Most Americans believe that the effects of gun violence are tragic. While the right to “bear arms” is granted to Americans under the Constitution’s Second Amendment, guns pose a safety threat because many people do not understand the risks and responsibilities that come with gun ownership. Sadly, the nation lost over 15,000 human lives last year due to gun violence (Kelly). The issue of gun violence is attributed, in part, due to lenient rules and regulations pertaining to all types of firearms. There are countless inconsistencies in the nation’s gun control laws, which need to be addressed through enforcing nationwide personal background checks, required gun competency tests, and mandatory continuing education to maintain gun licenses. Universal background checks have been proven to save lives but need to be utilized and enforced nationwide. For example, according to a 2016 report by National Public Radio, universal background checks “can significantly curb gun violence. Researchers found that a 1995 Connecticut law requiring gun buyers to get permits (which required background checks) was associated with a 40 percent decline in gun homicides and a 15 percent drop in suicides.”
However, there is a problem surrounding the implementation of mandatory nationwide background checks, which is due to decades of lax gun control laws. The leniency in the law starts with interpretation of The United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights. This “supreme law” for America
Many tragedies have occurred recently that have spurred the debate on whether or not we need tighter gun controls. On one side of the debate are the gun control supporters, who claim that the easy access to guns is the primary cause for high rates of crime plaguing the United States. On the other side are people who argue that gun laws will not prevent criminals from obtaining guns, since they will continue to get them illegally. Guns are used for protection when in the hands of people who obey the law. It is crucial to not hinder law-abiding citizen’s ability to possess firearms with stricter gun laws, since gun laws do not lower crime, and guns can keep people safe.
Gun control has been a prevalent issue in the United States since its early years, but has recently taken the spotlight as one of the most controversial, and debated topics in the country with the rise of alarming cases and accessible statistics. Because of our constitution, the right to bear arms has endured throughout the years with little revision. Republicans tend to argue strongly in favor of this amendment on the basis of constitutional right and the need for self-defense. (Waldman, 2017). However, the current lax system of background checks requirements for purchase of a firearm have contributed to numerous casualties and cannot stand without reform. In 2017 alone, 13,899 deaths have occurred at the expense of a gun in the United
There are an abundance of causes and effects in the way guns are used, purchased, and sold – legally or illegally. A few causes include how guns are kept (with a safety and locked away or not), and in the way guns are obtained. The effects of these acts are, peoples state of mind, and the criticisms law enforcement may receive. Thought of as technical and firm, the laws about guns can easily be bypassed by criminals and people who are not in the right frame of mind.
According to a Mar. 10, 2016 Lancet study, implementing federal universal background checks could reduce firearm deaths by a projected 56.9%; background checks for ammunition purchases could reduce deaths by a projected 80.7%; and gun identification requirements could reduce deaths by a projected 82.5%. [148]
The study found that “states with the strictest gun control laws had lower rates of gun-related homicides and suicides.” Although this result cannot draw a causal relationship between gun control policies and homicides, it proves that legislative strength and firearm deaths and ownership are negatively correlated.
Many people around the United States are victims of shootings, whether they be school shootings, mass shootings, or Terrorist Attacks. There seem to be two common ideas either support or oppose gun control. In the United States, many gun control supporters believe that guns are the reason mass shootings happen while gun control opponents believe that people are the cause of mass shootings. But they both want the people in the United States to be safe, whether that is from government tyranny, mass shootings, gun violence, or mental health.
Eighty-nine people depart from this earth due to gun violence in the US every day. From school children, to victims of domestic violence, to people going about their daily lives, this status quo is unacceptable. On Tuesday January 5th, 2016 President Obama announced that he would send proposals on reducing gun violence in America to Congress. His spokesman, Jay Carney, mentioned that this is “a complex problem that will require a complex solution.” The ability to own a gun is considered by some a birthright of Americans. However, with crime rates involving handguns rising each day it has become quite clear. Handgun laws must become stricter in order to reduce homicide and crime. The question is, “which solution in most effective in decreasing gun violence?” Gun control is a major conflict that is constantly reoccurring and the US is seemingly divided over it.
The recent terrorist situations in America could have turned out differently if the victims had been armed. There have been too many terrorist situations lately in America. Many people who are not in favor of gun rights want to make it more difficult or even impossible for citizens to purchase weapons. When stricter gun control is enforced, then citizens may not be able to protect themselves. We need to find a way to prevent gun related tragedies, but that does not involve taking guns away from citizens (Hockley). We need more guns in the hands of citizens, then they will be able to protect themselves during violent crimes (Goldberg). The call for increased gun rights in America is vital for the safety
As the population increases its stocks on firearms, a significant number of citizens are at risk of being harmed. According to statistics, “In 2000, almost 30,000 persons died from firearm injuries in the United States more than the number of deaths from, alcohol abuse, or drug abuse… [in spite of] almost 20,000 laws and regulations regulating gun usage to some degree” (Kwon and Baack). Though several individuals are in fear of losing guns as weapons for protection, a greater number of laws will continue to be useful in maintaining the security of citizens upon significant new laws addressing gun control. Although the existence of guns is necessary to protect bear arms, gun control laws help reduce violence, decrease the homicide rate, and help prevent accidents from around the globe. New gun control laws should be enforced to ensure the safety of the entire population, and most importantly to prevent any gun violence as necessary to help save the lives of the innocent.
There are thousands of people that own guns in the United States. People have owned guns for the entire duration of American history. Even pre-dating the formation of the country, there were the Massachusetts minutemen who owned their own firearms and used them to defend themselves against oppression. Many lawmakers now want to go against these principles of allowing gun ownership for civilians (Dreier 92). They want to challenge the freedoms that have built the United States into the nation that it is today. They want to challenge the freedoms that Americans are specifically promised in the second amendment of the Constitution. All lawmakers need to stop consider the effects that will come into play with the creation of gun control laws.
There are many different ways to improve background checks, and many will take time to assess the most effective way to implement them. Guns are a very lethal weapon and should not be given out to anyone who comes along with a little bit of cash, they should be strictly guarded to keep them out of the hands of the wrong people. People who are mentally ill or just purely have bad intentions are too easy getting their hands on guns without any way to trace the gun to them. Guns are being sold and given away without proper documentation and even stolen from legal gun owners. If we make background checks a very hard and difficult process, which will cut down on the number of people who own them and therefor cutting down on the chances of someone with immoral intentions getting one. Cars are the same way these days. In order to be able to drive a car you have to be able to pass a driving test, along with passing other requirements, such as age requirement and supervision of someone who has their license when you first get your
Guns are one of the most controversial and debated-upon topics in America today. In the Constitution, Americans are given “the right to bear arms,” and many Americans are proud of and believe strongly in that right. Though, that right has been constantly misused. Homicides by gun are at a higher rate in the United States than any other country in the world, mass shootings are at an all time high (many of which have occurred in the past two years alone), and terrorism has been at an all-time high. So, naturally, it is a topic that needs to be discussed. In the articles Change Your Gun Laws, America (1), author Fareed Zakaria provides the readers with some harrowing statistics on guns and insight over how the U.S. laws on guns need to be managed.
Last year, then-Republican candidate Carly Fiorina claimed that states with strict gun laws had “the highest gun crime rate in the nation” (Robertson, 2015). The following month, President Barack Obama stated that states with stricter gun laws “tend to have the fewest gun deaths” (Robertson, 2015). The West might have been won with a Smith & Wesson, but in our modern society guns are the subject of much debate. While some groups push for fewer guns and more gun control, others insist that increased gun control leads to increased crime. Both sides cite statistics in support of their views, yet experts who have reviewed the same data have concluded that the data is inconclusive. The contenders on both sides don’t ever address the other factors that contribute to crime, such as poverty, racial tensions, a strained and overworked police force, and the deterioration of family social structure. As a nation, we need to move beyond the never-ending debate over gun control. We need to work out a compromise that will help law enforcement put a stop to these terrible mass shootings while preserving Second Amendment rights.
Gun control has become an increasingly controversial topic in the nation due to the continuous debates relating to gun control and whether or not laws should be passed to make it harder for guns to be obtained. Guns serve for a variety of purposes that range from good to bad. Guns are not for everyone. Some individuals cannot handle guns properly, and some choose to use guns inappropriately. Lately, guns have become more of a problem in our society. There has been an increasing amount of shootings that have taken many lives and have wounded people emotionally, not just physically. Although guns are used for protection, firearms are reportedly used more in crimes. More and more shootings are breaking out across the nation. As a result, the
The United States is home to approximately 5% of the world’s population and 31% of all mass shootings. Through these mass shootings and various other methods of gun violence, tens of thousands of people die every year. These gun-related deaths primarily originate from murder and children accidentally shooting themselves. Although those in favor of gun control tend to believe that guns should be terminated completely, the second amendment prevents lawmakers from being able to do so. Therefore, in order to combat these causes, alternative gun control solutions must be made for each one. Gun-related murders can be decreased through the use of universal background checks. Additionally, accidental shootings can be minimized through the