As the networks and cable news’ programs relentlessly drone on about why anyone would want to ambush a large gathering of unarmed, innocent people, the most salient point is being purposely ignored because it simply doesn’t fit the narrative.
As a nation and culture, we have been desensitized to the value of human life. How else do you explain the nearly 60 million babies aborted since 1973? The steady volley of recent mass shootings: Virginia Tech, Fort Hood, Aurora, Newtown, Charleston, San Bernardino, Orlando, and now, Las Vegas are all byproducts of that desensitization that dates back practically two generations.
History underscores how that list will only grow and its victims multiplied.
It is never productive to try and answer the hysterical reactions of the gun control crowd after a tragedy like Las Vegas, especially as they have locked and loaded themselves into their now infamous “don’t waste a crisis mode.” It is important, however, to strongly infer that countries that do outlaw gun ownership have been among the most violent and oppressive throughout history.
Those railing for more gun control laws dismiss the truth that the values and institutions most essential to the preservation of Western Civilization have been in a freefall for the last half century. Once upon a time in America, there were moral absolutes like the Ten Commandments that guided our behavior and underwrote our laws.
However, today, we fire coaches who pray after a high school
Gun control should not exist at all in the United States. Mass shootings have almost become seen as normal event in the United States. What people do not understand is that gun control is not the answer; there are countries with little to no control that have fewer shootings. According to The Washington Post,Finland is ranked number 4 in countries with the most guns despite that they only had 24 homicides by firearm (“Gun homicides and ownership by countries” n.pag.) . In the article Did Gun Control Work In Australia “it is shown that gun control has reduced the problems but it still has not completely got rid of all firearm deaths”(Matthews n.pag.). The number of murders, homicides, or suicides do not go up due to people just owning more guns. Clayton Perry, a staff writer at the University of Maine, even points out “Stricter gun laws were in place during the Assault Weapons Ban between 1994 and 2004, but that didn't stop the shooters at Columbine in 1999 ”(Perry n. pag.). In Iceland, thirty out of a hundred people own a gun and they have zero homicides caused by guns a year(“Gun Homicides and ownership by country” n. pag.). In this day and age, everything is unpredictable, guns are a form of protection for everyone and there should not be restrictions on protection. The U.S. Department of Justice released a data brief that states, “ On average in 1987-92 about 83,000 crime victims per year used a firearm to defend themselves or their property”(Rand BJS Statistician n. pag.). The National Sheriffs Association released that the average police response time is at eighteen minutes while the average school shooting only last twelve minutes (“Embracing Technology To Decrease Response Time” n. pag.). Gun control should not exist because other countries do fine without it , high gun ownership has no link with increasing death rates , and guns are not harmful when instructions are followed.
In the United States of America the right to bear arms gave birth to a phenomenon called the “gun culture,” the term coined in 1970 by a historian Richard Hofstadter, which describes America’s heritage and affection for weapons(1). Not only did gun culture become an inseparable part of American democracy, but also it is considered to be synonymous with independence and freedom, the most important values for American society. Even though the crime rate and murder rate in the U.S. is higher than in any other developed country, U.S. citizens oppose every attempt made to pass gun control legislation(2). However, it may sound like a paradox, but the crime level in the most liberal states, when it comes to gun ownership, is the lowest in the
Guns and weaponry have always been a major part of the cultures of the world since the beginning of time. For the United States of America, gun use can be traced back to the colonial days, our revolutionary roots. They have helped the United States turn the table specifically in times of dire need such as the Revolutionary War. Not only have advances in weaponry influenced the U.S., they have also helped to shape events across the globe. In 1791, this was understood by the Founding Fathers while writing the Constitution, which can be seen in the Second Amendment: “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”[1]. With the advancement of guns specifically, there has been a rise in mass shootings, casualties, crime and controversy that has begun to split the United States. All a person has to do is turn on the television to a news channel, and at any given time, heartache, most often linked to guns, can be found. Some cry for a need for better gun regulation or sometimes complete abolishment for recreational use, while others cling to their weapons with claim of self-defense and economic profit. Violent crimes have been on the rise years; there has been an estimated 1.2 billion crimes of violence that occurred in the United States alone [2]. One thing is certain: gun trade and regulation boosts the economy. Last year, 301,
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.
Every so often the media and news feeds flood with reports of a mass shooting. Families mourn. In the days that follow, calls to action can be heard, and there is a demand for change. Sometimes minor legislation passes, but in the United States extreme change is rarely seen. Other developed nations provide an opposite comparison. Following the Port Arthur shooting in Australia and the shooting in Great Britain, both countries organized for significant gun reform.
In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since it’s birth. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, hunt for food and engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control is complex. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified as citizens of the Land of the Free. Possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity. Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and
Imagine somebody breaking into your home with the intentions of hurting you and your family and trying to take all your valuables that you own in your house, and not having anything to protect your loved ones. Without the protection of a firearm, the intruder could injure or kill all members within the household easily. In the United States, according to the Bill of Rights, a citizen has the right to bear arms, however, recently people have started to believe that guns only incite violence and therefore gun laws need to be more strict. Although, If you own the firearm for the right reasons and go through the process of having a carrying license, then that is within your rights to protect yourself and be able to own the gun. Therefore,
According to Nicholas Kristof’s article “our blind spot about guns” gun control is a lot like cars regulation such that if we can regulate cars we can regulate guns. It took a lot of time and effort but thanks to regulations cars are safer than they were many years ago, and the same is very possible with guns. We need to keep our country safe. The first steps to gun control are improving on background checks and also requiring trigger locks on all guns.
Bang. Bang. The shots rang out. When the state trooper arrived on scene he immediately took cover and began firing. As bullets flew through the air, pedestrians screamed in horror, and multiple lives were being taken all the police officer could think about was saving as many beating hearts as possible. Seven beautiful souls were lost that day, four innocent bystanders and three members of law enforcement. As the responding trooper observed his surroundings his breath was taken away; seven lives were ended entirely too soon, because a group of escaped inmates had easy access to guns. Nobody prepared for the storm. Gun control is preparing for the storm, which is requiring medical records before purchasing a firearm, holding stronger laws for gun shows and auctions, and pushing police to take accusations seriously. We as citizens of the United States of America must love our country enough to take the necessary precautions that are needed to ensure a safe country.
From 1988 to 2001, the usage of anti-depressant drugs in the general public increased by four-hundred percent (Swanson). The mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary took place in December of 2012, and during 2014, firearms were used in 88 percent of teen homicides, and 41 percent of teen suicides (“Suicidal Teens”). On February 28th, 2017, the Trump administration repealed a firearms regulation that prevented mentally disabled persons from owning guns. At the same time, teenage mental illness is on the rise, specifically in cases of depression and anxiety. A report from the Surgeon General shows that over 90 percent of adolescents that committed either suicide or homicide have or had a mental disability. Mental disabilities such as depression and anxiety put teenagers at a high risk for homicides and suicides. Teenagers who are stressed due to school, lack of parenting, puberty, bullying, and other factors can develop depression, anxiety or another mental illness. Allowing these teens easy access to firearms proves time and time again to be very dangerous. In some cases, the families of these teens have never been assessed to see if they can responsibly store firearms. The only background check performed is on the owner of the firearm, meaning that a person may own the weapon even if another family member living with them legally cannot. Loose gun control laws allow families with physiologically ill children to have access to firearms, without first checking to see if the disabled children in the home are responsible enough to be around said firearms. Repealing gun control laws instated by the Obama administration will cause an increase in adolescent firearm-related homicides, suicides, and tragedies similar to the one at Sandy Hook Elementary.
Craig Williams Kate Simonsen ENG 112 82PR 03 November 2015Guns Don’t Kill but People Do!Many decades ago, the founders of America escaped from England to escape the strict rules that were being forced on them by their rulers. The men of this new found land convened to discuss their rules and rights to run their newly created government. They create a bill declaring the basic rights that every man in the country could have. Some of the basic rights that were created was the right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, free speech. One of the most important rights created was the right to keep and bear arms. However, in these times of increased violence with guns, many people in America believe that the possession of guns is
America is a country where guns are becoming more of a common household item, more people have been buying guns to protect their families. While guns are becoming more popular in homes, gun violence and crime is becoming more common as well. As more people are dying everyday from gun violence and crime, the government and the people of the country are beginning to take the incidents into account and are beginning to build up more laws around gun control. But with these laws many people have begun to not agree with them. Americans are questioning whether having more gun control will help, or if it will create more chaos and violence in their country.
Gun control will not protect United States citizens any more than having no gun control, it will keep the guns away from the responsibility, and do nothing to prevent criminals from obtaining them. Numerous natives and government officials trust that firearm confinements will diminish murder rates and wrongdoing greatly; nonetheless, this isn't the situation. If a criminal has the urge to commit a crime, they will got to all stakes to obtain a gun. Even though it is illegal. Gun control laws will not protect this country because law abiding citizens will not obtain guns, but they will still find ways to cause commotion; therefore, there is no point of keeping guns out of their hands."Over the last three years, Minnehaha and Pennington
Gun control is one of the most talked about topics in modern day America. 43 of 50 states have the right to bear arms. Most states have to background check you in order for you to purchase or sell guns. Some other states prevent carrying guns and some other ban assault rifle weapons. People who support the gun laws say that the second amendment was meant for militias and that gun restrictions have always existed. People who oppose that say that guns are needed for self-defense from people who invade houses or are actual threats. Although both of those are correct, there will always be two sides for control laws.
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.