Violence is out of control, and guns are a major cause - Should Guns Be Banned? introduction. This is a belief many Americans now share. This belief is fueling a nationwide movement that could result in a total prohibition on private-gun ownership in the near future. Just imagine if every handgun owner was made to dispose of their gun, how much more peaceful the U. S. or rather the world would be? Ownership of private guns is being banned one step at a time.
The recently enacted Brady Bill mandates a national five-day waiting period and background check for all handgun purchases (Wollstein par. 1). Maryland has just passed a law that requires a state license for any handgun purchase and limits purchases to one per month. Also, President Clinton banned the importation of most foreign-made, semiautomatic rifles (Reynolds 1). On February 28, 1994, Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen announced that several 12-gauge semiautomatic shotguns were being reclassified in the same category as machine guns (Wollstein par. ). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms simultaneously announced that they would trace the owners of 18,000 of these shotguns and order them to be fingerprinted and to register their guns with the ATF within 30 days — or face ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine (Wollstein par. 4). On the same day that semiautomatic shotguns were reclassified, Senator Howard Metzenbaum introduced legislation that would require all handgun owners to get a federal license, pass a safety test, and register their weapons with police (Reynolds 3).
Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan has proposed legislation that would raise the tax on some ammunition up to 10,000 percent. The price of a single box of Winchester 9-millimeter hollow-tipped cartridges would increase to $15,000( ). Would banning guns reduce crime? According to recent polls, most Americans now support gun licensing as a way to reduce crime. Crime has certainly been increasing — particularly violent crime. Between 1960 and 1980, robberies nationwide increased by 300 percent. In the same period, both the number of handguns and the national murder rate doubled (Wollstein par. ). But is the proliferation of guns the cause of violence or a response to violence?
While mass shootings cause a huge unnecessary loss of life, most killings in the United States come from murders and crimes. Guns should be banned to lower crime rates. Because “more than 70% of homicides are committed with a firearm” (Cannon n.p.) and 2.
Did you know you are 4 times more likely to be killed with a knife or other cutting instrument than you are by a rifle or a shotgun? Gun rights and gun control are always hot items during any political discussion, whether it is between peers or politicians. One of the many great advantages to being an American is the ability to choose for one's own self what to believe in. Another advantage, in my opinion, is the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Laws should not restrict gun rights because first, it would infringe the second amendment, second, guns are a part of our culture, and finally, if guns were outlawed, citizens of the U.S. would become vulnerable.
American citizens have been given a right to firearms, and this right should not be infringed. Opponents of this right to firearms argue that, citizens should not be allowed the right to firearms. Their main reason is that, it will help curb violence cases by guns. This has been challenged because; criminals will still acquire firearms illegally and continue terrorizing citizens because, they are fully aware that, they are not armed. Moreover, according to Winkler (89), “Guns do not kill people; it is people who kill people,” and so, denying citizens the right to own guns will not stop any violence. Likewise, the society will not be safe as there will be an increase in violence and criminal activities because the citizens have no firearms to defend themselves.
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
They say guns kill people, technically. People kill people. As if guns were able to walk around and shoot, which in this case they are not. So should guns be illegal, i think not.
The first thought that comes to mind when most people think of “handguns” is death. A handgun is described as a firearm that can be held with one hand, such as a revolver or a pistol. Because of it’s size a handgun can be easily concealed and therefore one of many weapons used in violent crimes particularly within inner city communities. Will banning handguns decrease crime? Should handguns only be carried by law officials and military personnel? Handguns do not kill people; “people kill people”. In this article I will address the above questions and express why I feel handguns should not be banned.
October, 1st 2017 has marked the latest in a now all too familiar trend of tragedies; a mass killing of civilians by a sick individual. In the wake of this tragedy, there is a mass of human emotion, grief, anger, sadness, and a demand for justice to right what has been wronged. In looking for justice, one needs an antagonist to blame, in this case an object, the gun. While it is true that firearms are the weapon of choice for many violent tragedies across the United States, will a ban on firearms truly solve the problem of violence for the country? Although a firearm ban may seem like a preventative for violence in the United States, a comparison of violent crime in other countries with varying levels of gun control, the lack of
Congress enacted the first major federal gun control initiative in 1934 which regulated the sale of fully automatic firearms. A new federal law followed this new legislation in 1938 that required gun sellers to be licensed and prohibited persons convicted of violent felonies from purchasing guns. Congress didn't pass any more gun control legislation until 1968. The Gun Control Act of 1968 regulated imported guns, intensify gun-dealer licensing requirements, and expanded the list of persons not eligible to purchase guns to include persons convicted of any non-business related felony, minors, persons found to be mentally incompetent, and users of illegal drugs. In 1986, federal legislation established mandatory penalties for the use of a gun in the commission of a federal crime. Also prohibited were "cop killer" bullets capable of penetrating bulletproof clothing. In 1990, legislation was passed which banned the manufacturing and importation of semiautomatic assault weapons. In 1994, Congress ratified what has been regarded as the most comprehensive effort
One may attribute the increased rate of violence in the U.S. to guns, and while this may hold some truth, the fact remains that the mere presence of guns does not cause violence. Gun ownership is at about twenty five percent per capita in Switzerland, yet the homicide rate was about point five per hundred thousand residents, according to the Swiss Federal Government. Violence rates in the U.S. are not just because of the presence of guns; guns and peace can coincide. In addition to this, tighter legal regulations do not necessarily reduce violence, as about seventy nine percent of gun crimes are caused by illegal gun owners, according to a study conducted by Pittsburg’s Graduate School of Public Health and the Bureau of Police. Why would one with the desire to commit a crime bother obtaining a gun legally when the same gun could be purchased
The debate of whether or not the government should ban the sell of guns, and attempt to remove all guns in existence has been debated for a long period of time; I believe that banning guns is not only implausible, it will do more harm than good. In this essay, I’ll be discussing the history of this debate, as well as discuss some misinformation that’s been proposed by those wishing to ban guns. I’ll also discuss how guns do not turn ordinary, law abiding citizens into killers, and how owning guns can effectively help protect yourself, your family, and your home while decreasing casualties and crime.
Many would agree that there is a distressing amount of violence in America. Violence takes place in many forms, in different severities, and in many places. In an effort to continually make our society more civilized, ways to stop these violent acts from occurring are always being contemplated. There are many ways to approach the epidemic in America, but one that has increasing popularity is applying more strict gun control laws. Strict gun laws are viewed by many to be a step in the right direction, but they are actually a potential danger to the citizens of the United States.
There are many Americans who are opposed and many who are for the control of firearms. Robert Farago is an author and publisher of thetruthaboutguns.com, in his article, “Gun control is not the answer: Opposing view”, he states that gun control laws won’t stop criminals from committing mass shooting or other crimes. Farago gives an example of how president Obama created more gun control laws but he goes on to saying that with or without laws, criminals are still going to shoot or rob innocent people. He also gives reasons on how a law cannot prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands. The main idea of this article is to persuade and inform American citizens that with or without gun control laws, crimes will keep occurring. Farago has a strong belief that gun control acts will not
5. The vast majority of gun owners are not all crackpots. It’s just those few who are mentally ill and take a gun and kill innocent people. Most people keep a gun
“I argue that location-specific gun bans (commonly known as “gun-free zones”) are typically unjust” (Pg.1, Hsiao)
Gun ownership should be banned in order to reduce crime rates and ensure the protection of our nation’s people. Throughout the United States, gun control has become a controversial issue due to gun advocates strongly believing their 2nd Amendment rights guarantee them legal access to guns. Although gun advocates view gun ownership as self defense, the government and gun control supporters have noticed that legal distribution of guns has been linked to school shootings, homicide, and violent crimes. Furthermore, legal distribution of guns increases the risk of harming innocent people while declining the police’s power to establish safety in society. Overall, in order to prevent the destruction of our country, the people must work together to ban gun ownership and ratify the 2nd Amendment rights clarifying its purpose to the public.