Gun Control in America Essay

There are gun control laws to try and reduce the number of violent shootings that occur. They are trying to put limits on weapons that Americans can own. The government is trying to take our guns away mainly because of people that are criminally insane. Most of the people who commit crimes don’t even have the weapons legally. If the government takes away the rights of people who are allowed to have firearms in their possession, it will most definitely cause an outrage. Most people believe that the people should be more capable of maintain proper use of the firearms instead of having them all taken away. Taking the firearms from Americans away would cause a lot more problems than there actually are. The people will be upset with the

With the popular culture providing positive images of guns, the United States has a gun prevalence that is very rare in the modern world. While many people appreciate the “gun culture”, guns are heavily involved in violence in the United States. According to U.S. Department of Justice, since 1960, more than 750,000 Americans have died under firearms, including homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries. The figure 1 provides a comprehensive survey of U.S. violent crimes for the period from 1993 to 2011.This figure illustrates that from 1993 to 2011, about 60% to 70% of homicides were associated with a firearm. Over the same period, between 6% and 9% of all nonfatal violence, with about 20% to 30% of robberies and 22% to 32% of aggravated assaults involving a firearm.

The major issue when talking about gun control lies in the process of acquiring a weapon and the wide variety of them, which range from handguns to rifles. It is rather shocking to find out that the process to buy a gun is to go to a retail outlet, give your information to the clerk, and have this information entered into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which usually takes a few minutes, and if it passed, voila! There is a newly registered weapon out in the streets. This, of course, is not the only way someone could acquire a gun. There are also private sales, which do not require background checks, gun trafficking and through the stealing of weapons. It has been recorded that the number one trafficking source, responsible for over 40,000 guns, are federally licensed dealers. ("Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence – Gun Law Information Experts," 2012) But it should also be noted that unless a person is “convicted of a felony, admitting to being addicted to a controlled substances, having been dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces, or being subject to a restraining order” that purchase will not be denied and in cases where it is only 2% of every background check is denied. (Jones, 2013, p.1) But is it that only things that can be seen are limiting factors and not those things underneath the surface, like mental

The second amendment gives people the right to own a firearm. The founding fathers might have thought a gun was the best form of protection but many years have past since then and humans have evolved. Times are different and society is different. Technology has a big impact on people and how we think and all those variables can affect people with how they react in stressful situations. We have to consider the mental stability of those in possession of the weapons, it is important to keep the weapon away from loved ones or other people, and is the law protecting those in possession of the weapons or putting lives in more danger.

Guns in the U.S has been a problem for many years now. So much so that America is what comes to mind when people think about guns. America is the most known nation in the world when it comes to firearms, with citizens owning about an astonishing 270 million of the world’s 875 million firearms(Marshall). That is thirty percent on the world registered firearms. The reason why Americans own so may guns comes down to the second Amendment, which claims, “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.” (Rauch) This grants the citizens from America the right to own and buy firearms. Since this amendment is vague, it comes down to

Since 1982, at least sixty-two mass shootings have occurred, thirty-two of them since 2006. (Aronsen). Jared Loughner was sentenced to life in prison after shooting nineteen people in January of 2011. Last July, fifty-eight people were shot and twelve killed while watching the new Batman movie in a theater in Colorado. In December, twenty-six people were murdered, including twenty first-graders, in a Connecticut elementary school (Follman). The issue of gun violence only becomes relevant after a horrific event such as these, then fades from public concern after about two weeks. The number of injuries and murders using guns in the United States is a large number, which can hopefully be

Also, many people obtain guns from stealing it from another person, or buying it off a citizen who is unknowledgable or uncaring for the law, or the temperment of the buyer. Besides, if a person who is of age, and has a clear record wishes to buy a gun to be violent with it, there is no way of preventing him or her.

From January 1, 2015 to December 23 of that same year a total of 12,942 people had been killed in America due to gun violence. These numbers include murders, accidental shootings, and murder suicides. According to a nonprofit website that records gun deaths in America called “Gun Violence Archive”, there were more than 50,000 gun violence incidents in 2015 alone. This includes homicides, gang incidents, and accidental and self-defense shootings, but it does not, however, include the near 20,000 American deaths due to gun suicides that occur each year.

I have conducted a very broad analysis of every mass shooting between January 2009 and July 2015 that was distinguishable through FBI data and media reports. This report illustrates the 130 mass shootings, nearly two a month, that occurred over 35 states. Each account includes the area of the shooting, number of people killed, and/or injured, and data on the shooter, guns, and ammunition.

We have all heard of all the tragedies throughout the country regarding guns. According to the President (2013) "We know that we cannot stop every act of violence with guns, but what if we tried to stop even one?" Weapon controls in the U.S. is structured at a state level and each state has their own restrictions on gun control. In different parts of the nation, there is significantly more resistant to firearm laws. For instance, in Texas, the gun law permits individuals to carry handguns on their side like in the cowboy era. In Kansas, firearm owner is not required to have a permit to concealed weapon. In Missouri there is not required that a gun salesman to have a background check or a waiting period. However, there is a requirement to take a gun class, once you pass the class a buyer can purchase a gun then register it with the sheriff department. In California a person can petition the court to remove a firearm from a family member capable of violence.

Many things can be done differently in order to provide a safer, yet fair way to manage who can and cannot purchase firearms. One change that could be made is a mental evaluation directly before a person can legally purchase a gun. This would help because people who pose an immediate threat would not be able to purchase a gun or other firearm during that time, when they might be considered the most dangerous. However, some people would have no

Gun control can be a very touchy topic. In the past couple of weeks, school shootings have occured. 19 total mass shootings and something pops out from these suspects. In almost every suspect of the shooting has a form of mental illness. In order to reduce violence we must stop selling firearms to those with mental illnesses. Although they can plead the 2nd amendment, from their past occurrences; The mentally ill should not be trusted with firearms. In order to ensure this, the process of buying a firearm should be more complex, more in depth. As of right now, to purchase a firearm; You must be 18 years of age, they do a background check on you, and lastly you’ll need a gun license. There should be more to this process. Perhaps a mental check,a federal background check, ect.

Well over half of the population in the United States own a firearm of some sort. There are over one-hundred and fifty laws in the United States, this includes state and government laws. These laws are very strict when it comes to carrying guns and handling them in public, but the problem is it is very easy to get a gun permit online or through a short class. In the process of getting a firearm simple questions are asked such as “Have you ever been convicted of a felony? Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence? Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any other depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance? Are you a fugitive from justice? And Have you ever been committed to a mental institution?” After these questions the clerk will call the FBI to run a background check on the person buying the weapon.

needs to set stricter laws for purchasing and possessing firearms. Current laws prevent the mentally ill, children, and citizens with criminal records from owning firearms. However, there are instances in many states where individuals may not get screened before purchasing a firearm. Vendors at gun shows may forgo conducting background checks on buyers. Many proponents argue these states need tighten their laws to prevent this from occurring.

Living a life in America, we all get to have all the rights that included in the Constitution. One of those was the Second Amendment which is the rights to bear arm, the purpose was to protect ourselves from danger but nowadays a lot of people have take advantage of it and use it in the wrong way. I believe our government need to have a strict limit on guns possession.