Negative Effects Of Gun Violence On Society

Many tragedies have occurred recently that have spurred the debate on whether or not we need tighter gun controls. On one side of the debate are the gun control supporters, who claim that the easy access to guns is the primary cause for high rates of crime plaguing the United States. On the other side are people who argue that gun laws will not prevent criminals from obtaining guns, since they will continue to get them illegally. Guns are used for protection when in the hands of people who obey the law. It is crucial to not hinder law-abiding citizen’s ability to possess firearms with stricter gun laws, since gun laws do not lower crime, and guns can keep people safe.

On average, there is a shooting throughout the country where the victim was left defenseless each day. even with strict gun control laws set in by the federal government, many Americans still have faith in our second amendment. Gun control is proven ineffective, According to Richard Epstein of the New york University of Law, “We can confidently predict that crime will go up unless and until there is a vast expansion of the public police force.” (Epstein 1). While gun control law are in place there are still too many guns for the federal government to keep track of within the country, Richard Epstein states that “upwards of 200 million firearms of all descriptions are available for general use in the United States.” (Epstein 2). With recent

The studies and research on gun control has opened up many ideas on how weak the current laws really are. Crime rates consist of high numbers. “Since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass shootings across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii”

We don’t need to be that vigilant in order to know that gun-related violence and massacres have infiltrated our society. There have been many cases of public mass shootings that have occurred, with some of them happening in schools. 2015 will now be known as the year of mass shootings in the United States, and this is also the reason why the discussion for new gun control laws has heighten in the media.

Current Gun Control regulations do not deter violence and crime. It has been shown that places that have relaxed their gun control laws have a higher crime and death rate. Data proves that homicide rates “[...] among the metro areas whose principal city is in a state that requires some form of permit to purchase a gun, is 4.32 per 100,000 residents, compared with 5.74 among cities in no-permit states”(Bailey). This is evidence that there is a correlation between gun control and death rates. It is also proven with statistical evidence that places with the least amount of gun control have the most violence. Statistics show that “‘none of the states with the most gun violence require permits to purchase rifles, shotguns, or handguns. Gun owners are also not required to register

As it is well known gun violence is a major problem in today’s society, places like Chicago and New York City have a serious epidemic on their hands. It is not uncommon to hear about an incident where a gun was involved in these big cities on a day to day basis, but it’s not just the big cities, these type of things are happening nationwide. There has been an argument for many decades whether the cause of such violence is due to the lack of gun control laws or the restrictions put on firearms. Both sides of the isle will argue, the more liberal individual will tell you there is not enough while the conservative individual will tell you the laws put in place are too strict.

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.

With the crime rate commonly believed to be detrimental to the safety of society, one might assume to inflict stricter gun control laws. But, just how effective are these laws in reducing the amount of crime committed? As examined by Kleck and Patterson (2006), the rationale for gun control must first include the assumption that the availability of guns entails a significantly positive correlation on violence rates. But, Kates and Mauser (2006) studied the aggregate relationship between gun control and lower crime rate and found no evidence of this correlation.

“Is Gun Control Likely to Reduce Violent Killings?” by Frank Zimring attempts to bring gun control laws and issues to a resolution.

Looking at a website about the gun violence archive you can see, that only in 2016 already 41.902 people have been involved in gun incidents in the US and 10.757 of them actually died, not to mention that the other 31.145 surely are traumatized for life. In my opinion and hopefully in everyone else opinion, that’s a waste of people who could’ve benefited the world.

Gun violence is negatively affecting the youth nation wide. In the United States 3,000 children die each year from gunshot wounds. Each year an estimated 7,000 kids are injured and sent to the ER due to a firearm injury. Many of the gun injuries are intentional assaults with a firearm. Other reasons for the high number of gun injuries are accidents and suicide attempts.

Two thousand, four hundred fifty-eight: the number of gun-related deaths in 2017 in the United States as of February 28, the 59th day of the year (“Number of Gun Deaths,” n.d.). Twenty of these occurred on the 27th alone. Just hearing the words “gun control” puts many people on edge; the explosive and divisive nature of the issue leads them to tread cautiously whenever the topic arises. Gun violence is a national dilemma that no one wants to exist. This is where the consensus seems to end: few people agree on how to end it. Gun violence has gotten an ever-increasing amount of press over the past few years, leaving it in the forefront of American attention, and many are frustrated that nothing is changing. In order for any progress to be made,

Guns are a tool that can be used to defend or hurt someone, the only distinction between the two purposes is who is behind that firearm. The ability for anyone to own and use a firearm is one in which is exclusive to all Americas. Since our nations being Americans have had the right to possess a gun to protect themselves and those they hold dear. It is a right that all Americans have but one that is threatened because of recent tragedies and occurrences at the hand of ill people.

In 1989, a ban on guns was put into effect in California. Over the next five years there was a twenty-six percent spike in murders related to guns. But since 1991, when the nation’s murder rate peaked, the murder rate has begun dropping drastically even though the number of gun owners has increased dramatically (“A Ban On Assault”). In addition, studies done between 2009 and 2014 show that the number of violent crimes involving guns are nine times lower than ones involving knives, blunt objects, and assaults with an unarmed assailant.

For example, when the study shows numbers for Eastern European gun ownership and corresponding murder rates, it is apparent that less guns to do not mean less death. In Russia, where the rate of gun ownership is 4,000 per 100,000 residents, the murder rate was 20.52 per 100,000 in 2002. That same year in Finland, where the rate of gun ownership is very high: 39,000 per 100,000; the murder rate was almost nothing, statistically very low significance at 1.98 per 100,000. Looking at Western Europe, the study shows that Norway has Western Europe's highest household gun ownership rate (32%), but also its lowest murder rate. And when the study focuses on intentional deaths by looking at the U.S. vs. Continental Europe, the findings are no less revealing. The U.S., which is so often labeled as the most violent nation in the world by gun control proponents, comes in 7th for murder rates behind: Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, and the Ukraine. America also only ranks 22nd in suicides. The murder rate in Russia, where handguns are banned, is 30.6; the rate in the U.S. is 7.8. The authors of the Harvard study conclude that the burden of proof rests on those who claim more guns equal more death and violent crime. Nations that impose stringent gun controls have achieved substantial reductions in criminal violence or suicide. But after intense study the authors conclude those correlations are not observed when a large number of nations are compared around the