Why Gun Control Should Not Be Increased

More gun control might lead to fewer suicides by gun. Between 1999 and 2013 there were 270,273 firearm suicides in the United States, accounting for 52% of all suicides in those years. Firearm related suicides accounted for 61% of gun deaths in the U.S.A. between 2000 and 2010. Gun control might lead to fewer gun deaths, but it will not lead to fewer suicides. As my father says, “If someone is so mentally deranged that they think taking their lives is the best solution to their problems, they will commit with anyway possible”

The study found that “states with the strictest gun control laws had lower rates of gun-related homicides and suicides.” Although this result cannot draw a causal relationship between gun control policies and homicides, it proves that legislative strength and firearm deaths and ownership are negatively correlated.

One of the main topics of debate is whether or not gun laws actually correspond with lower murder rates. “The average annual gun death rate ranged from almost 3 per 100,000 in Hawaii to 18 per 100,000 in Louisiana. Hawaii had 16 gun laws, and along with New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts was among states with the most laws and fewest deaths. States with the fewest laws and most deaths included Alaska, Kentucky, Louisiana and Oklahoma.” (CBSnews.com). These statistics can lead one to believe that more gun laws equate to lower death rates. What these numbers prove is that some gun regulations help lower death rates. However, what gun control activists would have you believe that a full on gun ban would lower these numbers more. This is not the case as evident in the following, “During the years in which the D.C. handgun ban and trigger lock law was in effect, the Washington, D.C. murder rate averaged 73% higher than it was at the outset of the law, while the U.S. murder rate averaged 11% lower” (James D.

The majority of anti-gun advocates voice their opinion that more guns would produce more crimes unfortunately for them there is little to no truth in that claim. In reality, when gun ownership increased the amount of murders diminished as well. When states passed concealed weapons laws there was significant drops in the number of multiple victim shootings occurring, the number of deaths, and the number of injuries at these shootings. In 1997 both Wales and England banned handguns and the instantaneous effect was a 50% increase according to crime research. They never saw a day lower than after the year they decided to ban handguns. It has been proven by many surveys that the banning of guns increases crime rate which in turn proves that gun control is not the answer.

Throughout this paper I will be challenging the arguments of Jeff McMahan’s paper Why Gun ‘Control Is Not Enough where he concludes that the only effective form of gun ‘control’ would be for The United States to make it illegal to shoot a gun of any type. He begins this argument by citing the “central pillar” of the argument for those who are anti-gun control is that when more individuals own guns, there is a mindset that the entire population is safer. With this logic, it can be inferred that citizens feeling unsafe in the current environment of their country are those seeking protection, one way being through the purchase and ownership of a firearm. Safety is imperative part of ensuring peace of mind, which then impact the peace of the

Over the past couple of years, gun control has become a major issue in politics in reaction to horrific public shootings involving government buildings and even elementary school children. There have been many heated debates regarding the effectiveness and constitutionality of gun control from both sides of the political spectrum. Although some argue that gun control will lead to a decrease in crime, guns allow individuals to protect themselves when law enforcement cannot, concealed carry helps prevent crime, and the fact that guns are not responsible for crimes caused.

Researchers at the University of Alabama have conducted studies trying to find links between guns and mass shootings (Michaels). There are hundreds of millions of guns in circulation in America today. In fact, “the total number of guns in circulation is at least 240 million” (Ballaro and Finley). Adam Lankford, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Alabama, suggests that “America’s high rate of public mass shootings is connected with the number of guns circulating in the country” (Michaels). Implementing stricter gun laws would cause fewer people to want to purchase guns, resulting in fewer guns in circulation in the coming years. In the United States, “around 30,000 people die from gun fire each year. Around half of these are murders, a little less than half are suicides, and the rest are lethal accidents” (Ballaro and Finley). (2) Currently there are several million guns in circulation, and gun deaths in America are higher than any other developed country. (5) If the trend continues, the number of gun deaths will continue to increase. As stated in the article “10 Pro-Gun Myths, Shot Down.” author Dave Gilson states that “People with access to more guns tend to kill more people- with guns. States with higher gun ownership rates have higher gun murder rates- as much as 114% higher than states with lower gun ownership rates” (Gilson). (7) More

While this graph is based on data from 2012 and thus out of date, it still shows a fairly clear correlation between gun ownership and gun related deaths. It is hard to deny the fact that more guns is the reason for, especially when you take into account that the U.S. is relatively average when it comes to other, non-violent crime rates. Moreover, one comprehensive review by a doctoral student at Columbia University examined nearly 130 different studies on the effects of gun control laws. The trend overall was that the more restrictions there were, the fewer gun deaths there were. One especially revealing study found that after the Fire Arms Act, which required background checks, training, and banned fully automatic guns, among other things, was passed in South Africa in 2000, there was a “decreasing trend (13.6% per year) for firearm homicides [in five major cities] through the implementation of the program and until 1 year after the law was fully implemented” (Santaella-Tenorio et al. 151). Reviews of studies on the effect of similar laws in other countries show a distinct correlation between reducing gun ownership and a fall in homicide

Gun Control is a hot topic in the U.S. Politicians have been arguing about increasing and enforcing more Gun Control laws across the nation; however, America should not enact Gun Control laws. Enacting these laws will create more issues in America instead of solving the issue at hand. Guns are necessary for protection against tyranny and acts of violence. The total crime rate in America has gone down without the existence of Gun Control.

Although, many Americans believe they have the right to bear arms and use guns for protection. According to the article, “American deaths in terrorism vs. gun violence in one graph” the author Julia Jones states “The prevalence of guns go a long way toward explaining America’s terrible record – they are used in two – thirds of all murders. This demonstrates, guns are the most common weapons that are used in most of all the murders that are occurring. Due to the fact that guns are the most common weapons, it makes the United States have a horrible record. According to the same article “American deaths in terrorism vs. gun violence in one graph” states guns play a large role in suicides too. The article, also states that in 2013; 21,175 Americans killed themselves with guns, while 11,208 were killed by others. This means, people buy guns to take their lives away without a hesitation. This also means, people die no matter with a gun, either they commit suicide or someone kills them. As shown above, there wouldn’t be so many gun attacks and suicides if stronger gun control laws should be

Gun control does not prevent homicide. A relatively small amount of people are killed by guns more killed by traffic accidents, heart disease, and even the flu. From 1980 to 2009 a ban on assault rifles did not affect the homicide rate at a state level in the United States. In fact Mexico, one of the strictest countries on gun control, has a rate of 9.97 gun related homicides per 100,000 people while the United States has a rate of 2.97(UNODC). Actually guns count for a mere 1.3% of all deaths internationally(Small Arms Survey). That includes all accidental deaths as well as homicides. The United States is ranked number 28 International for total number of homicides per 100,000 people. If you count only gun related homicides the United States was ranked number 59 In 2015(Small Arms Survey). In the United States guns are ranked as the only the 12 cause of death with a total of 533,879 deaths between 1990 and 2015(procon.org). The leading cause of death now is heart disease(cdc).

Hi I’m Jake Perry and for my research topic I argued that gun control laws in the United States should not be increased. “In 1939, Germany established gun control. From 1939 to 1945, six million Jews and seven million others unable to defend themselves were exterminated” (Wurzelbacher).Since 1911 when the first major piece of gun legislation was passed in the United States gun control has been a topic of heated debate for many Americans. In the 1960’s the gun control movement truly caught fire due to a series of political assassinations that eventually led to the gun control act of 1968 being signed into effect. To this day the gun control movement lives on and leaves America divided in the question of whether or not to increase gun control

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

My paper is going to be about the reasons why the government should not take away our gun safety. Owning a gun makes people better, they able to protect and defend their homes and family. Having a gun is also our right to keep and bear arms which is guaranteed the Constitutional and the Bill of Rights of the United States of America. People without guns are assaulted or murdered by criminals with guns everyday. Also there are less accidental deaths. There are more reasons why we should not take away our guns, but I think the three that I have given are good enough to start off with.

In the words of Si Robertson, “It ain’t gun control we need; it is sin control.” Gun Control is not the right approach in today’s society. The Preamble of the Constitution states that, “We the People of the United States...”, That includes every single human in this country, they deserve these Liberties. No one can tamper with the Justice that we obtain, also stated in the Pledge of Allegiance, “Liberty and Justice for all.”