...According to the Gun Violence Archive, there has been over 50,000 gun related incidents in the USA in 2015.America has been immersed in the gun debate during recent years. It is a hot topic within the 2016 election race. Many believe that since the 2nd Amendment gives americans the right to own guns, gun owners should not be restricted in anyway. Gun control laws are necessary to curb mass shootings and decrease gun violence ( Infobase Learning,“Should the US adopt stronger gun control laws”) I advocate for stricter gun control laws considering that lax regulations within states such as Louisiana, gun deaths/injuries are a threat to American public health, and that more restrictive laws directly correlate to less gun-related injuries/deaths...
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...that having stronger gun control laws is unconstitutional and violates their 2nd Amendment rights. This is untrue, the 2nd Amendment refers to the state’s militia having the right to bear arms, not the right of any individual. In one year, 2,624 children die from acts of gun violence. 1,591 children are murdered, 853 children commit suicide, and 123 are killed unintentionally (Brady Campaign). But all of these tragedies could have been prevented. The 2nd Amendment states that, “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” (Constitution Center). But in recent years, this amendment has yet to be accurately interpreted. Many believe the 2nd Amendment is speaking only of the right to bear arms and the levels of gun control. Advocates of gun control...
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...Gun Violence: Should We or Shouldn’t We? The issue of gun control has been a very important topic following the Sandy Hook Elementary School and Aurora, Colorado movie theater shootings just last year. We all feel compassionate for the families of these Americans whose lives were taken in the most horrifying way. We are all too familiar with the saying “guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” my goal is to find some validity to this statement. The most prevalent question is whether the problem is the access to the gun or the person with access to the trigger. The answer to this I will soon come to but as of now let’s focus on the issue at hand. Crimes resulting in death would be reduced if the purchase of guns could only be made legally and there were training for the proper use of the gun. Those against gun control most likely ask is it necessary? Most advocates for gun control are convinced that the tightening of the laws would make the world a safer and better place. “The background check system, for example, excluded private sales and those conducted at gun sales, and an assault weapons ban passed by Congress in 1994 after a string of mass killings contained a definition that allowed many such weapons to remain available.”(Gun 3). The only laws gun control advocates can really get a chance to adjust are the ones concerning the purchasing of guns. As previously stated in the Gun Violence Prevention article background checks excluded private sales and the sales made...
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...Americans today have been dealing with controversy over gun control due to the rise of shooting crime. The majority of today’s society is involved with crime committed by Americans who come into possession of a firearm obtained illegally and or without a proper permit. There have been many events that fall into the category of gun violence, such as; the Columbine shooting, Virginia Tech University, and the latest nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida. The guns used in these events were obtained legally by those individuals which committed these horrific acts of crime. Gun control laws in America have been increasingly relaxed in many states over the years. Public education on gun safety should be better available to our public society. Firearm...
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...Gun Control: Who Does it Protect? Gun control is a very controversial topic in the United States. Merriam-Webster (n.d.) defines gun control as the “regulation of the selling, owning, and use of guns.” The regulation is meant to protect citizens from harm by limiting or eliminating the ability to purchase or own a firearm. The one fact that many gun control supporters forget is that criminals commit crimes, and laws do not apply to those who choose to not follow them. It is a problem that they believe that more people owning guns means more crime. Another issue is that they believe Congress should pass stronger gun control laws. The gun control supporters are also misinformed as to whether concealed carry states have better or worse violent crime rates. Gun control is unsatisfactory, even though it is meant to protect against violence. It only disarms law-abiding citizens, therefore putting them at a disadvantage against criminals using illegally obtained weapons. History of Gun Control and Rights The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states that citizens have “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” (U.S. Const. amend. II.). Following the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Congress passed the Gun Control Act. This law was meant to strengthen “the firearms licensing process to limit foreign and interstate transport of firearms, prohibits the interstate shipment of pistols and revolvers...
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...Guns are simply too accessible which can lead to more deaths. Society has free reign on acquiring guns for personal use. Many guns start out legal and end up in criminal hands. An article posted on the National Rifle Association’s website stated, “Since 1991, the number of privately owned firearms has risen by perhaps 50 million. Americans bought 37 million new firearms from 1993-1999 alone” (NRA). With the rising number of weapons purchases, a citizen cannot help but speculate how all of these firearms were acquired. Another article posted on the NRA’s website stated, “FOPA made clear no license is required to make occasional sales, exchanges or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby," or to "[sell] all or part of [a] personal collection of firearms"” (NRA). The article simply states that a member of society can obtain a gun without going through a criminal background check or registering the gun. A third article from the NRA’s website quoted, “According to the Government Accountability Office, over the past five years people on the terrorist watch list bought guns or explosives more than 850 times” (NRA). If a person has been suspected enough to make a suspected terrorist list, he or she should not be allowed to acquire a gun. The country needs tougher laws to help impede terrorist, criminals, or people in general, from acquiring guns without going through a thorough background check and registering the gun. This cannot only make a...
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...Jost’s article on gun control discusses the tragic Virginia Tech incident, as well as other gun-related instances. Precautions that should be considered in hopes of preventing other unfortunate incidents are also found throughout the article. It explains how the Virgin Tech shooting could have been avoided if shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, was unable to purchase the gun if his record of mental illness had been fed into the federal background check system. Jost also disputes the opinions of many gun advocates that want to ease weapon laws (Jost). “One hundred percent safety is a fallacy for all of us – not just colleges and universities, but for general society” (Jost). Although everyone is subject to danger of some kind, the United States has experienced a large number killings and injuries due to gun violence. Sadly, gun violence claims about 30,000 lives a year. A number of precautionary procedures should be set in place to help combat gun violence, but Congress has failed to act. Felons, terrorists, domestic abusers, and the extremely violent mentally ill remain to have easy access to firearms and ammunition due to weak gun laws (States United to Prevent Gun Violence). Stronger measures needed to protect society against gun violence are intensive screening and background checks, synchronized licensing and registration systems in all states and territories, and elimination of the trafficking of illegal guns. Society and families are safer when negligent gun sales and use are...
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...Gun control laws should not be strengthened, instead they should be enforced. Instead of making it harder for law-abiding citizens to obtain guns, guns should be taken away from unstable individuals or people who should not have guns like criminals. The first reason why gun control should not be strengthened is that citizens have the right to own guns; it is one of those entitlements that makes the United States different from other countries. Secondly, criminals are criminals and that is why they are called criminals, they don’t follow the law; basically if a criminal wants a gun they will get a gun, legally or not. My third reason is that guns are used for protection. Strengthening gun control laws will not prevent violence, guns aren’t the only tool used to hurt people, and people will use other objects to hurt people if they can’t have guns. Without a gun, murderers will still murder people whether they use a gun, knife, baseball bat, or any other object, it doesn’t matter. If not that many citizens have guns thanks to stronger gun laws, what if the government becomes tyrannical or does not protect the citizens’ rights? Well they won’t be able to do anything because they will be helpless, they can’t take out the leaders and fix the government. The second amendment 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. Adolf Hitler took away guns from the Jewish people during...
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...Limit the buying and selling of guns Limit the buying and selling of guns Limit ammunition magazine sizes Limit ammunition magazine sizes Stronger Gun Control Laws in the United States Stronger Gun Control Laws in the United States Understand the psychology of the killer Understand the psychology of the killer Reinstate the Crime and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 Reinstate the Crime and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 1. Narrowed Topic Stricter Gun Control Laws in the United States I chose this topic because it is something that interests me a lot. I believe that it is absolutely absurd how many mass shooting occur in the United States each year. We are supposed to be the best country on Earth, yet so many innocent people are killed each year. When I go out to public places, I am always extra careful of my surroundings and what is going on around me because you never know what can happen at any place and anytime. You cannot trust anyone and you never know who can turn on you in just minutes. My dad and my other my family members work in law enforcement and it sickens me every time I hear about a scary job that they were apart of or even when you hear on the news that another police officer was shot and killed by a criminal. We are the United States, we have a solution to pretty much every problem out there, I strongly believe that something can and must be done to stop all of this unnecessary gun violence in our country. 2. Preliminary Claim: The United States...
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...Gun Control Gun Control in the United States should be more limited because Gun Control would reduce gun violence and would limit the amount of people killed each year by guns. According to Watkins “We will never fully solve our nation’s horrific problem of gun violence unless we ban the manufacture and sale of handguns and semi-automatic assault weapons.” USA Today, December 29, 1993.” [ (Watkins, 2012) ]. Gun control has been a hot topic for many years, because conservative Americans believe they should have the right to bear arm and the liberal side believe that it is not safe to have guns in the home. Both sides believe that they are right, because of the Fifth Amendment but the facts speak for themselves, “with nearly 400,000 gun crimes committed every year, the United States has the highest rate of firearm deaths (more than 30, 000 each year) among twenty –five high-income nations. Clearly, stronger and more effective gun control laws are needed to keep guns out of the wrong hands and to better protect the public. Furthermore, despite what the gun lobby claim, most Americans are in favor of common-sense gun laws because they understand that such laws will, in fact, help reduce gun violence.” [ (Watkins, 2012) ]. Over 270 million people are estimated to own guns in American but does that mean we are safer in our homes because we have a gun or the fact that we have a gun increase the likely hood that we may be killed with our own gun? Watkins went on to say that “many people...
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...have possessed a firearm that has been obtained illegally or without proper permits. That being said there has been a strong push for gun control because of the rise of shootings involving a large group of people such as the Columbine massacre, Virginia Tech shooting and latest Aurora movie theater shooting involving people who have purchased firearms legally. Gun control laws in the United States have been established for many years but to maintain a civilized society with limited crime stronger control laws need to be enforced in which will help reduce crime in our country. Establishing stronger gun control laws will educate society, reduce the amount of accidental deaths, and decrease the number of violent crimes committed in our communities. An upright definition of gun control is necessary to understand the sides and issues relating to firearms. Educating Society The first step that should be taken by state legislators is to provide classes for young adults on the dangers of firearms. “An American citizen's right to own guns is upheld by the Second Amendment to the Constitution; However, many people feel that the amendment is outdated, and that gun control is of utmost importance in an increasingly violent society” (Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 2012 p 6). The organizations such as The National Rifle Association "Believe that every law-abiding citizen is entitled to the ownership and legal use of firearms” (NRA.org 2012 p.1).” This organization also does many things...
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...Elementary in New Town, Connecticut. The lone gunman was identified as Adam Lanza who suffered from a mental personality disorder and needed a mental health assessment and treatment. After the shooting took place, many citizens blamed guns and the lack of gun control policies but never did they blame mental health. The shooting that took place is not a failure of gun control but of the mental health system and lack of treatment that was given. Many of the horrific shootings that have taken place were done by individuals who suffered from a mental disorder and were not receiving the proper treatment. If more people actually took the time to look at the person behind the gun and not the gun itself, than they would realize that it is the lack of care and treatment which is causing these attacks and not the actual gun. I do believe that when a background check is conducted for people trying to obtain a gun that it should include a mental illness exam. Although, if someone really wants a gun than they will find a way to get one no matter what. Plain, G. L. (2010). CONSTITUTIONAL LAW--SECOND AMENDMENT--THE SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS IS APPLICABLE TO THE STATES THROUGH INCORPORATION OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT. Cumberland Law Review, 41(1), 161-178. This article goes into details about the case of McDonald...
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...December 7, 2012 Gun Control Obviously, guns have been a very big part of our history but because it was use inappropriately gun control was created. Guns are weapons that can take a life in an instant (“Does Gun Control…”). Guns have been part of American society since the arrival of the first European settlers (“Topic Overview…”). Arms in this country are part of our history, part of our culture. It has been passed down, generations to generations, as just an important part of who we are (“Topic Overview…”). Prior to the civil war, gun control laws were enacted in the slaves states principally due to the fear of firearms in the hands of free blacks and slaves who might rebel against their masters (“Special Interview…”). In the 1960’s after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, gun control became a major subject of safety. Certain individuals cannot handle firearm safely, and some individuals choose to use firearms inappropriately. Our society has passed laws regulating the ownership and use of firearms, and more legislation is being considered (“Special Interview…”). Throughout history violence has plagued the human race. We have passed laws to protect society, but the violence continues. Laws attempt to change human behavior, but laws are not able to change human nature. Laws are not enough to protect people from aggression. Xiong 2 While gun control advocates contend that guns leads to crime, injury, and...
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...Gun Control On January 1989,a mass shooting occurred in Stockton,California,were 34 students and one teacher were killed.Two months after the shooting occurred,President George H W Bush issued a ban on importing all semi-automatic weapons into the US, but the United States Congress felt that the current ban was not strong enough.For that reason,in November 1993, Congress proposed an assault weapons ban that would ban assault weapons in the U.S. for ten years.The ban would include the production and possession of semiautomatic weapon. The assault weapons ban was passed by congress and signed into law by President Clinton and was in effect for ten years.On September 13,2004 ,the current assault weapons ban was about to expire,but congress house...
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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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