Gun control in the United States is a very controversial topic in today’s political society, leaving the nation divided into two sides with two strongly opinionated beliefs. This all started with the increase in the amount of mass shootings and an overall increase in gun violence. The two sides consist of the liberal point of view and the conservative point of view. The liberals believe that the availability of firearms to the people in the country is a major issue, and that the U.S. government is at fault for the mass shootings due to the lenient regulations on guns. In retaliation, the conservatives argue that having a gun is a God given right, that the Second Amendment of The Constitution. Although the availability of guns is seen to be …show more content…
has a sin tax on harmful substances such as cigarettes and alcohol, so why are there none on gun regulation? Putting a tax on the price of guns could potentially decrease the overall percentage of purchase of guns. In the U.S. simple regulated background checks are required by licensed firearm dealers, yet there is no mandatory check when exchanging a weapon privately, while in other countries such as Canada background checks are mandatory across all firearm exchanges and focus on the buyer's mental health and addiction history. The United States could learn how to keep citizens safer by examining other areas’ regulations. “California has America’s strictest gun laws. This means that prospective gun owners must hold a Firearms Safety Certificate, submit to a waiting period like in Canada, buy weapons only through licensed dealers, and possess only a ‘California legal’ gun that complies with restrictions on what can and cannot be sold inside the state.” (https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/12/04/news/how-american-gun-deaths-and-gun-laws-compare-canadas). Compared to Canada’s gun laws these are seen as fairly lenient. According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, California is on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to gun violence per capita, evidence shows that (as of 2014) California's death rate is 7.4 per 100,000 people, compared to a much smaller state with lenient gun
Sandy Hook Elementary. Aurora, Colorado. San Bernardino, California. Las Vegas, Nevada. Orlando, Florida. (Words with Negative Connotation) These are just some of the biggest mass shootings that have swept America in the past few years. Hundreds of lives are lost each year to gun related violence in the United States alone. Gun control has been a topic in our country since our founding fathers adopted the second amendment to the US constitution. Although recently controversy has sparked to an all-new extent in America due to the recent spike in mass shootings and gun related homicides. So many families and loves ones are affected each year in the United States because of gun related violence and other mass killing events, because of these events gun control laws need to be revamped and strengthened in American in order to protect the citizens.
Gun ownership is embedded in the fabric of America. The United States has the highest gun ownership rate in the world with 88 guns per 100 people. This is a staggering amount of firearms in the U.S. which our forefathers would 've never imagined when writing the 2nd Amendment. 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.” Not everyone interprets this right the same way. Regulating and restricting the use of these firearms brings up opposing sentiments from those in favor of gun control and those who oppose
The Second Amendment of the US Constitution protects individual gun ownership. The Second Amendment of the US Constitution reads, "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." Gun ownership is an American tradition older than the country itself and is protected by the Second Amendment; more gun control laws would infringe upon the right to bear arms. Justice Antonin Scalia, LLB, in the June 26, 2008 District of Columbia et al. v. Heller US Supreme Court majority opinion syllabus stated, "The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home." The McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) ruling also stated that the Second Amendment is an individual right. Lawrence Hunter, Chairman of Revolution PAC, stated, "The Founders understood that the right to own and bear laws is as fundamental and as essential to maintaining liberty as are the rights of free speech, a free press, freedom of religion and the other protections against government encroachments on liberty delineated in the Bill of Rights."
Every day in America an average of 93 are killed people due to gun violence. One of the biggest concerns today in American policy is gun control. This is a very controversial and complicated topic for both pro-gun and anti-gun supporters. American policy makers need to make it harder for the wrong people to obtain firearms and the fact that Second Amendment and gun control can co-exist. Mental illness constantly emerges in relation to mass shootings and shooters a like, as well as day to day homicides and suicides. America doesn’t necessarily have more crime then other developed countries the crime is just much more lethal. Right-wing Republicans constantly use the Second Amendment as shield to use firearms, the fact is the document is
Imagine going to school where instead of worrying about a grade you got on a test, you have to worry about your school being the next victim of a mass shooting. 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” (United States Constitution), and yet instead of some people using their guns for self defense, they use it for mass shootings. Some argue that we already have gun control laws that don’t work, but others say if we had better gun laws than it would work. The debate on gun control started in November 22, 1963, when evidence in the assassination of president John F. Kennedy increased public awareness
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, hunt for food and engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control is complex. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified as citizens of the Land of the Free. Possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity. Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and
Of the many problems we face in gun control it is availability of guns to the very people that don’t need them. The Sandy Hook shooting, occurring on December 14, 2012, sparked a nation wide push for stricter gun control. The shooter, a mentally ill male, shot down 26 people with a semi-automatic AR-15-- a military type assault rifle. Many Americans were left wondering how a mentally ill person would be capable of acquiring such guns. The truth is that it is not very difficult for someone to acquire such weaponry. On January 14, 2013 Brian Walsh wrote in a Time article that there was nearly one gun for every person in the U.S. We own almost, if not, half of the world 's civilian guns. Furthermore our laws and regulations are generally slack compared to other developed countries. In Canada, not only do gun owners receive a background check, they must undergo a safety gun course and have a federal registration certificate for that weapon. Japan 's laws are among the strictest: essentially banning all weapons except those used in competitions and requiring
As Americans, we are very used to the scene after a new mass shooting happens: outrage, fear, and families suffering the death of their beloved ones. Politicians start debating on gun policy, again, arriving at no solution. This has been America’s reality for the past decades. The problem in which lobbyists and a dominant minority stop any attempt to find a solution. Dan Gross, as president of the Brady Campaign, is seeking to promote sensible gun control in the United States. Mr. Gross advocates for gun control and for laws that put a stop to the gun violence problem (Ted Talk). Another article by Tom McCarthy in The Guardian gives some data and ideas about what gun control would look like. McCarthy’s article gives us a context in which
As the debate over gun control continues to spread throughout the nation like the plague, everyone is trying to choose a side. Some argue that their Second Amendment Rights are being infringed on, however, when looked at in detail that is not the case. Many others argue the decrease of guns is not beneficial because criminals are okay with doing illegal things, therefore they will obtain guns anyway. There is much, however, to disprove that. These weapons are the reason why the United States has such a high rate of violence even with such high wealth. The cost of gun violence has continued to rise over the years in medical bills. Criminals should not have the access they are currently have to such destructive weapons. Gun control must be put in place in order to decrease much of the violence and suicides the United States has.
In 2008 the United States Supreme Court ruled the Second Amendment of The U.S. Constitution gives a citizen an individual right to possess a firearm for personal lawful uses such as self-defense. This ruling has woke the nationwide gun control issue, leaving those for gun control in the dust while those anti-gun control, such as The National Rifle Association, took a massive step towards their final wanted destination, the ability to have guns without worrying if they are in violation of any laws. The Gun Control debate has directly and indirectly affected most citizens of The United States, although we cannot remedy what happened in the past we can work to
Our second amendment clearly 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,” (amendment). But, what does that mean today? How does one start to form a way to relegated gun control when it clearly states in the Bill of Rights we have the right to bear arms? Does, the idea of every citizen of America have the right to bear arms without any control? The point of gun control is to protect the next generation of American citizens from ever having to worry about their safety. When the Bill of Rights was written down, the Founding Fathers were trying to create a better society where there was no King and people had greater freedom. For my research project I am going to focus on what people know about gun control and their point of views on how to better regulate gun control.
Firearms are the cause of death for more than 31,000 people per year, making it the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 15-24 (National Center for Injury Control and Prevention). As the debate over gun control continues to spread throughout the nation like the plague, everyone is trying to choose a side. Some argue that their Second Amendment Rights are being infringed on, however, when looked at in detail that is not the case. Many others argue the regulation of guns is not beneficial because criminals are okay with doing illegal things, therefore they will obtain guns anyway. There is much, however, to disprove that. These weapons are the reason why the United States has such a high rate of violence even with such high wealth. Criminals should not have the access they currently have to such destructive weapons. Gun control must be put in place in order to decrease much of the violence and death by firarem that the United States has.
Many small deaths such as Raymond Howell from mckinney texas and mass murders such as orlando florida's homosexual club shooting have occurred under the influence of guns. Guns have destroyed many lives. These deaths should not have occurred, With stricter gun control these unjustified murders would not have occurred and affect the lives of families. Gun control in America should be more restrictive because women will feel more protected from abusers, lower criminals with guns, unjustified gun deaths.
What is gun control? Who is affected by gun control? Why should someone care about gun control? Imagine going to a concert with your friends and family, you guys are laughing and having a good time when all of a sudden someone starts shooting up the place. Are you thinking to yourself if guns were banned this wouldn't have happened? Or are you wishing you had a gun to protect everyone from what is happening? Gun Control has been an issue since the beginning of time, there are some people who think we need it and others who say we have the right to bear arms. With gun control a lot more lives could be saved and people won't have to be scared of a mass shooting happening somewhere. Children can feel safe when going to school and they won’t
America's Gun control laws should be more strict in regulating the availability of firearms. The lenient gun control laws in America cause a higher risk of criminals committing acts of violence with guns, rather than preventing them. It is not difficult to buy guns in America. Background checks for purchasing firearms only take minutes, but when purchasing a gun from a gun show it is not