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Gun Control Disease

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Gun Control: The Cure for America’s Disease Shots ring out in the distance. Fear sweeps through the hearts of bystanders. “What happened? Am I safe? Where should I go? What should I do?” Another life has been claimed by guns. Another tragedy has been engrained in the minds of Americans. Unfortunately, life will continue to be this way unless significant change is made. America has watched guns tear its society apart for too long. Immediate and comprehensive gun control is an effective and constitutionally valid method of reducing crime in society, even though some may feel that it violates their Second Amendment rights. Before one delves into the heart of the gun control dilemma, he or she must first understand America’s long history relating …show more content…

In 1996, Australia created the National Firearms Act of 1996 in response to a major gun-related massacre. The NFA makes it illegal to own a gun solely for personal protection. A person may only own a gun if it is needed for a specific occupation or reason, such as law enforcement (Hirsh 88-89). Ever since the NFA was enacted, the Australian government has reported a 65% reduction in homicide rates and a 65% reduction in suicide rates. In addition, Australia experiences one-tenth of the number of gun deaths as America (Hirsh 90). Gun control, in particular the NFA, has been overwhelmingly effective in Australia. Additionally, gun control has proven successful in other nations. Criminologist, Greg Lee Carter stated, “Further statistical analysis of those data reveals strong correlations between gun prevalence and murder rates” when explaining a study conducted in thirteen nations that shows significant reductions in death rates after gun control was implemented (69). Carter later goes on to explain that these nations require extensive background checks and safety courses (Carter 69). It is important to note that the nations were developed countries, which is why some have questioned the validity of Killias’s (the main researcher’s) results. Killias’s data was used by Carter to formulate his theory. In fact, some of the data used by many opponents of gun control, including that of Gary Kleck, a criminologist at Florida State University, tends to show that a lack of access to weapons does not directly correlate with a higher death rate. This claim was derived because the study Kleck used did not involve developed nations (Carter 69). While his methodology is appropriate in a certain context, its use in relation to America remains limited, given America’s developed status and number of guns in

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