Modern Proposal: We Can Make America Better Again

Gun control in America is one of the most fiercely debated topics in today’s political sphere. Nearly everyone has an opinion and there is a mind-boggling amount of information typically discussed regarding the matter. Media hot takes and campaign talking points aside, far too many lives have been lost to gun violence. A total of 12,902 in 2016, to be exact. The fact that more lives have been lost to gun violence in the United States this year than the 5,000 lost in the almost 10-year war effort overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan is appalling. Is sensible and reasonable gun control progress attainable in our near future? That remains to be seen, however it is my intention to respectfully dissect an argument presented by none other than an essay

More than 20,000 children and youth under the age of 20 years are either killed or injured by firearms every year in the United States (Garbarino, Bradshaw, & Vorrasi, 2002). Even though youth gun violence is only a part of the larger issue of youth violence, it imposes detrimental effects on our children, youth, families and overall communities. Additionally, gun violence can cost us $63 to $158 billion per year (McGarrell, Chermak, Wilson, & Corsaro, 2006)). Such a high cost not only affects our criminal justice system, but also all our citizens through decreased property values, increased taxes, and imposed limitation on where to work and reside (Garbarino et. al, 2002).

The United States contains 5% of the world’s population. However, our nation covers 35-50% of the world’s civilian-owned guns, is ranked first for firearms per capita, and holds the highest homicide rate among all other nations of wealth and democracy at 88.5% (Masters). Such high rates and loose restrictions are bound to lead to tragedy. We will not sit here and make excuses, we will not allow power in the hands of insanity, and we will not allow the safety of our children to be hindered. After each tragedy that has struck, we have failed to successfully improve gun control. As of now, we hold no federal law banning semi-automatic assault weapons, just like the weapons used in the Las Vegas massacre, resulting in

Taya Kyle, the author of the article “American Sniper Widow: Gun Control Won’t Protect Us”, believes that there are two sides of the argument on gun control. People can use statistics, facts, and real life examples to argue that there should be stricter control of guns in the US, but they cannot eliminate the emotional side of the story. While in the last two decades, violent crime rates have actually been reduced in the US, fears have gone up. Anyone can be a victim of a violent crime because if another person decides to do harm, they will do it under any circumstances.

Many people in America are coming to the realization that gun violence is beginning to have a dramatic affect on teenagers. Christine Watkins, the author of, “Gun Crimes Cause Serious Harm to Children” Gives much evidence on why she believes more gun control, or even removing all firearms from homes will be the solution to this crisis. She tells readers that teenagers from urban areas have the greatest risk of being involved in some kind of gun crime. With her estimate of over 280 million gun in America, she believes firearms are too readily available and teenagers are accessing them with little to no trouble, legally, or illegally. Furthermore, she believes this is why teenagers suffer the most from firearm violence (Gun Crimes). Some

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 debate for gun reform is at a boiling point, because of the mass shootings that have been mercilessly tearing bullet-sized holes through the fabric of the American people, for the past 10, plus years. As a people, we can no longer sit idly by, without demanding change in the form of gun legislation, that would protect, we the people, while learning in classrooms, worshiping freely at church, or while attending country music festivals. Although

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.

The Orlando nightclub shooting in Florida on June 12, 2016 was the single largest massacre in U.S history, taking the lives of 50 individuals, including the shooter himself, and injuring 53 others. This is one extreme example of the gun violence that has been occurring in this country, but mass shootings like this and the one at Newton in 2012 are only a small part of our gun violence issue. The everyday gun violence that takes place in cities all across the United States claims the lives of thousands every single year. According to The Guardian, 33,500 civilians die each year because of gun brutality- “that’s about 1 life every 15 minutes” (Beckett). Between the years of 1999 and 2013, there were 464,003 gun deaths in the U.S, about 58% of them were suicides 37% were homicides. (ProCon.org) Gun violence and the consequences of that violence, have become a real and dangerous problem in the U.S , why else would the CDC list the United States as having the highest rate of gun violence out of all developed countries today? (Gale Opposing Viewpoints) This issue is not just attributable to a single factor, there are several that play an important part in why gun violence is such an issue in the U.S, namely laws and poverty; and in these causes we can also find solutions.

Mass shootings and acts of terrorism are starting to seem like an everyday occurrence. More and more we see on the news that people are killed by gun violence and there needs to be a change. “Every year more than 30,000 Americans have their lives cut short by guns. Suicides. Domestic violence. Gang shootouts. Accidents. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost brothers, sisters, or buried their own children.” (Obama, Para. 1). Gun violence is a big issue in the United States because of the amount of lives lost each year due to it. The problem of gun violence has been on the rise and United States has seen an increase of school shootings on the news. In order to save lives this problem needs to be fixed immediately. Fixing the gun violence

People all across the world are debating about whether to require the start of reducing gun violence. Guns have always been a part of American culture, even before we became the America we know today. In colonial times and the days of the Wild West, guns were an essential part of survival. They were needed to kill animals for food and to protect against unwanted trespassers and predators. However, in these modern times, because we have conveniences such as Hannaford and organized police systems, guns have gone from tools of necessity to novelty toys. For the most part, people own guns in this century for sporting reasons or to protect their families and home from intrusion. The simplicity of a gun and the lack of effort it requires owning

When we watch the news we see news about senseless acts of violence and acts of terrorism. Countless families mourning the death of their loved ones because of violence that spreads like wildfire. All of the tragic incidents that have occurred recently have been due to the senseless act of gun violence. The events such as the Sandy Hook Massacre and the Orlando shooting have been centered on one object; a gun. Not only are these acts of terrorism a problem but the presence of guns in our everyday lives. The things we see on television and social media has an impact on our lives. The violence that’s present in movies, videogames, etc, has a lasting impact on society. The topic of gun violence has been relevant recently and has been an ongoing debate through congress. The lives of many families have been changed because of this senseless violence that occurs and this needs to stop. Everyone knows the topic of gun violence is a serious issue, so what we have to do to resolve this problem is to enforce stricter gun laws, reduce the exposure of violence to children, and have a thorough background checks for every firearm you purchase.

When we hear the term gun control, we think of opposing sides of the topic arguing whether citizens should continue to have the right to bear arms or not, including the possible consequences of continuing the use of the second amendment. As we know, gun violence is one a the major political issues that has caused public corruption and still continue to this day. During Barack Obama’s eight year term of presidency, he announced his thoughts and plan for change on how to limit gun control violence. He discusses how gun control can affect the lives of citizens physical and mental health, along with overall lifestyle. Barack shares past tragedies of gun violence and how gun control has played a huge role into our society. Throughout this speech Barack Obama gives on gun control, he persuades the public by using ethos, pathos, and logos to highlight the important concepts for change of this amendment.

The increasing rate of gun violence in the United States is reached an all time high. For years, America has seen one of the highest rates of shooting deaths among nations all around the globe. But it seems an old problem, which has only continue to grow in magnitude throughout the years, is reaching a critical limit. What should be done about gun violence? What is, or should be, the role of government in addressing it? I would argue that tougher background checks for any American who wants a gun—which includes Americans who want to enlisting in policing or armed services—are indispensible. Granted, while there are benefits to this approach, there are also limitations to what it remedies. Let’s consider these further, starting with the

It is impossible not to open a newspaper, watch the television, or listen to the radio with out hearing about some type of gun violence. Perhaps the main reason for such high gun violence is that guns are so plentiful in the Unites States. In fact, there are sixty five million handguns in America ("The `facts' about Guns"). These guns contribute to an annual medical cost of fourteen billion dollars, which is spent solely on treating gun victims ("Handguns in America"). Not surprisingly, handguns are the cause of eighty percent of homicides, seventy percent of suicides, and almost every accidental shooting ("Youth and Violence"). Handgun violence is a problem that is easy for everyone to see. How to solve this predicament is another