun control measures. However, the issue of gun control is a very sensitive topic in the American society. Many Americans view control gun legislation and policies as an attempt to refute and violate a constitutionally enshrined liberty, which guarantees them a right to own a gun. This liberty to own and possess firearms stems from the Second Amendment which many believe affords the ordinary citizen the right to be armed. On the contrary, there is the other sector of American society who argues that the Second Amendment does not afford or protect and such a right. Moreover, members of this group also argue that if the Constitution does in fact afford such a right it needs to be revisited or repealed since it is not applicable to the present American society. Both sides of the spectrum are heavily represented...
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...The political and social debate over how much gun control is appropriate within society has been an extremely polarized one for several decades (1). In recent years, the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and other subsequent school shootings have pushed the gun control debate further into the public eye, as well as prompting law makers across the country to take the issue seriously and deliver policy solutions. Although not an entirely partisan issue, public opinion polls as well as voting histories, indicate that the Democratic Party support gun control legislation, while the Republican party are to a greater degree, in favour of opposing gun control laws (1). The Democratic Party believes that the individual right to bear arms is important and that it will preserve Americans’ Second Amendment right to own and use firearms. But at the same time, believes that firearms should be subject to reasonable regulation, which include, strengthening the background check system, reinstating assault weapons bans and closing gun show loopholes (2). The party understands the terrible consequences of gun violence and is determined to ensure that through increased regulation; guns do not fall into the hands of those irresponsible, law-breaking few. The Republican Party on the contrary, believes in the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, as it is a law-abiding citizens’ God-given right of self-defence. The party call for the protection...
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