The Arguments For Gun Policy

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. Weighing the rights and liberties of the individual against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the freedom to use and keep arms, rely on the fact that the provision for such rights is enshrined in their constitution. In this climate of

Sandy Hook Elementary. Aurora, Colorado. San Bernardino, California. Las Vegas, Nevada. Orlando, Florida. (Words with Negative Connotation) These are just some of the biggest mass shootings that have swept America in the past few years. Hundreds of lives are lost each year to gun related violence in the United States alone. Gun control has been a topic in our country since our founding fathers adopted the second amendment to the US constitution. Although recently controversy has sparked to an all-new extent in America due to the recent spike in mass shootings and gun related homicides. So many families and loves ones are affected each year in the United States because of gun related violence and other mass killing events, because of these events gun control laws need to be revamped and strengthened in American in order to protect the citizens.

Countless opinions have been broadcasted on national news media regarding what society ought to do about gun control. This controversial topic sparks many heated debates with people of either position reluctant to compromise. Gun supporters claim that the proposed gun laws infringe on their constitutional right to bear arms. Conversely, others believe that restricted gun access would cause gun violence to decrease. Regardless of what side one stands on, with the increase in gun violence, it is safe to say that something must be done.

The debate over stricter gun laws has been ongoing in the United States for quite some time now. Individuals who oppose stricter gun control laws argue that the second amendment to the constitution of the United States constitute part of the bill of rights that protect the right of American citizens to bear arms, and any attempt to set up laws for gun control will be a direct violation of this (Hofstadter 10). They argue that the primary purpose of the amendment was to ensure that American Citizens had the capability to protect themselves against criminal activities and defend the country against external aggression. From a personal perspective, the recent surge in instances of gun violence in the United States of America indicates that stricter gun control laws are necessary for the safety of the American citizenry. Thus, this paper is going to focus on highlighting the benefits of more stringent gun control laws and why members of the public should support it.

The debate over gun control has been raging through the American political systems for years. On one side, there is the National Rifle Association (NRA) and 2nd Amendment-citing citizens who use their firearms for hunting and self-defense. On the other, there is Handgun Control Inc. (HCI) and followers of the Brady Campaign who want to ban guns on the basis that they are dangerous. Both sides have strong arguments, anchored in historical precedent and statistical analysis. Anti-gun control lobbyists’ arguments include the guarantee of the 2nd Amendment, the definition of “militia” as any adult male, self-defense, the relative uselessness of permits and regulations, and court cases in favor of firearm possession. Pro-gun control activists

This paper discusses and is centered around the on-going debate over gun control, I directly address how each major political party views this subject and what I believe the United States Government should do to be able to best combat this tremendous issue. I use research from multiple sources that contrast each side of the argument and give an overall insight into the world of modernized gun control.

While Americans were contemplating gun control proposals in the wake of mass shootings at a Colorado School, another gunman massacred 50 people in a club in Orlando. This incident brought heated political exchanges between President Obama and Trump, the Republican presidential candidate. It is estimated that in 2015 alone, there were more than 351 mass shootings in the United States. This is a worrying trend that should be reversed as soon as possible. Surprisingly, the trend has divided Americans into two groups. On one extreme end, there are those Americans who believe that the government should enforce gun control. On the other end, some Americans insist that stricter gun controls will not help in the fight against killings. In this light, this paper will try to provide a detailed analysis of the gun control debate while highlighting the various points made by the proponents and opponents of the gun control. The essay posits that gun control is counterproductive.

Jill Silos-Rooney’s current professional associations include Bethel Woods Center for the Arts., MassBay Community College, and Oxford University Press. She begins her article, “The Top 3 Liberal Arguments for Gun Control”, with an anecdote about a nine-year-old girl who accidentally killed her gun instructor with an Uzi and proceeds to list off two counterarguments and rebuttals and three assertions for gun control in her Thought Co. article, covering what she believes the best arguments for said gun control are. Her strongest pieces of evidence that support her central claim that “America Needs More Gun Control” (page 1) are “Australia, which has a similar frontier history to that of the United

Gun control has become an increasingly controversial topic in the nation due to the continuous debates relating to gun control and whether or not laws should be passed to make it harder for guns to be obtained. Guns serve for a variety of purposes that range from good to bad. Guns are not for everyone. Some individuals cannot handle guns properly, and some choose to use guns inappropriately. Lately, guns have become more of a problem in our society. There has been an increasing amount of shootings that have taken many lives and have wounded people emotionally, not just physically. Although guns are used for protection, firearms are reportedly used more in crimes. More and more shootings are breaking out across the nation. As a result, the

Although the Second Amendment stops the federal government from entirely banning guns in America, limited restrictions are permitted on the possession and distribution of firearms. The ease of obtaining a firearm in America fosters a dangerous environment and crime. Hence, the Second Amendment should be reinterpreted so that sterner gun laws can be implemented because current background checks are flawed, gun accessibility has been abused by foreign and domestic criminals, and some

Original: A study shows that “46% of gun owners report that their primary reason for owning a firearm is for protection against criminal victimization” (Wallace 158). This statistic is one main reason why gun control should be limited. If America were to take away the right to bear arms, nearly half of all people who own guns would lose their sense of security in their own home, town, and country. Esposito and Finley quote a policer office from 2013 saying “simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option” (86). This isn’t because the police force doesn’t do their job well, but because criminals in the twenty first century are merciless and don’t allow time for cops to come save the day.

Gun control has a history dating back to 1791, when the Second Amendment of the Constitution was ratified. However, more recently, the debate over gun control has escalated into a much more public issue to which many citizens can relate. After all, stories about incidents involving guns appear frequently today in newspapers and on television or the radio. One could say that the debate started with the passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968, which banned ownership of guns by certain groups of people and regulated the sale of guns. Since then, two main groups have gradually appeared: people who oppose strict federal

Due to the increasing number of senseless public shootings involving multiple victims, the controversy between supporters and non-supporter of stricter gun control laws are at an all-time high. The key reason why there has not been a sway in either direction is that there are too many unanswered questions in the argument for or against gun control. Since gun control is such a broad topic, if the argument was narrow down than those in favor of stricter gun control laws would have a chance of persuading the majority. By hindering or prohibiting the purchasing or owning of handguns by civilians, multiple, pointless deaths are avoided. Furthermore, arguments such as people are to blame and guns are the most controllable would fall apart and even the Second Amendment could not back the rebuttal.

We see gun violence happen all too often these days. It seems just about every day or so we have another mass shooting in this country. We have become numb to seeing it on the evening news and yet no one has a good idea on how to stop these violent acts. Recently, some politicians have tried to pass meaningful gun legislation. Unfortunately, that fell short. Even though people believe that by having stricter gun laws it would be an infringement on peoples' Second Amendment rights. Even though countries, such as Australia, have had little to no gun related acts of violence since adopting these laws. With these laws in place, the number of gun related acts of violence would be lowered. It would also make it harder

The need for gun control policy is something that cannot be ignored with the mounting of evidence of gun violence. According to the Gun Violence Archives (GVA), an organization that provides the public information on gun-related violence in the United States reports, “ in 2017 there were 55,090 incidents of gun violence with 13,884 deaths and 28,280 injuries”(Gun Violence Archive 1). This gun violence causes lots of unwanted fear and pain across many communities that results when the country has relatively few gun control policies. Also, children are not immune to gun violence, and GVA reports, “2919 have been killed or injured due to gun-related violence”(Gun Violence Archive 1). Despite, these numbers, most legislative policy to reduce gun violence have been blocked or not supported in Congress. The last major bill passed to prevent gun violence was the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1994 that requires a gun vendor to give background checks to people that want to purchase a gun. This has prevented some from owning a gun; however, the Brady Bill has been dismantled by states. The Brady Campaign, an organization that advocates for gun control policies state, “40% of gun sales occur in “no questions asked,” transactions that often take place over the Internet or at gun shows where, in most states, background checks are not required”(Brady Campaign 1). Not having strict gun control policies only allows people to get hold of guns to do an act of violence.