...Crime and guns. The two seem to go hand in hand with one another. But are the two really associated? Do guns necessarily lead to crime? And if so do laws placing restrictions on firearm ownership and use stop the crime or protect the citizens? These are the questions many citizens and lawmakers are asking themselves when setting about to create gun control laws. The debate over gun control, however, is nothing new. In 1924, Presidential Candidate, Robert La Follete said, “our choice is not merely to support or oppose gun control but to decide who can own which guns under what conditions.” Clearly this debate still goes on today and is the very reason for the formation of gun control laws. Guns are extremely powerful weapons. They can cause destruction, harm or even death. They can be used to defend and protect or to threaten and kill. Any way you look at it, guns are powerful tools, not only physically but socially. As college students it is important to stay abreast of the current events and issues circulating our country today, one of which is the controversial issue of gun control. It is extremely important to pay attention to where gun control laws are headed. The directions they take not only affect our nation and society but our future as well as we all move to communities and begin to raise families. So why is gun control such a hot debate? Perhaps to answer this question it would be important to look at some key statistics concerning handguns in our society. In...
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...Gun Ban Debate Gun ban debate In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since it’s 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. The issue of Guns and gun control takes on a proportion of extreme magnitude. Weighing the rights and liberties of the individual against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the freedom to use and keep arms, rely on the fact that the provision for such rights is enshrined in their constitution. So what is gun control?. Gun control is the effort to restrict or limit the possession and use of guns. The gun control debate may be one of the most important issues in our society. Regardless of whether people support it or not, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that the 2nd Amendment restrains the government’s ability to limit the kind of immediate ban of handguns that has existed in some parts of America such as Washington DC. "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" That's the campaign that the National Riffle Association made. It's a compelling argument whether it might be right , or it might be wrong . ...
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...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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...Jonathan Schwartz Prof: F, Gomez Eng 1A 11-15-13 The Power of the Media to Shape Our Perceptions and Understanding of Reality on Gun Control Introduction The wake of gun violence in the United States has seen various proposals on how to handle the gun issue. Occasionally, people have woken up to shocking incidences of gun violence on various quarters. Perhaps the most outrageous incidents are the ones that involved shooting of school going children by a fellow student, seemingly unstable, or at least for that moment. It is important to note that in these incidences, the media coverage of the live happenings have always been extensive, giving the perpetrator of such violence a lot of fame. Various segments of the society have reacted to such incidences with diverging and converging opinions on what should be the best way forward. While the Obama administration has been on the forefront proposing stringent measures for the purposes of reducing or eliminating repeat occurrence, Republicans have a different view on how to address the whole matter. Religious groups and civil society have not spoken in one voice although one may deduce that everyone desires some changes in regards to how the whole issue should be addressed. Some of the emerging schools of thought that have come out have to do with logic behind issuance of guns, the ethical and practical implications of the solutions proposed for adoption as policy. Probably the big challenge is that the incidences...
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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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...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 No matter where you are in the world you are bombarded with issues that can raise a debate. Anything from same sex marriage to global warming you will hear about it. One of the biggest ongoing debates of our time that does not seem to have a solution to its end is gun control. While most topics have three sides of supporters: those who are for it, those who are against it, and those who are in the middle. Gun control seems to only have two sides. The National Rifle Association who is against gun control has a slogan that states “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. This makes a very bold statement that when left alone guns in and of themselves don’t and will not cause any harm. Which if anyone who is not truthfully reading this statement correctly will fail to see what this statement means. Anti gun control supporters believe with proper training and understanding and gun owner responsibility will ease the minds of the American public and will keep the public silent. But when school shootings such as Columbine, public shootings as with the movie theater shooting, and homeland terrorist attacks such as gangs are on the front page of every news paper and all over the media, it makes it hard for a person who doesn’t know much about guns to support the no gun control agenda. The other side of the argument that is for gun control has very good persuasive points on why we need gun control here in America. The claims of no more automatic weapons are sold...
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...Quarter 2015 Volume 13, Number 4 The U.S. Gun-Control Paradox: Gun Buyer Response To Congressional Gun-Control Initiatives Michael A. Jones, Ph.D., Southeastern Louisiana University, USA George W. Stone, Ph.D., North Carolina A&T University, USA ABSTRACT Many scholars and interest groups in the U.S. advocate for more gun-control in terms of restrictions on sales. Following the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012, The Obama Administration initiated legislation to restrict gun sales. Coincidentally, U.S. firearm sales surged to record levels and ammunition shortages occurred. This article examines the gun control issue in the U.S. in light of the events of 2013, demonstrating the paradox which gun-control advocates face. The authors provide background information on the gun-control debate including the social cost of gun-violence and the U.S. political battle over the issue. Keywords: U.S. Gun-Control Paradox; Gun-Control Debate; Congressional Gun-Control Initiatives INTRODUCTION T his study examines the response of US firearm and ammunition consumers to the Obama Administration’s 2013 initiative to pass new gun control legislation. After staying-clear of guncontrol during his first term, President Obama initiated a dialog proposing the need for new gun control legislation after the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in December 2012 (McWhinnie 2013). What followed was a sharp increase in gun sales and a run on ammunition which lead to...
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...Analysis of Amending Gun Laws in America Written By: Merri C. Eder Intro to American Government Instructor: Curtis Ankeny April 26, 2013 Analysis of Amending Gun Laws in America Amending gun laws, more specifically background checks and gun registration laws, is perhaps one of the most widespread debates currently occurring in America. The United States experiences tragic levels of gun violence, claiming over 30,000 lives annually, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention( CDC, 2013). For every one person who dies from a gunshot wound, two others are wounded. Every year, approximately 100,000 people are victims of gun violence in America( CDC, 2013). In addition to those who are killed or injured, there are countless others whose lives are forever changed by the deaths of and injuries to their loved ones. Gun violence touches every branch of our society in which we live. Gun violence increases the probability of deaths in incidents of domestic violence, raises the chances of fatalities by those who intend to injure others and also among those who attempt suicide, places children and young people at risk, and disproportionately affects communities of color. Mass shooting tragedies like the school shootings at Sandy Hook, at Virginia Tech in April 2007 and Northern Illinois University in February 2008 – or the 1993 office shooting in San Francisco that led to the formation of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence – receive strong...
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...The Second Amendment 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...
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...increase in the debate over gun control. A Constitutional right set forth by our forefathers is now seemingly being laid to rest by the leaders of our country. However, as a modern Democratic society the people of our nation are refusing to go down without a fight. By evaluating and analyzing recent gun control policies and the reaction of such policies by the general public, supported by a graphical representation of my theory, I will argue that through recent policy that the increase in the limiting of sale of firearms and ammunition and the attempted disarming of the American public has endangered the law abiding citizens of this country instead of saving them as many would have us believe. I hypothesize that with stricter...
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...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 carry a gun with him, but a criminal will...
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...is either suicides or homicides taken place by someone with a gun? Seeing that news on the television or on your phone just ruins your day or makes you feel uneasy about people who own guns. There are people who are trying to find a way to stop the suicides and homicides occurring. One answer that politicians talk a great deal about is gun control, and another would be for stricter gun laws for gun owners. But the question cover with this paper is; will gun control cut down the number of suicides and homicides or will it not? In “Gun Control Is a Misfire” Marc Cooper shows what the liberals and the NRA both get wrong. Cooper, a contributing editor to The Nation, retired from the journalism faculty at the USC Annenberg School, has reported on politics and culture for...
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...College Composition II Kaplan University Over the last few years it seems that there has been a noticeable amount of gun crime making its way into the media and thus stirring up a debate on gun control. The government wants to make it seem like strict gun control is the answer to lower crime rates. However, we have the constitutional right to bear arms. Gun control laws will not effectively lower crime rates they will just make it more of a hassle for those who are law abiding citizens to get firearms because criminals that want to obtain firearms will start to find illegal ways to obtain them. There are many questions that can be brought up about gun control and whether or not it is infringing on our American Bill of Rights. It seems to be a huge topic of discussion and in modern America leads to a lot of debate. Some questions that we face on gun-control are as follows. If the government put in place stricter gun-control laws does it infringe on people’s rights to own guns? The current laws that are in place are they truly enforceable? Should the governments’ stricter gun laws prohibit gun sales at gun shows without background checks? Would more guns, not less, prevent shooting massacres or gun crimes like the Sandy Hook Shooting? Also, will banning assault rifles and high capacity magazines lessen gun-violence like so many would like to believe here in the United States of America? Should gun-control even be a debate; should one individuals fear infringe upon...
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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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