Free Essay

Gun Laws

In: English and Literature

Submitted By itachi567
Words 965
Pages 4
Gun controls are laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of firearms. They vary greatly around the world. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, have very strict limits on gun possession while others, like the United States, have laws that vary significantly among their states. Proponents of gun control generally argue the dangers of widespread gun ownership. People argue that gun control does not reduce gun-related injuries, murder, or suicide, and some argue that certain regulations may violate individual liberties.

Most people will agree that the gun law in the United States does not really decrease the number of gun related incidents that have occurred. Such incidents includes the 2012 Aurora Shooting. On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred inside of a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises. A gunman, dressed in tactical clothing, set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. After this unfortunate event Colorado’s gun sales spiked after the shooting, with the number of background checks for people seeking to purchase a firearm in the state increasing to 2,887 about reaching 43%. Another incident was the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. This occurred on December 14, 2012, in the village of Sandy Hook in Newtown,
Connecticut. The gunman, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, fatally shot 20 children and
6 adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It was considered the most deadly mass shooting at a grade school in U.S. history and the second- deadliest mass shooting by a single person in U.S. history, with the first being the Virginia tech massacre.

This incident was so serious that it prompted a renewed debate about gun control in the United States, including proposals for making the background-check system universal, and for new federal and state legislation banning the sale and manufacture of certain types of semi-automatic firearms and magazines with more than ten rounds of ammunition. The U.S. Congress failed to pass new federal-level laws, but as of
April 2014 the Sandy Hook shooting had contributed to the passage of stricter firearms laws in Connecticut and six other states which include California,
Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York.

Out of all these states New York has among the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. Because the Constitution of New York does not explicitly guarantee its citizens the right to keep and bear arms, the state's courts have largely upheld New York's restrictive firearms laws. Most New York State gun laws are covered in two sections of New York Penal law: Article 265 - Firearms and Other Dangerous Weapons; and Article 400 - Licensing and Other Provisions
Relating to Firearms. These laws ban handgun possession and provide exemptions, including individuals licensed to carry handguns, or to possess them for other reasons.

New Jersey’s law is very different compared to New York’s. In New Jersey firearm owners are required to get a lifetime Firearm Purchaser Identification card to purchase a handgun, a separate permit is needed from the Chief of
Police of their municipality, or the Superintendent of State Police if the municipality does not have a local police department. A permit is required for each handgun to be purchased and expires after 90 days but may be extended for an additional 90 days at the discretion of the Chief of Police or
Superintendent of State Police. Additionally training and range qualification is required after a background check and review by the law enforcement agency.
Then the permit applications are forwarded to the Superior Court where they are approved or denied.

In Delaware It is lawful for a person residing in this State to purchase or otherwise obtain a rifle or shotgun in this State and to receive or transport of a rifle or shotgun, however, No permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. Purchasers of rifles and shotguns must be 18 years old. Handgun purchasers must be 21 years old. In advanced to purchasing a firearm from a licensed dealer, a criminal history record check and an involuntary commitment of an adult record check is required. Purchases of shotguns and antique firearms are exempted from the background check requirement, as are purchases by law enforcement personnel. Persons prohibited from possessing firearms are prohibited from purchasing firearms. It is unlawful to transfer to a person under 18 any firearm or ammunition without permission from a parent or guardian.

In Maryland its constitution contains no provision protecting the right to keep and bear arms. The State preempts some local firearm regulations, though local governments may regulate firearms with respect to minors and areas of public assembly. Which compared to the other states laws is not that strict. But carrying a handgun, whether openly or concealed, is prohibited unless one has a permit to carry a handgun or is on their own property or their own place of business. The Maryland State Police may issue a permit to carry a handgun at their discretion and based on an investigation.

California is known to have some of the strictest laws maybe more than
New York. People must have obtained A Handgun Safety Certificate, only received by passing a written test, which is required for handgun purchases.
In my opinion these state gun laws should me stricter than they are now. My reason for this is that with a gun at a person’s side there is a highly change you will not survive the encounter. Also guns are most weapons that are used to kill others. And with that the power at one’s fingertips should not be walking around freely without a qualified permit.

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