The Assault Rifle Ban

Guns are a major problem in our society and the numbers of these gun-related murders are continuing to rise. On top of the murders you also have people losing their lives through misfire and gun-related suicides. The total death toll of all gun-related deaths averages over 30,000 per year in the U.S. (http://blogs.kqed.org/lowdown/2013/03/07/u-s-gun-deaths-visualizing-the-numbers/). I believe that enforcing stricter gun laws will contribute to getting these numbers lower. The numbers do not lie, we as a society have a problem with gun-violence and we need to do something to fix it.

The issue of banning assault weapons and large capacity magazines has been debated for years, but has never been discussed with such urgency as it is now. The issue is the banning of assault weapons in our society. Are we the kind of country that allows and encourages its citizens to own weapons of mass destruction? The moral issue we face is banning ownership of these weapons to ordinary citizens while protecting their rights under the second amendment of our Constitution. Considering the bloodshed and death that assault weapons cause in the hands of citizens and criminals, it seems to me that assault weapons do not have a place in our homes and society.

July 20th, 2012, twelve are killed and fifty-eight are injured at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. The man who killed them used a semi-automatic rifle with a one hundred round magazine. An automatic weapon has no use in the United States because all sporting events, and activities with guns can be accomplished without automatic weapons. It is important because it limits the possibilities of events like the shooting at the Sandusky school in Ohio. Some would say they are a good for shooting range activity and most people don’t commit crimes with them, getting rid of automatic weapons would get rid of the crimes committed with them overall. People die because of the actions taken with with assault rifles. Automatic weapons should be banned in the US because they are not needed for self defense, and they have almost no use in recreational activities.

Assault style or automatic weapons have been a common denominator in almost all fatal mass shootings. It is unnecessary for civilians to purchase automatic weapons for non-military use. If there was a ban on the purchasing of militarized weapons by civilians, it would decrease the number of fatal mass shootings drastically.

Assault weapons are the newest and the most popular type of firearm. When most people hear the term ‘assault weapon’, they think of an unnecessary weapon and their connections to mass shootings. That type of thinking is necessary when it comes to these types of weapons, and too many those disagree with people who think this way. There arguments are, “This is America,” and “It’s guaranteed in the second amendment,” but the issue is assault weapons have no place in American society outside the military and police use. The Second Amendment states, “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.” This sentence written by our forefathers says nothing about which weapons are allowed in this country. So it is up to our government to decide which guns are legal and which guns are illegal. From a logical and educated perspective all assault weapons should be banned from public distribution and possession, and be restricted to use by our police and armed forces. This can easily be proven by why the 1994 gun ban was not successful, assault weapon capabilities in the hands of citizens, and solutions to assault weapon control.

If there was some type of ban on assault weapons, many lives could be saved. Assault weapons are becoming very attractive to criminals because of their capacity, “an assault weapon is generally considered to be a semiautomatic weapon with a detachable ammunition magazine and some type of advanced feature typically used in military-grade weapons.”(Assault Weapons) For example, most military-style weapons have high capacity of ammunition, meaning they can kill a lot of people in a very short time. Implementing

Mass shootings are a controversial subject because many do not want to rush into gun control because they could because anxious from any recent mass shootings. Supporters of gun control believe that taking away “assault weapons” would solve this but that word was made up in the wake of these shootings . “Assault Weapons” are made up assault rifles are standard practice for the military as they are fully automatic and have big capacity magazines and are made specifically to do major damage. The “Assault Weapons” many supporters want to ban are known as semi-automatic rifles and have been around since the early days of the war with vietnam. In fact the AR-15 the most popular rifle in America and it was originally developed 60 years ago as defensive weapon and the company that developed it sold the rights to Colt to make fully automatic versions for the military called the M16 but also sold

The Second Amendment gives average citizens the right to keep and bear arms. This has been an occurring issue for a while now but the recent school shooting by Adam Lanza in December of 2012, an unstable man who had access to assault weapons killed 26 people. Do you feel safe under The Second Amendment? Many people think these mass shootings could have been stopped if the government had never repealed the 1994 assault weapon ban or if we had universal background checks, keeping this ban active could have saved 26 adults and kids from their death. Not only do mass shooting occur too often but so do attacks that end in tragedy. Trayvon Martin is just one of many who was killed for being an average teen in the U.S. only his life was cut short because he decided to walk through a very unwelcoming neighborhood. Under the Second Amendment everyday citizens are not protected by the current gun control laws.

The banning of firearms in America is an illegal act, and degrades the values this country was founded on. They not only play a vital role in many people's lives, but are useful tools, fun to use, and can protect people from harm. Our founding fathers wanted us to have them to protect ourselves from the government, and would be disgusted at our government's current abuse, and overall disregard of the constitution of the United States. A lot of people argue that guns kill people; this is untrue. Guns in the hands of a negligent person have potential to kill people, just as anything else.

As big of a threat as they may seem, assault rifles are not the first major weapon to wreak havoc on the citizens of the United States. If we take a time machine back in time, we can see that when there are weapons

Over the last decade or so, the United States of America has been shaken by an epidemic of terrifying mass shootings, devastating slayings of unexpecting victims, and unnerving annihilations of the innocent. There is no specific target, no explicitly sought-out group, nor definite individual. From a classroom of first-graders, to a crowded movie theatre, to a U.S. Naval yard, the location seems at most, random, other than that it is almost always a public place. The perpetrators responsible for these horrific murders also vary, and often surprise those who thought they knew them. However, while the occurrences of mass shootings are unpredictable and always shocking, most have one thing in

Gun violence in the United States is higher than ever, and criminals with guns will “…kill as many as 1000 people each day” (Alpers&Wilson). Taking this into perspective, it is only right to fight fire with fire or, in this case, use a gun to protect yourself and those around you. Gun control does not only decrease the ability for protection, it also decreases our rights as U.S citizens. The constitution clearly states that we are given the right to bear arms, meaning we may carry fire arms. Even if we have stricter laws for guns, it will not stop killers from shooting innocent people. These men and women causing damage to the lives of numerous individuals do not care if there is a law banning guns, because all they truly want to do is

There are numerous types of firearms that are available for people to purchase. But, many in the government are trying to pass the assault weapons ban in the United States. An assault weapon is a semi-automatic firearm with a large capacity magazine. It is considered a military rifle and can cause severe damage. According to Phelan IV, “In December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children between six and seven years old, as well as six adult staff members with an assault weapon (Phelan IV).” This brought varying opinions on whether an assault weapons should be banned at the federal level. Opponents say assault weapons should not be banned because of the second amendment and because gun control efforts have proved to be ineffective; however, these weapons should be banned in the U.S., as it is rarely used in self-defense and it can build a safer society.

The United States of America is a nation of massacres by military-type assault weapons. Aware of the deadliness of these weapons and due to public safety concerns clearly outweighing the benefits of personal ownership of military-type assault weapons, the United States passed the 1994 Federal Ban on military-type assault weapons. This ban was notably effective during the 10 years it was in effect. However, the Ban automatically expired in 2004. Since that time, the number of U. S. mass murders has markedly increased. Attempts to reinstate the Ban, most recently the stricter 2013 Ban, have all failed. Nevertheless, the less restrictive 1994 Ban did pass the Senate and House of Representatives at one point and was successful. Therefore, the 1994 Federal Ban on military-type assault weapons should be reinstated.

In today’s society, it is not difficult to get access to assault weapons. In California and many other states in America, obtaining a gun license is very easy: any twenty one years old and above legal resident can qualify for a gun license. The requirements are: pass the written gun safety test, pass the federal background check, pay a small fee and present a valid ID. If they fulfill all the requirements, then they can legally buy a gun from any legal vendors. In addition to legal purchases of guns, there have been notorious cases of illegal gun trafficking among the nation. The number of people who have access to guns is a surprisingly large number. It does not matter how strictly the gun control policy could be, it is still very difficult for the government to have control over what kind of people that are using guns. Many people argue that they keep a gun for self-defense; however, the number of people who use guns in crimes are greater than the number of people who use it for self-defense. Therefore, assault weapons should be banned for a better living environment.