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It's Time to Reconsider America's Right to Bear Arms Essay

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Imagine a world in which humans weren’t forced to stoop to a criminal’s level in order to feel safe, a world in which arguments were settled with words, and power came from the mind and not a weapon. Imagine a world without guns. Unfortunately in the United States, this world has become unattainable, but stricter legislation on handguns would bring this ideal world one step closer. The handgun statistics in America speak for themselves. After comparing America’s statistics to those in other countries with stricter handgun legislation, it becomes clear that something must be done to fix the broken American system. In America, guns are too readily available to the public and the result is an overwhelming amount of deaths. Under the …show more content…

The number of handgun homicides of these countries combined doesn’t come close to equaling the 11, 334 in America.
The firearm laws in England could be used as an example for bettering America’s legislation. England has one of the lowest handgun casualty statistics in the world. One source argues that this low rate of handgun homicide is due to England’s strict firearms legislation. For instance, law in England is the requirement of justification of every firearm purchased. Under this law, the number of firearms possessed by citizens is limited and police use their own judgment on which people can be trusted with firearms. Citizens must have legitimate sporting or work-related reasons for owning a gun. In England, self- defense is not considered a legitimate reason for handgun ownership. The procedure of acquiring a handgun in England involves a thorough background check, interviews with two people the applicant has known for at least two years, and the approval from a family doctor. Additionally, an applicant must keep the gun in safe storage strictly mandated and checked by officials (Magoon 94). Under such strict and wise legislation, England experiences 11,197 less handgun deaths per year than America. Where England’s legislation succeeds, America’s fails. In America, it is simply too easy for a person to obtain a gun. A New York State investigation argues that this is especially the case at gun shows, where

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