The Need for Stricter Gun Control Laws Essay

With the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Firearm Owners Protection act of 1986, The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, etc, all of these regulations have proved to not stop gun violence. The regulations all hinder the access of guns to people abiding the laws, but not to the illegal trade of guns. Dr. Daniel Webster the Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research found in the least stricter states only 28.9% of gun violence perpetrators would have been denied a gun from the most strictest of states. He also goes on to say that, “40% of the inmates had illegally obtained a gun with only 13% of them getting them from a pawn

Gun control has become more of a hot topic in recent years. Some believe that there is no need for additional gun control. On the other hand, we have some that believe that the government can improve gun laws. Although many believe that gun control will violate their rights, the idea of stricter gun control laws can help communities.

President obama said at a press conference on October 01, 2015 “The solution to such violence is obvious. It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun.” (Simple Minded Gun Control). Gun control is a controversial issue worldwide. The reason why this has attracted so much attention is because not everyone is in favor of gun control and each side brings up excellent points about the issue. Research related to this issue strongly supports the claim that there SHOULD be more gun control laws. Three arguments that prove this position are (1) Incidents like Sandy Hook will be less likely to occur (2) It reduces the high rates of accidental deaths (3) As the years pass by and technology updates the laws should be up to date as well. Members from the National Rifles Association state that No law-abiding American should be forced to face evil with empty hands. I say I agree with President Obama there SHOULD be more gun control laws because it should not be as easy as it is for someone who wants to inflict harm on others to get their hands on a weapon.

Gun violence has been on the rise for many years and there seems to be no solution. People feel more protected with guns in their home, but actually this increases their risk to be in harm’s way of being hurt or killed because of the gun. The majority of gun ownership is owned by civilians “75 percent of the world’s 875 million guns are civilian controlled”(Gun Violence). People also feel more protected when they carry a gun on their person but this also increases their risk of being harmed “Philadelphia study found that the odds of an assault victim being shot were 4.5 times greater if he carried a gun" and that "his odds of being killed were 4.2 times greater when armed”(Gun Violence). If people knew that it increases their risk of being killed then not very many people will carry a gun around.

In addition, probably less than one percent of all guns will ever be involved in a violent crime. The problem of criminal gun violence is concentrated within a very small subset of gun owners, indicating that increasing gun control aimed at the general population faces a serious "needle-in-the-haystack problem" and will not achieve the intended benefit (Young, 2002).

The debate over the right to bear arms according to the Second Amendment has been a hotly contested issue for many years in American history. The matter has been one of the most controversial issues in the second half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first; disputed between politicians on the liberal and conservative side along with issues such as abortion, capital punishment, and gay marriage. The Supreme Court has officially defined the controversial Second Amendment by stating that states have the right to maintain a militia separate from a federally controlled army (Gale Encyclopedia, pg. 155-162). However, “Courts have consistently held that the state and federal governments may lawfully regulate the sale, transfer,

The Second Amendment of The United States Constitution 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."

Guns have become a serious issue in today’s society. There have been incalculable incidents that involved a gun causing physical harm to a person. This can occur when guns are not properly stored in a safe location. House Bill 75 has been proposed to help solve this problem. With this bill set in place, if a minor has the ability to access a firearm unauthorized, the person responsible for that firearm will receive criminal penalties. As a matter of a fact, there have been cases reported about this complication we face in today’s society. In spite of that fact, some may argue that there is no need for this Bill to exist. House bill 75, will definitely help out with gun control in America.

Gun control has raised various debates in the public policy for quite a long time. Gun control involves the banning of ownership of some or all types of firearms, waiting period and the so called ban on Saturday night specials. These gun control laws have not been useful in combating crimes as many studies conducted before and after the laws have shown no correlation. In most cases there are misconceptions like high death rates in children related to the gun associated accident and the effectiveness of these control laws in other countries which are false. Indeed gun ownership has contributed to significant decline in the crime rates and therefore gun laws should be changed to make it easier for Americans to purchase handguns, carry them

America is the most well armed nation in the world, with American citizens owning about 270 million of the world’s 875 million firearms (Marshall). Indeed, this is more than a quarter of the world’s registered firearms. The reason why Americans own so many guns is because of the Second Amendment, which 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.” (Rauch) This amendment guarantees U.S. citizens the right to have firearms. Since this amendment is relatively vague, it is up for interpretation, and is often used by gun advocates to argue for lenient gun laws. Hence, gun control is a frequently discussed controversial topic in American politics.

The history of guns has long been embedded in our society and culture. Back in the old days, people used guns for the hunting of food. Most people in those days also would use guns as their main source of income as wells as for the protection of themselves from Indians, wild animals, and other enemies. There had less rules concerning the purchasing of guns and the handling of it. However, the times are really changing and the intents of civilians to do things are sometimes not for the better. According to the viewpoint essay “Stronger Gun Control Laws Will Save Lives” by Christine Watkins, Watkins states that there are “400,000 crimes committed every year,” and “the United States has the highest rate of firearm deaths (more than 30,000 each year) among twenty-five high-income nations.” Firearms are very dangerous, and having guns does not necessarily mean that it will protect a person from enemies. It is the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens, not the citizens themselves. There would be a reduction of gun-related deaths and incidents by having stricter gun regulations and performing more thorough background checks or gun owners.

There is a need in this country for gun control laws as well as benefits for the citizenry who own them. With the current state of our society these days, owning a gun has become a necessity for some, if not all, household. I, myself, conform for every household having a gun. Although we have our police force always ready to rescue anyone in distress, every second matters when we are facing face to face with danger. Granted that the authorities are already underway, having something on hand to defend one’s self is the most important thing for the time being. Though I believe that everybody needs to be educated on how to protect our own safety in a close contact combat, it is as important as being knowledgeable in handling and using guns for short-range/long-range threats. Ideally, having knowledge of both is of greater advantage. However, if one can’t have both, owning a gun can always come in handy. But, should we regulate or ban the use of weapons? My standpoint is No. With this in mind, it is necessary to be informed of the responsibilities, advantages and disadvantages of owning a gun. Additionally, we will tackle the National Firearms Act of 1934, which addresses taxing the firearms that only covers two types of handguns. Even more, the Gun Control Act of 1968, the legislation that was passed to regulate interstate and foreign commerce in firearms which includes the importation, prohibited persons and licensing provisions. As well as the Brady Law,

"Gun Control." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.

Between 1999 and 2013 469,033 total deaths were caused by guns. Guns were the leading cause of homicides as well as a leading cause in most deaths passing several well-known diseases. About 200 people a day go to hospitals with gun wounds. Another repulsing facts is that American children under the age of 15 or 9 times more likely to die of a gun incident. Gun violence is an obvious problem and more gun laws could better our country as a

In 1968, the “Gun Control Act” was passed for a specific purpose which was “keeping firearms out of the hands of those not legally entitled to possess them because of age, criminal background, or incompetence.” The Act was made particularly to control imported guns, expand some requirements on the gun-dealer licensing and record keeping, and to place specific limits on sale of handguns. In 1977 the District of Columbia passed an anti-handgun law which required that all rifles and shotguns within its district should be registered. Just like these, there are many more laws that have been passed through the years, so that the government can have more “control” over the people buying guns, and using them. The most recent case filed was in June