Background and Significance Even though there are recent tragedies that happened in the country that resulted on many fatal injuries due to gun violence, gun laws are basically remains unchanged. One of recent gun law that was passed was The Brady Handgun Violence Act that was signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993 that allowed a waiting period for criminal background check that dealers must perform before selling a handgun. However, an amendment was added to this bill which replaced the waiting period with National Instant Criminal Background Check System by licenses (Vizzard, 2015). The following year, The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act became law. This law allowed ban on guns that is considered as assault weapons. However, the law has an expiration which was in 2004 and the Congress failed to renew the law (Vizzard, 2015). On state level, local law enforcement offices in many states are allowed to issue gun permit and concealed carry permit at their own discretion. However, it varies from state to state. Some states like …show more content…
A decrease in incidence of gun-related violence has also decreased in the US during the time when the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act was in effect. There are two arguments dominating the gun control issue. The anti-gun control people believes that the problem is with the people not with the guns and imposing heavier sanctions, harsher punishments on criminals, and more armed guards should solve the problem of gun violence. On the other hand, the pro-gun control people argues that the easy accessibility of firearms directly correlates gun-related violence and mass shooting (Lemieux, 2014). Both arguments have its merits, but in dealing with the gun control issue, it is important to put ethics and public health implications into consideration (Boylan,
Chicago (hereinafter City) and the village of Oak Park, a Chicago suburb, have laws effectively banning handgun possession by almost all private citizens.
Gun Control would lower crime rate Crime is a major social and legal problem not just an issue of our individual psychology. ( Great Robberies) This meaning that crime is a major issue in society and gun control would lower crime rate. Crime and murder is a major problem in our society, I believe that if you impose gun control, crime and murder rate would drop percentages. California passed some of the nation’s most strict gun laws over the past two decades, and gun deaths have declined by more than half.
In the statistic to the right there a four noticeably large spikes in the years of 1975, 1980, 1993, and 1994 (Alexia pg 2). In all four years gun laws appear in relation. In 1993 Congress passed the The Brady Handgun Violence Act. The main action that the Brady handgun act did, it put a five day waiting period on selling firearms(Bureau).
Some of these states include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, and 8 more. Another federal law is that a person must be 21 to purchase a handgun and must be 18 to purchase a rifle or shotgun. Something else that isn’t necessary a law per say but is instead a loophole. This would be what is known as the “Gun Show loophole.” Contrary to its name, it is not only a gun show loophole, but more of a private sale loophole.
In the wake of the recent string of mass shootings, the issues of gun control and gun rights have continued to be a national prominence. The frequencies of the occurrence of these mass shootings have desensitized many of the public. These mass shootings bring up an important issue and question at hand. Does limiting access to assault weapons reduce crime, more importantly mass shootings?
Introduction Looking at the nightly news, many would believe violent crimes are at an all-time high. There are not just one on one violent crimes or gang violent crimes. There is court shootings, school shootings, church shootings, theater shootings, mall shootings, workplace shootings, and others. Where most one on one crime is committed with illegal guns, mass shootings are done with handguns purchased legally.
Gun violence in America has been alarmingly increasing since the 90s and has continued throughout the years. Although guns may save lives, evidence shows that most guns in America are stolen from other thieves and misused. Due to lack of gun control found in nearly fifty percent of the states, guns are mostly misused for other reasons. Since 2012, there have been gun sales spiking across the U.S. Every year, America’s minimum increase in gun sales is five percent. The American government should raise gun laws to reduce gun violence, which leads to death.
Through the past 50 years gun problems have peaked and caused issues through the public and media and even government has gotten involved on the issue. Lately the issue has increased incredibly. Mass shootings have become more frequent in the 2000s. It seems as if terrorism has frequently risen but alongside that so have our defenses to stop these things. Defenses are important for saving human lives.
Gun violence has been a massive issue through the modern age of humanity and has created a sense of division regarding the solution to this epidemic. In Adam Gopnik’s essay “Shootings”, Gopnik addresses the issue of gun violence and demands a change in American government policy to prevent the tragic killings of innocent lives. Gopnik harnesses the tool of emotion and passion to drive his essay. In Charles Cooke’s essay “Gun Control Dishonesty”, Cooke takes the polar opposite of Gopnik’s approach by utilizing factual evidence to prove the futility of gun control. Cooke’s essay overflows with logic and reason.
Implementing gun control laws on domestic regulation of firearm manufactured, trade, possession, use, and transport can reduce violent killings, and suicide but policies should not focus on reducing crime via restrictions of liberty, but rather address the root causes and motivations. Gun control fails to solve the causes of gun violence in favor of political grandstanding. Studies have shown a decline and murdered victims, violence in urban areas and drug prohibition . The largest U.S. cities have seen some of the largest percentage declines.
Allowing local governments to regulate firearms. Maryland currently prohibits local governments from regulating the purchase, sale, taxation, transfer, manufacture, repair, ownership, possession, and transportation of handguns, rifles, shotguns and ammunition. Allowing local governments to regulate these actions would only have a positive effect on gun violence. The effect would be a drop in mass shooting rates and an increase in safety for citizens. Local governments should be allowed to regulate these actions in order for a safer environment, by being able to keep track of firearms locally and in small
Most citizens can buy guns in a shop. The buyer needs to pass a certain requirement to be able to buy guns, like their medical proof of no mental illness or no violence history. However, on top of that, strong regulations are needed for the whole U.S. society. The reason is that gun control can protect the safety of the U.S. citizens.
Tough gun laws and gun-related European Union guidelines have made firearm-related crimes unlikely compared to the United States 1.5 million gun owners with about 5.5 million weapons. In Germany, gun ownership is a privilege, not a right. To purchase a firearm, one must obtain a certificate over the course of a few months that proves the person knows how to handle weapons and ammunition.
Every year, guns are used over 80 times more often to protect a life than to take one. Gun control has been a highly controversial issue in the U.S. for at least the past decade. From assassinations to mass shootings, every time guns and violence come together the issue resurfaces. So the big question, would new gun laws help or hurt our crime rate in the U.S.? The nation stands divided on this issue with both sides taking a firm position on what they believe.
The nature of gun control and its controversy is nothing new for Americans. Passed by Congress on Sept. 13, 1994, and signed by President Bill Clinton later that day, the Federal Assault Weapons Ban prohibited the manufacturing of 18 specific models of semiautomatic weapons, along with the manufacturing of high-capacity ammunition magazines that could carry more than 10 rounds. The ban had a provision that allowed it to expire in September 2004. Gun rights groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Gun Owners of America have argued that if this law had been in place during the mass shooting in Newtown, the rifle and handguns Lanza utilized were not on the list of prohibited firearms and would not have prevented such a tragedy (Hartfield).