...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, this is not always what occurs. In a Gallup pole conducted between October third and October sixth of this year (See Figure 1), forty nine percent of Americans said that laws covering the sale of firearms should be made stricter. On the same question, only...
Words: 2426 - Pages: 10
...there is allot to be said. In a world that has evolved beyond the imagination of our earliest settlers, ethics and business have allot in common as every business, for or not for-profit, strives to hold the highest reputation to acquire and retain as much public interest and business as possible. While there are many famous not- for profit organizations and even more for-profit business’s, they are not all as favorable and ethically inclined as they might seem on the surface, leaving the research of these organizations in the hands of the consumer and also the determining of whether a particular organization does good by their own ethical and moral code. We will attempt to analyze the profile, inner workings, problems and ethical concerns of two companies, one for-profit and one not-for-profit, in the paper to follow. The National Rifle Association, or better known as the NRA, was founded in 1871 by William C. Church and George Windgate who founded the organization after being disgusted with the marksmanship of the US military....
Words: 5778 - Pages: 24
...Lewis 1 Joseph Lewis Melissa C. Niedermeyer Composition 1 February 12, 2013 GUN CONTROL: OR LACK THEREOF? IT JUST MAY BE TOO LATE. When I chose Gun Control or Lack Thereof, I was simply thinking of mass shootings like Aurora, Oak Creek, Newton, and let’s not forget Tucson. When we talk gun control it covers everyone and everything that has to do with, it also covers if anything can be done about it. Personally, I don’t think there is an answer. In the wake of these terrible events however, high ranking political figures, including the President of the U.S has determined that the gun laws in place need of amending. There are many high ranking officials sitting on both sides of this hot topic because Mr. Obama is proposing an amendment to our constitution along with laws that by the time this paper is written may be passed. Do you own a gun? I do. If a killer ran into the school, would security be able to help? Do they even carry weapons? I have owned three weapons, two automatic pistols and one rifle…. All of these guns were obtained illegally. This paper in essence pertains to not just to killers, but keeping illegal guns out of everyone’s hands. There are three main types of guns that are concentrated on when we about talk gun control. There are handguns, rifles, and shotguns. The two categories of guns that we will talk about in this paper are military style assault rifles and automatic handguns. Why? These are the weapons that criminals want...
Words: 1802 - Pages: 8
...bad things with them. But if they did not have a gun, they would use a knife or a bat, guns are just tools. The right for people to bear arms should not be taken away because it is a second amendment right, and when respected and used properly, they are not a danger. So let us talk about who owns guns and why. As of the year 2009 there are 307 million people living in the United States, and as of 2010 300 million of them own guns 100 million of those are handguns. Based on surveys, the following are estimates of private firearm ownership in the U.S. as of 2010: | |Households With a Gun |Adults Owning a Gun |Adults Owning a Handgun | |Percentage |40-45% |30-34% |17-19% | |Number |47-53 million |70-80 million |40-45 million | In the same poll, gun owners were asked why they own guns. 67% stated that they own guns to protect against crime, 66% said target shooting, and 41% said hunting. These being the main reasons people own guns, why should they lose their rights because of a few bad people who do happen to own guns. Based on a survey by the Department of Justice 5,340,000 violent crimes were committed in 2008. Of these only 8% were committed by offenders visibly armed with guns. So let us do the math. Out of 300 million people owning guns, only 436,000 used them for bad things. Taking...
Words: 2270 - Pages: 10
... For many years there has been an ongoing debate over the Second Amendment and how it should be interpreted. The issue that is being debated is whether our government has the right to regulate guns. The answer of who has which rights lies within how one interprets the Second Amendment. With this being the case, one must also think about what circumstances the Framers were under when this Amendment was written. There are two major sides to this debate, one being the collective side, which feels that the right was given for collective purposes only. This side is in favor of having stricter gun control laws, as they feel that by having stricter laws the number of crimes that are being committed with guns will be reduced and thus save lives. However while gun control laws may decrease criminals" access to guns, the same laws restricts gun owning citizens who abide by the law; these citizens make up a great majority of the opposing side of this argument. These people argue that the law was made with the individual citizens in mind. This group believes that the Amendment should be interpreted to guarantee citizens free access to firearms. One major group that is in strong opposition of stricter gun control laws is the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA argues that having stricter gun control laws will only hinder law-abiding citizens. The final outcome on this debate will mainly depend on how this Amendment is going to be interpreted. The Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights...
Words: 2267 - Pages: 10
...T HIS HOW NRA E A BIGGER, RICHER, MEANER GUN-CONTROL S IS T HE ENDS MOVEMENT HAS ARRIVED. BY ALEC MACGILLIS 18 JUNE 10, 2013 THE NEW REPUBLIC buyers failed in the Senate, and the fatalistic shrugs in Washington were so numerous they were nearly audible. The legislation had been a modest bipartisan compromise, supported by 90 percent of the public and lobbied for hard by the president. A group backed by Michael Bloomberg had spent $12 million on ads pressuring senators to vote “yes.” When the bill fell short—by just ve votes—it seemed to con rm a Beltway article of faith: There’s no point messing with the National Ri e Association (NRA). And that, many assumed, was the last we’d be hearing about gun reform. But then something unexpected happened. Some of the senators who’d voted “no” faced furious voters back home. Even before Erica La erty, the daughter of murdered Sandy Hook Elementary principal Dawn Hochsprung, confronted New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte at a particularly tense town hall, Ayotte’s disapproval rating in the state had jumped from 35 to 46 percent—half the respondents said her “no” vote made them less likely to support her. In Pennsylvania, which has the second-highest concentration of NRA members in the country, the bill’s Republican co-sponsor, Pat Toomey, saw his approval reach a record high. One of the country’s best-known gun-rights advocates, Robert Levy, said the NRA’s “stonewalling of the background-check proposal was a mistake, both...
Words: 5622 - Pages: 23
...to remember that this experience is only what you make of it, and just the beginning of a long list of what is needed to become a responsibly armed citizen. The first things to consider when obtaining a pistol permit are the requirements. Go down to your local police department or resident state trooper and pick up an application. They may redirect you to the town or city hall, but once you have the application, read through the requirements carefully. Specific details, including costs and fees, can vary from town to town so knowing the details in advance will make your application process smoother. If you believe you are eligible, and can handle the costs involved, the next step is to look for an approved training class. Selecting a class is one of the most important and difficult decisions to make, and there are a number of considerations involved. Most states require a class or other form of training in order to obtain a permit. Approved classes consist of a classroom and a live fire portion and are primarily offered by instructors certified by the National Rifle Association (NRA). A simple internet search will yield a number of options, including the websites of individuals and businesses. The NRA also offers a website (www.nrainstructors.org) that lists NRA approved classes. The Instructor NRA instructors are plentiful in most areas, although the quality of their courses varies greatly. It is important to remember that it only takes a two day seminar to become...
Words: 1291 - Pages: 6
...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 safer environment but also will...
Words: 903 - Pages: 4
...voting in wrong senator or is it lobby’s making the voting decision. Gabrielle Giffords former senator is calling to action the people because of voting senators voted no for background checks on gun buyers due to fear of lobbies such as the NRA. Gifford's defends her stance by providing her credibility with personal events and national tragedies that call us to action while also presenting personal emotion takes away credibility. Following the article Giffords presents the issue that “Senators say they fear the N.R.A. and the gun lobby” (Giffords, 2013), then brings up how the way the Sandy Hook victims feared for their life during the shooting and how the senate needs to vote yes on these...
Words: 738 - Pages: 3
...Today in America, gun control is a very serious issue. There are different opinions on this issue, the National Rifle Association (NRA), feels that guns are safe when used for protection by responsible citizens, others feel that guns are far to dangerous to be kept in homes, and that guns should not be owned by anyone, only used by the National Guard and law enforcement. These people think their opinions are correct according to the second amendment, the amendment that deals with the bearing of arms by citizens of America, but there have been different interpretations of it. The reason that people feel gun ownership is such a problem is that so many people lose their lives by them each year. Personally, I feel that guns lead to increases in crime, murder, and household accidents. By reducing availability of guns and providing education on gun safety, I think that these things will help make America safer. Before making up my mind on what I felt about the issue, I made sure to consider the opinions of others and to collect statistics. People from the (NRA), who are against gun control, feel that the people are responsible for the negative effects guns have on America. Helen Smith, a forensic psychologist who shares the ideas of the NRA, wrote an article titled “It’s Not The Guns”. In this article, she talks about the increase in school and youth violence, relating to guns. She blames the children and irresponsible parents. She denies that guns are easier for kids to get today...
Words: 1303 - Pages: 6
...Guns and Violent Crime “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” (The Charters of Freedom, n.d.). The National Rifle Association (NRA) is widely recognized as America’s foremost defender of the Second Amendment. Wayne LaPierre executive vice president and CEO of the NRA made the statement, “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun” (LaPierre, 2012, p.5). Is LaPierre correct? Do more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens reduce violent crimes? Moms Demand Action (MDA) states that stronger and more sensible gun laws are needed to protect children, and loved ones (MDA, n.d.). There are only eight states left that are considered rights restricted or very limited issue by the NRA in issuing concealed carry weapon (CCW) permits (NRA, n.d.). Florida alone issued 251,882 CCW permits in one year (Florida Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2014). The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) performed over sixteen million background checks for the purchase of a firearm in 2011 (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 2011, p.8). Record numbers of law-abiding citizens are choosing to get concealed carry permits than ever before, and gun sales have reached an all-time high. Violent crimes, however, have almost steadily declined over the last 19 years (FBI, 2012). Carrying a Firearm Law-abiding citizens of...
Words: 2031 - Pages: 9
...Hunting: Right or Wrong? Throughout history the human population has depended upon hunting to provide food for themselves and their families. Additionally, the hunting and killing of these animals provides many types of uses other than just food. Things such as tools, clothing, and medicine are often made from different parts of the animal. The killing of wild animals for food used to be a part of everyday life. There are people that are both for and against the taking of wild animals for these uses. Animal rights activists lack the knowledge of all the benefits we receive from hunting and act to fast in saying it is unsafe; two solutions to this would be to educate the activists on the benefits and to show them just how much safety is taken into consideration. The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is a group of people that are against any type of the hunting of animals for food. Outcasts from ALF formed a militia, known, as the Animal Rights Militia (ARM). ARM believes that ALF does not take their violence far enough with regards to direct action (ALF, n.d.). Several examples of the violence that ARM is responsible for as stated on their website: Animal Rights Militia actions in England include incendiary devices causing economic damage to animal abusers. Some examples include Aug. 10, 1994 where C.H. Brown's saddler & leather shop, Madison and West World leather shops, Edinburgh Woolen Mill, and Nurse's fur store all had incendiary devices placed by ARM. Tens of thousands...
Words: 2331 - Pages: 10
...Rishal Rajay Sharma Tom Scales American Government 3/14/2013 Gun Control The gun control debate is clearly one of the most contentious and controversial issues in America today and the battle over gun control is now being waged through intensive media campaigns from both sides of the political spectrum to influence public opinion and to assert pressure on policy makers. It is a debate that has not been resolved and will never be. “The right to bear arms”, an amendment prioritized by our founding fathers, which earned the very second spot on the list of birth rights as Americans. However, with constant tragedies striking the United States, such as massacres in public high schools and universities, mall shootings, and attempted assassinations on state representatives, it’s no wonder law makers are constantly debating the topic of gun control. Given the strong evidence that the level of gun violence is related to “relaxed gun laws”, why don’t we do more to enact stiffer gun laws? In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since its birth. Throughout history, the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, to hunt for food and to engage in sporting activities. Criminals on the other hand, they don't listen to laws, and will take advantage of the newly unarmed law abiding citizen. As shown in statistics and studies, cities with more gun control have more gun murders, due to the fact that a law abiding citizen can't...
Words: 1939 - Pages: 8
...Nonetheless, many on the left side of the aisle are moving swiftly ahead, encouraged in part by supporters of the Red Flag Bill including; Garnett, Cole Wist and Lois Court. Guns will play a major role in upcoming elections, and that may be why representatives and candidates are taking such sharp stances on gun control and how guns should be handled. Though just recently, Garnett has been pushing for this bill, he thinks that this bill is a necessary start in preventing gun violence in Colorado. He does not want to see another Columbine, another movie theater or school impacted by guns. Some think that talk of regulations on the second amendment is the stuff of conservative make-believe and a good strategy as Republicans attempt to stave off a blue-wave. What began as political exaggeration with conservatives has now entered the Republican mainstream. When the principal vocalist for this bill was police in Colorado, the bill seemed like it contained bipartisan support. But Republicans shocked many by voting 3-2 on party lines, effectively shutting down the bill, creating what many described as a let down for victims of gun violence and a potent...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
...Honesty: the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness. Possessing the characteristic of honesty, studies have shown, allows you to gain and attain the respect of strangers and even friends. Honesty, integrity, and straight-forwardness are a couple things that the National Rifle Association thinks the Democratic candidate for President of the United States, Hillary Clinton, lacks. In the National Rifle Association’s political advertisement labeled “Hypocrite Hillary”, the NRA uses Hillary’s own beliefs to juxtapose her words in order to create a hypocritical feeling about her running as the next President of the United States of America. The NRA appeals to the reader's emotions by hitting on how Hillary's actions are hypocritical....
Words: 756 - Pages: 4
