On December 15th 1791, the second amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified. The amendment states that, "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 (U.S. Constitution).” While this amendment may have been appropriate at the time, 223 years later it is evident that change is most definitely necessary in the United States. Gun control policy must become much stricter due to the following reasons: 1) more guns lead to higher homicide and suicide rates, 2) most massacres involve legal weapons, 3) modern militias would not work against the U.S. military forces, and 4) other countries have seen successful results after …show more content…
Guns in households are not safe, they are dangerous. Most Massacres involve legal weapons. On December 14, 2012, almost a year ago, Adam Lanza single handedly killed 26 people by gunfire. He killed his mother in their own home and then proceeded to break into Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newton, Connecticut and shot at innocent teachers and children. Twenty of the people he killed were under the age of ten.
Sandy Hook reminded Americans of the Columbine High School massacre, another school shooting that took place in Colorado, 13 years before Sandy Hook, which resulted in thirteen casualties. Due to the lack of gun control, these two incidents did not only ruin the lives of victims killed, but the lives of all of their families and friends as well. American citizens should not have to worry about their, or anyone else’s, lives being endangered when they are in places such as their homes, work place, school, or anywhere else for that matter. Americans have no choice but to remain cautious until stricter gun control laws are implemented.
Some might wonder “how do psychopaths such as Lanza and other mass murders get a hold of guns?” The real question is “What psychopath couldn’t get a hold of a gun?” With relaxed laws, and many loopholes in the limited gun control laws that do exist, almost anybody can get a hold of a gun. Even people with convicted felonies can
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.
One of the most controversial issues in our society today is the topic of private gun ownership and gun control laws. This controversy has arisen mostly due to the different ways that the second constitutional amendment is interpreted. The amendment states that "a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right to the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" (Lott, 2000). On one side of the issue, there are those that believe that the amendment guarantees the right of individuals to possess and carry a wide variety of firearms. On the other side are those that contend that the amendment was only meant to guarantee to States the right to operate militias.
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,
You’re in your house and someone breaks in. Oh no, gun control laws said you can’t have a gun! You have no protection, so you’re dead within seconds. This is why the U.S. does not need tougher gun control laws. We need guns for protection, we should have the right to conceal one at all times, and the second amendment says we can have a firearm.
Weapons have been a big problem to the United States for many years now. People have access to many weapons just as easy as the US Military does. The people of the US can both go to a gun store and buy a weapon at the age of sixteen, or they can make a deal with anyone in the streets of the US. Because of the accessibility to weapons, Americans can cause collateral damage in the neighborhood they live in. They can also commit robbery, or go anywhere and start shooting.
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.
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,
Do you like guns or would like to own a gun? Would like to have a gun for self protection if the time comes? If so the gun control laws could cause you not to be able to. For that reason gun control laws are way too strict. Some of the elderly that live alone look to guns as self defense. That is way is why I believe there shouldn’t be so much gun control.
"Gun Control." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
Sandy Hook elementary school shooting is a horrifying example of exactly how easily accessible guns can destroy innocent lives. Twenty young children were murdered on that day. Six teachers died trying to protect them and it was all down to one man. One man with a twisted mind and three guns he had taken from his own home was able to eliminate the future of twenty six people and break apart families forever.
This incident in called the Sandy Hook Shooting. This was a day where kids went to school not knowing they would not come home. Many innocent children lost their lives in this incident. None of them ever knew what would happen on one Friday night. “At about 9:30 a.m., as announcements were read over the loudspeaker to the student's, shots were heard across the school. Students described being ushered into bathrooms and closets by teachers after hearing the first shots.” No young kid or anyone else should have to witness anything about this type of situation. “Lanza moved toward two classrooms of kindergartners and first-graders, police said. In one classroom was Lauren Rousseau, a substitute teacher who was filling in for a teacher out on maternity leave. The gunman shot all 14 students in the classroom, law enforcement officers said.” 28 people died is this shooting. Including the shooter and the shooters
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
In the past decade alone, there have been countless mass shootings in the United States alone resulting in a large body count. Whenever a mass shooting occurs, a debate always follows about how easy it is to obtain firearms, despite background checks that have been enacted to make it difficult to purchase firearms. Background checks are “designed to determine if the prospective buyer fits any criteria that prohibit purchase or possession of firearms, including a prior felony conviction, certain domestic violence misdemeanors, unlawful use of controlled substances or, inter alia, commitment to a mental institution.” (Vernick et al. 98). Background checks are necessary for public safety, but people manage to maneuver their way around background checks when it comes to purchasing a firearm. A background check is not required when purchasing from an unlicensed dealer such as an online store or dealers at a gun show. People prohibited from purchasing guns go through unlicensed dealers because they are not required by law to perform background checks for a firearm purchase. For example, four to ten percent of online shoppers are prohibited by law from possessing firearms, yet they still are looking around in online gun stores (98). Legislation should be passed to
Today there is a problem with guns in our society. People have easy access to firearms and here in Virginia it is much easier for anyone to get a firearm through private sales without any kind of background check into their mental health or criminal status. The reason that this is a problem is because people who are able to get a weapon without having a background check or registering it with law enforcement could do damage to themselves or others. With the murder rate rising in Virginia gun control has shown to bring down death rates (Kwon & Baack, 2005). The state should consider three possible policy alternatives which are closing the private sale loophole so that in order to buy a gun you have to buy one from a licensed gunsmith and have a background check done, having all residents who own a firearm register it with the police so that the state has records of who owns a weapon, or require anyone who wants to own a gun take a gun safety course before being able to purchase a weapon. When referring to the PEST Matrix each of these policies have their positives and negatives based on political, administrative, equity, environmental, and economic feasibility.