Opposition To The Prevention Of Gun Violence

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.

The two articles that I have read were “Connecticut School Shooting ‘An Attack on America’” by Ted Anthony and “The Price of Gun Control by Dan Baum. All around I believe these articles were both very interesting and both took different perspectives on the issues of guns in America. Both Anthony and Baum illustrated the different problems that we have in America and our communities with gun control and gun violence. But, they both brought the text together to relate it on a personal level. I enjoyed reading both texts and connecting to each one on a different level.

In the past six months, there have been a total of 19,635 gun incidents. Out of those 19,635 incidents, 107 were mass shootings, 829 were home invasions, and 604 were for defensive use, according to Gunviolencearchive.org. It is unbelievable to see the number of gun related incidents that have happened in just the past six months. What is even more unbelievable to imagine is that so many of those incidents could have been avoided if people were allowed to carry concealed guns in certain places. Concealed carry, or concealed weapons, is the practice of carrying weapons, such as a handgun, in public in a concealed manner. All fifty states in the United States allow concealed carry in public places to some degree. But, some places, for example, schools, restaurants, and stores, prohibit concealed weapons. The controversy about whether concealed weapons should be prohibited in certain locations has been debated for years, and more often in the past decade. On one side of the debate, supporters of the “gun-free zones” claim that prohibiting concealed weapons in certain locations will reduce crime and ensure that the location is free of gun violence, allowing concealed weapons can result to more guns landing in the hands of criminals, and some even insist that public safety should be left to professional, qualified police officers, not ignorant citizens with little to no expert training. However, it is absolutely necessary to know that prohibiting weapons in certain locations

The author makes several main claims throughout his articles such as, “national news stories are virtually never done on permit holders stopping mass public shootings,” and “the proposals put forward by gun control advocates wouldn’t have stopped this attack.” The columnist firmly believes in the power of the second amendment and as such, he wants to limit the amount of new laws that control how much the people can hold and use weapons. The claims listed are claims of fact and policy respectively. He gives several examples of how these different prevented mass shootings were not widely advertised and how the ones that were not stopped were all over news stations to convince people that guns are not helping the common people. The author then proposes that the changes that gun control advocates propose will not make a difference and begins to give reasons why which makes this a claim of policy. He says that making a change will not make any change so the laws should be left the same as they are now, or they should be more inclusive to allow more people to carry a concealed weapon.

America is known as the land of opportunity, freedom, fast food, and raging numbers of gun violence. According to Mass Shooting Tracker there has been about 367 shootings so far since the year started (Mass Shooting Tracker). This is outrageous considering that in other countries, gun shooting numbers don 't even reach a two-digit number. Far too many people have been victims of these unregulated weapons, claiming lives and ripping families apart. There is no safe place from these assault weapons, no movie theater, night club, church, or school. American’s must deal with the fact that any unsuited person is legally allowed to purchase a weapon with the weak regulations we currently have. Assault weapons have been damaging for this country and it 's time to change the laws. Gun regulations and laws need to be stricter to make it harder for individuals to purchase guns to prevent any future tragedies from happening.

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.” -NRA chief. This statement has been largely disputed relating to the carrying of concealed weapons in public and whether it should be allowed or not. People try to use the history of guns in America and the interpretation of the second amendment to prove or disprove a point. One can also compare the good and the bad of each side and decide for themselves what they think the best option is. The argument is whether or not concealed carry affects America and it’s citizens in a more positive or negative way. It is only when it’s decided what the effects are can you go forward figuring out the solutions.

Recently, the topic of gun control has been at the top of everybody’s list in regard to what this country needs to focus on. With the recent tragedies in Las Vegas and Orlando, some may claim that giving more people the ability to carry a concealed weapon would deter some criminals from committing crimes due to fear of failure. This theory was discussed and tested in an article by David Fortunato entitled, “Can Easing Concealed Carry Deter Crime?” This article shows results of many surveys and case studies completed within the US regarding topics like types of permits, ease of issuance, and the perceived number or carriers per state. It then goes on to break down this data, and draws a conclusion from it that may surprise some.

Those supporting firearm control contend that in the event that we confine weapons then murder and wrongdoing rates will drop. Be that as it may, until we tackle the disdain on the planet there will dependably be wrongdoing and murdering. Hoodlums will discover different weapons or figure out how to get firearms wrongfully. Contemplates demonstrate that in ranges with more weapon laws, wrongdoing is higher. Until we can begin getting serious about the individuals who perpetrate violations, firearm laws can do nothing to offer assistance. It is not the weapon that executes, but rather the individual pulling the trigger. Samuel Jackson said, “I don’t think it’s about more gun control, I grew up in the south with guns everywhere and we never shot anyone. This [shooting] is about people who aren’t taught the value of life.”

It is clear that mental illness is the overwhelming cause of death from firearms, just not in the way you think. The one thing that seems to get glossed over whenever the infamous gun debate comes up is suicide. While suicide is a taboo subject especially when it comes to the gun debate, it's something people need to stop ignoring. People seem to have this idea that those who own a firearm and have a mental illness are a danger to the people around them when in fact they pose a far bigger threat to their own safety. While it is understandable that communities fear the dangers of mass killings it is suicides that are tearing them apart. According to Metzl, people make four assumptions when it comes to mental illness and firearms: “ that mental illness causes gun violence, that psychiatric diagnosis can predict gun crime, that shootings represent the deranged acts of mentally ill loners, and that gun control “won’t prevent” another Newtown”(Metzl, & MacLeish, 2015). These assumptions are based off what people believe rather than actual facts however and so are not entirely true.

Recently, the SAFE Act, or Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, has sparked a large debate amongst New York residents. The law, passed January 15th, 2013, created many new restrictions for gun owners and those looking to purchase guns. Perhaps the most controversial part of the ordeal was the hasty enactment of the law. Many dispute that it is an infringement on their constitutional rights. In addition, the State doesn 't have the means to enact many parts of the law. The law assumes that restricting the physical guns will solve the issue of gun violence; however, the real issue is mental health, or rather the lack of sufficient mental health care in New York State. The SAFE Act will do little to prevent further gun violence, instead it will restrict law abiding citizens from obtaining firearms for hunting or sport, and it continues to enrage many who feel it 's a violation of their rights.

The Government’s hotly debated views on gun violence in the United States. There is the division within our top braches of the Government. We have the Executive branch headed by our Democratic President Barack Obama. President’s gun control policy is calling for more controls such as mental health screenings and a ban on certain types of weapons. The Republican lead Legislation branch thinks it is paramount that individuals should be able to protect themselves and their families. The Republicans think that we should have fewer gun control regulations and that it should be up to each State to create legislation. Some feel interest groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) have too much power and believe that whatever changes will be more than what the Government tries to convince us what they appear. Both Political parties agree that something must be done in order to stop the gun violence is at an all-time high in the United States. Since January, there have been at least 354 mass shootings cases in about 220 cities in 47 states, this involves shootings that leave four or more dead or wounded (LaFraniere, 2015). While the mass shootings that we hear about are horrendous, our Government is responsibility to protect us without completely fringing on our rights because the second amendment gives us the right to bear arms and to protect ourselves and those that we love.

The United States is home to approximately 5% of the world’s population and 31% of all mass shootings. Through these mass shootings and various other methods of gun violence, tens of thousands of people die every year. These gun-related deaths primarily originate from murder and children accidentally shooting themselves. Although those in favor of gun control tend to believe that guns should be terminated completely, the second amendment prevents lawmakers from being able to do so. Therefore, in order to combat these causes, alternative gun control solutions must be made for each one. Gun-related murders can be decreased through the use of universal background checks. Additionally, accidental shootings can be minimized through the

In early March of 2015, several New York City residents wondered why a gun store opened its doors for only a few days in Manhattan. “First-time gun buyer? We are here to help you!” was one of the signs passersby saw on the storefront (Holley, 2015). The store was phony, and it was tied to an ad campaign for States United to Prevent Gun Violence, or SUPGV. Though signs on the door enticed people to come in and purchase a gun, the purpose of the store was the exact opposite. Full of hidden cameras, the staged shop did not sell guns, rather it informed those that walked through the door about the dangers of owning one.

Crime and guns, the two always seem to be acting together, however, these two elements are absolutely nothing alike. Do guns commit the horrific crimes? Do the laws placed on gun control keep the citizens of the United States safe? These are the questions many citizens and lawmakers are asking themselves when they try to launch laws on gun control. Although many people are for gun control, they do not realize that gun control violate the United States Second Amendment. The Amendment is only 27 words: “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.” Citizens all around America are making the decision that they are for gun control. Their hope is that it will help with the recent shootings, robberies, and murders. However, some people believe that if they take away people’s rights for guns the criminals out there may be able to get their hands on guns anyway. Therefore, guns should be used for law enforcement agencies, to prevent the criminals from becoming more powerful than our own police officers.

We, as American citizens, must arm ourselves and fight against one of the largest threats we face today, gun violence. The murder rate has risen dramatically over the past decade (United States. U.S. Department of Justice), and the only thing our government does to help is saying, “Well, to fix this problem, we’ll obviously need to make it way harder for the general public to get guns. That will keep the people safe,” when they should be saying, “Well, to fix this problem, we need to make sure the innocent population can easily get guns. That way, it won’t matter if the bad guys do because they’ll never have the upper hand anywhere.”