The Issue Of Gun Control

Throughout American History looking all the way back to the late 18th Century and the Revolutionary War, there have been many qualities that set America apart from all other countries. Documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights bestowed upon Americans have spelled out some of these very qualities that Americans hold dear. One right that is often brought to the forefront of the argument over gun control is found within the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights 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”(1). This powerful statement sets the foundation and

Gun control is a frequently debated topic in the United States. It is often defined as any sort of law or regulation that restricts or forbids the use, the sale, or ownership of a firearm. People argue that because the constitution allows citizens the right to bear arms, that citizens should be allowed to carry weapons, however, this is often taken out of context. The Second Amendment says that citizens have the right to bear arms in an organized militia, “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” (US Const. amend. II, section 8). Over the last few years, there have been many events that sparked additional debate about gun control. Numerous school shootings demonstrate that weapons need to be regulated and controlled.

Since the first manufactured gun, gun control laws have been an ongoing issue in American society. The United States Constitution supports the right for individuals to own firearms. 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." The amendment does not have regulation on gun use. Both state and federal laws help control the use of guns in America. In analyzing America’s gun laws, several are extremely lax and prove to be detrimental to society.

The United States Constitution’s Bill of Rights states that the Second Amendment which is the right to bear arms which is allowing us to have weapons in our hands; many individuals are becomingly increasingly unsure of where the line is drawn on being able to have a gun and what prevents people from using them for harm. Some people have argued that even though the Second Amendment does protect our individual rights to have the option to own arms, that it should give the government authority to ban high-crime communities from using handguns. Gun violence embraces every town in the United States.

In recent years we have seen our nation be split on the issue of gun control. We have seen many violent shootings and innocent people dying because of gun violence. Some Americans believe we need strict gun laws to protect our children and ourselves from these horrific tragedies. Other Americans believes it is our rights as Americans to posses’ guns and we are entitled to that right in our constitution. There are also some Americans that are stuck in the middle and can see both sides but recent events have definitely caused this issue to be in national news weekly if not daily. The benefits of establishing better gun control in America has an unknown outcome but something needs to be done to protect the lives of our children and communities. Although I believe it is our right, as Americans, to posses a firearm, I now see that there could be many benefits to tightening gun regulations in our country.

The controversy surrounding the need for more gun control in the United States is a hot topic. Do we need more gun control? What about the 2nd Amendment? What about crime, protection, the mentally ill? There is a great amount of gun violence in this country and every time something happens, the argument starts up again. Maybe it is time to do more. Adam Gopnik wrote about this subject in his essay “Shootings”. His view is that there needs to be better gun control laws.

There hardly exists a more divisive issue in the political and media landscape across the United States currently than that of gun control. Advocates on either side of the issue are quick to voraciously fight for what they believe, as well as to tear down anyone who sees the issue differently. But unlike other issues, it seems that gun control advocacy does not rest on a spectrum; either you are pro-gun control or you are against it, and anyone caught in the middle is likely to get flak from both sides. But why is the issue of gun control such a hot topic? And why is it that there seems to be no room for compromise? The reason the issue of gun control is so heated is because it’s not just another frenzied debate; it’s a battle.

Getting arrested yesterday was not the highlight of my week. I was hungry; so I went to Wal-Mart get some charcoal, lighter fluid, and steak. I put the charcoal in the grill and the lighter fluid on the coals. I got a little lighter fluid on my arm, but I didn’t pay it much attention. I lit the match and threw it on the coals. I looked down and my sleeve was on fire. I was waving my arm in the air, trying to put it out. Then here they come the police pulled in and tackled me to the ground and putting my sleeve out. The cuffed me and put me in the back of the cop car. They had charged me with waving a firearm in the air. This is a very humors joke about guns, but gun control is a very big topic occurring the in the United States.

Gun control has been a serious topic in the city of Chicago for decades. Hundreds of shootings occur in the city on a yearly basis, resulting in countless injuries and casualties. Who is to blame? Are guns really the problem, or are the people who own them the problem? Getting a firearm in Chicago becomes more and more difficult every year, yet the shootings seem to increase. Some say this is due to and increase in gang violence. Others say that the city is not monitoring the sales of guns and who is able to purchase firearms. According to Vidal “Illinois still has one of the strictest gun laws in the country.” The city is in controversy on whether or not to ban handguns entirely. 2012 was a record year for homicides. According to Vidal

Many American’s just carry a gun for self-protection. Some Americans believe that society deserves to be protected and that we need firearms for the security and self-defense of our U.S. citizens. In the United States, approximately 14% of households with a gun report that they have used a gun for protection (Leddy, 1991).

Gun control has been a longstanding debate in many countries around the world. For centuries men were actually encouraged to arm themselves to protect their families and homes. Many countries have enacted gun control laws in order to contain violent crimes, with the Canadian government taking the first step in the late 1800s. In order to protect its citizens, Canada’s legislature implemented a series of laws, throughout several decades, restricting firearms and requiring gun registration. Although opponents say that their rights and freedoms are violated by such legislation, the ultimate goal is the safety of the Canadian people. Lawmakers were challenged with the task of preventing violence with firearms without infringing on the rights

The past few years in the U.S has seen a steady rise in gun violence. In 2014 according to gunviolencearchive.org there were 280 mass shootings and in 2015 alone, there were over 300 mass shooting events in the U.S (GVA 1). But still there has been little to no changes in gun control legislation or regulations. Many supporters of gun control now feel that any form of legislation will never be passed when, after the tragedy of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school 26 people-- 6 adults and 20 students—were killed, and yet no laws were passed at all to limit access to guns (New Scientist 1). How and why this has and is still happening is an on-going issue. For many opponents of gun control the lives lost simply do not out-weigh the dangers that gun control laws could produce in the future. And while many of these fears such as the endangerment of civil liberties, and loss of self-defense for some should be given proper thought and discussion; but, they simply do not diminish the fact that gun control laws have saved lives and reduced crime overseas, and would do the same in the U.S.

Gun control has been the essential matter in the United States of America for some time presently. Gun control is a painstaking argument of the significance of established gun law and Second Amendment. The transformation between previous years and the current time, in which the Amendment was drafted and how the severely increased the killing power of modern firearms, makes suggestions to the laws constructed two centuries ago obsolescent. As Americans citizens we have the right to the Second Amendment which says “ 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 infringed”. (Where)

Gun control, thanks to media outlets and recent events that have occurred in our homeland has become a topic of great controversy. There are people that are going to the extremes to express their opinions, and it’s causing a group polarization in our country. We feel that we are actually “at war” with those on the opposite side of the fence. Unfortunately neither side is getting the full picture. We have news sources like Fox News and CNN that go extreme right and left it’s hard to tell what is what. It is good to be well rounded on any controversial issue, to avoid having a limited argument pool.

The issue regarding gun control has long been debated by American society and remains as a major issue in the political arena. Due to the recent mass shootings involving tragic massacres of both children and adults, the question regarding guns and its social implications have renewed national interest. Among the questions involve the ethicality of prohibiting guns, as well as its practicality. Despite these conflicts, the overall benefits of imposing looser gun restrictions far outweigh its prohibition.