Assault Weapons Have a Negative Impact on the United States Imagine having a loved one who has been killed or seriously injured in a massive shooting. Sadly, every year many families grieve the loss of their loved ones who were victims of these horrific shootings. Due to the use of assault weapons, many innocent civilians lose their lives. There is no reason for any noncombatant to have access to these life threatening weapons. In order to stop this mayhem, congress must come together and reinstate the Assault Weapon Ban. Assault weapons should be banned since they have a negative impact on the United States.
Assault weapons create a perilous learning environment and have a negative impact on school safety. Many students become frightened
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People who have mental illness can find ways to access these weapons; which can lead to murder, crime, and destruction. For instance, a senior English major Seung-Hui Cho was allowed to purchase bullets and a nine millimeter Glock 19 pistol from a firearms store in Roanoke Virginia. Considering Cho had a background history of a mental illness, which should have became known in a background check, he was still allowed to purchase this dangerous weapon. On April 19, 2007, Cho had shot and thirty two staff members and students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg (The Assault Weapons Ban). The students who went to school were not expecting someone to show up and start to kill innocent people. Now, families whose loved ones were killed in this horrific incident, left an indelible mark on their hearts because, the thought of not having their loved ones on this earth anymore is unbearable. Imagine having to lose a beloved family member who has been killed in a mass shooting. This horrific incident proves that these weapons need to be banned in order to ensure that they do not end up in the hands of the wrong people. Danger would be dispersed amongst the citizens of the United States if these weapons end up in the wrong
In Troutdale, Oregon June 10, 2014 a 15-year-old High School freshman brought an assault rifle to school and shot 14-year-old freshman Emilio Hoffman. Two school resource officers, Nick Thompson and Kyle Harris, were armed security guards at the high school during the shooting. The school Resource Officers were able to respond as armed security before the shooter was able to fire additional rounds into classmates. This timely response should be required for all educational establishments that are prime targets for mentally disturbed gun owners (Barkoukis, Leah). According to a survey asking 100 LBCC student if they agree with campus security to be armed, 72% responded in favor of armed staff (Survey). Only 12% of students disagreed with
“Guns don’t kill people, people do.” This is a well known statement that is oftentimes considered true. However, it is not completely true. Someone who is mentally ill may be unable to make logical decisions and the perception they receive of reality may be tainted by the illness. Gun laws pertaining to those suffering mental illnesses should be more restrictive. Weapons such as guns make committing an act of violence, especially when there are multiple victims, much easier. It is difficult to assess the probability of a person to commit a violent act that harms anyone including himself/herself. Therefore, gun laws need be monitored very closely and made more consistent throughout each state in order to prevent violence that could
The current legislation in America is pushing for an “Assault Weapon” ban, in the hopes of diminishing and stop, mass shootings and gun crime, although the ban of “Assault Weapons” will have absolutely no effect on gun crimes and mass shootings. We as Americans are in a crossroad, dived in this issue we face today, everyone has different views and opinions on how should we approach these assault weapons, that we are constantly being informed on the daily news, commonly used by portrayers of evil. The majority of Americans, that are not informed with the way current gun laws, and restrictions are normally the ones that agree with an assault weapon bar or stricter gun control laws.
The mounting deaths and associated trauma from mass shootings should motivate us to take action to make needed reforms to our gun laws, focus law enforcement resources on combating illegal gun possession and invest in prevention initiatives proven to reduce gun violence. Assault weapons cause more harm than good when they are able to purchased and owned by private citizens. And while most who do own and use these powerful weapons for harmless, recreational activities or a sense of protection, the fact is that when they fall into the hands of individuals who are not mentally sound enough to possess something of such force, the result is one of horrific tragedy. The government must take into consideration the hundreds of innocent people who have lost their lives as a result of these dangerous weapons, and work on ways to prevent
It is generally unheard of, and certainly unwise for an ill meaning individual to walk into a gun shop with the intention of causing harm to those inside. The same could generally be said for police stations, military fire bases and the White House. I submit to all, that in the case of all but the mostly severely mentally disturbed, these well-fortified venues provide for the protection of their occupants. Why then is it difficult to comprehend the value of licensed gun owners, who have passed an appropriate background check, to carry a weapon where our nation’s most valuable assets are present, our schools and universities. Daily our politicians espouse the sentiment of the value of our nation’s youth, yet the more liberal of these breeds refuse to acknowledge the importance of protecting the same youth, through an economical and proven defense and deterrence method.
A new Quinnipiac survey released this week found that there is a strong opposition to ban military-style assault weapons. Among those who oppose the ban are the millennials, The Guardian reported.
Numerous studies have been conducted to determine if teachers should be in possession of a firearm while on school properties and if this will decrease the number and magnitude of school shootings. Many scholars believe equipping teachers with firearms will be costly and end up unnecessarily endangering more students, but many scholars claim that a teacher should be the last line of defense against a school shooter. The question this paper hopes to answer is how can equipping teachers who teach grades K-12 help to prevent school shootings in the United States. This paper will attempt to answer that question by examining the perspectives of school administration and law enforcement, the impact on student’s safety and education, the
Donner, Jennifer Lanterman, and Wesley Jennings discuss using security guards and non-lethal alternatives to guns in schools. According to their research school resource officers (SROs) and private security guards are welcomed and help create a safer education environment. They show that 69% of students believe that SROs do a good job of keeping their school safe (J. Maskaly et al, 161). They state, “SROs increase perception of safety within the school (J. Maskaly et al, 161).” Allowing SROs and private security guards armed with “use-of-force capabilities,” such as pepper spray and tasers, can help decrease hostile situations. In fact, referring to Aimee Huff’s research, the FBI reported “between 2000 and 2013 it was unarmed civilians that stopped more active shooter events than armed civilians, 11 of 27 incidents involved unarmed principals, teachers, other school staff and students who confronted shooters to end the threat (A. Huff, 2018).” This shows that guns are not exactly necessary to stop school shootings, it takes someone to stand up and be proactive in a shooting event. Guns can be more efficient in accomplishing the task, but the risks are still prevalent and outweigh the benefits of allowing them in schools much less arming teachers with
School should be a place of peace and opportunity, but gaps in the system of gun control threatens the safety of faculty and students. School shootings have killed a total of 297 lives, young and old (Slate Magazine). Gun control has been a continuous nationwide debate for many years. It seems that no one wants to take a stance against guns unless they are personally affected. In order to take control of the matter and prevent more incidents from continuing schools need to change. To achieve a safe environment in schools need to educate faculty, safe and students, heighten security, and assess mental health issues.
The United States of America is a nation of massacres by military-type assault weapons. Aware of the deadliness of these weapons and due to public safety concerns clearly outweighing the benefits of personal ownership of military-type assault weapons, the United States passed the 1994 Federal Ban on military-type assault weapons. This ban was notably effective during the 10 years it was in effect. However, the Ban automatically expired in 2004. Since that time, the number of U. S. mass murders has markedly increased. Attempts to reinstate the Ban, most recently the stricter 2013 Ban, have all failed. Nevertheless, the less restrictive 1994 Ban did pass the Senate and House of Representatives at one point and was successful. Therefore, the 1994 Federal Ban on military-type assault weapons should be reinstated.
According to the Congressional Digest, in an article called Gun Violence Prevention, it states, “Firearms fatalities increased by 3.8 percent in 2005 to 30,694, by 0.7 percent in 2006 to 30,897, and by 1.1 percent in 2007 to 31,224” (Gun Violence Prevention 4). In today’s world, it is becoming a commonplace for us to flip on the news and hear about some tragic murder, mass shooting, etc. It has become extremely evident that we are sweeping these tragedies under the carpet, because, in fact, there is something we can do. What if the solution was a simple as a ban? What if we could decrease gun related violence drastically with one small change? Through my extended research of this topic, I have
There are numerous types of firearms that are available for people to purchase. But, many in the government are trying to pass the assault weapons ban in the United States. An assault weapon is a semi-automatic firearm with a large capacity magazine. It is considered a military rifle and can cause severe damage. According to Phelan IV, “In December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children between six and seven years old, as well as six adult staff members with an assault weapon (Phelan IV).” This brought varying opinions on whether an assault weapons should be banned at the federal level. Opponents say assault weapons should not be banned because of the second amendment and because gun control efforts have proved to be ineffective; however, these weapons should be banned in the U.S., as it is rarely used in self-defense and it can build a safer society.
On April 20, 1999, two students walked into Columbine High School armed with shot guns and explosives. The incident ended in tragic results, as fifteen families will forever set one less plate out at the dinner table. March 24, 1998, an eleven year old and a fourteen year old walked into school with hand guns, killing four and injuring ten classmates (teen-violence.com). Thirty years ago, the biggest problem that kids at school were faced with was forgetting homework or being sent to the principal's office. There are many kids today who may fear that the person sitting next to them in class may have a loaded handgun in their book bag. On average one hundred and thirty five thousand weapons are brought into classrooms across the nation each
If there is a weapon in the classroom it is possible to be used accidentally or for suicide. There are cases where many innocent people were killed or injured in such shootings, and sometimes students are shot by other students. Parents also are concerned about their children when they go to school. Their children need educational materials, art and music programs, entertainment programs, and peaceful environment; they do not need more guns in their
You go to school to be educated by your teachers and peers. It brings unnecessary tensions and can cause problems. Students, teachers, and other staffs shouldn’t be able to bring guns to school. Who’s to say that person carrying around an assault weapon doesn’t have an unstable problem? We don’t know what is on someone’s mind or what they are capable of. Anyone could be having a bad day and decide to threaten someone with a gun. These kinds of circumstances should be made clear to the public and be banned from educational schools. Guns are used as protection, but they may be misapplied to be used as violence. There are more rational ways we could go about this such as; investing in more security guards or police enforcement. Needless to say, guns are dangerous especially when in the hands of a deadly person. What's more important, the second amendment or the lives of our teachers and students? Ultimately guns have no place to be in or around a school