Gun control has been a controversial issue for years and numerous solutions have been proposed and enacted. The debate sparked after tragic civilian attacks, like school shootings. An example, is the tragedy in 1999 at Columbine High School. Two teens attacked the school, killing 13 people and wounding more than 20 others before killing themselves. Following this attack, numerous solutions have been argued and purposed. However, a definite solution still has not been reached and America is split on the topic. The solutions currently enacted focus on guns, yet America still has a serious issue with gun related crime attacks, and fatalities. Solutions should not solely target the actual guns, because guns are powerless without the person who fires the weapon. The solution should not be to take away guns, but to consider the people who have access to them. Addressing mental health is the real solution to preventing gun violence and attacks.
Gun control is a problem that tends to occur very often in the past few years, and is affecting the U.S very badly. Gun control is what restricts people from buying and using guns, but these laws are not strengthened at the extent they need to be strengthened. This leads to many people getting these guns and using them to cause mass shootings all over the U.S. For example, according to the Council on Foreign Relationship, a news article that covers major world issues, in 2017, mass shootings at a music festival in Las Vegas and at a church near San Antonio have rekindled the gun control debate (“U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons”). The fact that gun control is still not tightened is a huge margin and error, and still causes mass shootings as we just covered. Many people have said that we should not allow guns to be purchased, which would seem like the logical option. However, according to the same source, Council on Foreign Relationship, some states, such as Idaho, Alaska, and Kansas, have passed various laws attempting to nullify
Many schools in today’s society suffer from shootings at some point while children are attending school. Shootings in schools are not a new occurrence, and America has dealt with multiple shootings in public schools in which the lives of many children and teachers have been undeservingly taken (Elliott 528). Because of school shootings, this leaves our children in danger with no way to protect themselves. Gun violence in schools is an evident problem, and there are several ways to reduce the number of incidents, such as mental health screening for owners of guns, interconnectedness of communities, and more school funding.
Passing gun control legislation that creates a universal background check and gun database system as well as passing mental health legislation that improves the health care system’s protocols and policies for assisting people with mental health disorders and that enacts counseling programs in communities and schools will decrease the likelihood of mass shootings in schools. The United States is bitterly divided. Issues of great concern, such as the rise of mass shootings, are partisanized. Both sides of the debate will not comprise or listen to what their opponents have to say. Groups from both sides can only agree that one innocent life taken from gun violence is one too many. Gun control is a complicated topic with no foolproof solution to
In a nation of pioneers and settlers, where we capitalize upon a bear wielding a firearm to represent “our right to bear arms” there has come to be quite a bit of bloodshed because of that right. Fear has been interwoven into the school system, a kind of fear that even the greatest school safety measures cannot prevent. Such instances being the Columbine, Newtown, and the more recent Parkland school shooting. It cannot be controlled who does the killing, but what can be isolated is the weapon those chose as their aid in the slaughtering. So many lives are lost in these devastations a step towards preventing more from being lost is increasing gun control. Without increased gun control anyone can play the role of God and chose to end the lives
The first recorded school shooting in America dates back to 1764, during Pontiac’s War. Since then, hundreds have occurred, claiming many lives (Galvin). In the modern era, the rarity of these events has been steadily decreasing, which may be caused by the confusion that surrounds gun laws and regulations. The new debate over this issue is likely due to the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Since that event, about 65 people who have committed a school shooting have referenced Columbine as a motive. In addition, there has been over 250 shootings since that fateful day in 1999 (Pearle). To deal with these tragic occurrences, the government has opened the debate on gun laws and regulations. But this debate often leads to officials being unable to make up their minds or whole groups of people being split on their opinion. This causes a stalemate that does not help our nation 's current situation. Today, the government is not doing enough to prevent school shootings.
On, February 14, 2018, a mass school shooting in Florida got the nation’s attention, however, gun violence has always been an issue, and it is only getting worse. Now people are saying there needs to be something done, and there are many that agree. Starting off there should be stricter gun laws, because in today’s world it is too easy to get handguns and assault rifles. With, the capabilities a firearm holds, such as taking people’s lives there must be stricter restrictions that could help cut down the gun violence and save lives. Increasing the age of purchasing a firearm would be one step. Another, law could be to implement mental health screenings to detect any mental illnesses with the future gun holder, that would be most useful, because it is essential to know the mental state of a future gun holder. Lastly, regulating illegal gun sales would also help, along with gun safety and protection. In today’s society, there are gun laws and specific things that must be done, to be able to own a handgun or assault rifle.
Jake Novak, in an article for CNBC titled, “Gun control isn’t the answer. We already know how to stop the violence,” gives his opinion regarding the controversial issue of gun control. Novak argues that gun control is not the answer to rising gun violence but that proper enforcement of the law would go a long way in reducing the cases of gun violence in America. He states, “We actually solved the issue of rising gun violence in America in the mid-1990’s and again in the early 2000’s by doing something radical. We enforced the law” (Novak 28). While Novak does not necessarily appear to support any side of the gun control argument, he does imply that Republicans have largely derailed efforts to enforce the law regarding gun violence cases. The writer’s main purpose for writing the article is to show that there is a different way of looking at the gun control debate and to also show the wrongs, in his opinion, that are committed by the interested parties in this debate.
Gun violence is violence committed with the use of a gun (firearm or small arm). It may or may not be considered criminal.
Gun violence is an unquestionable issue in America, with the United States ranking as one of the worst with both homicides and suicides using guns. That being said, we outnumber Mexico in gun related deaths and among first-world countries we rank far above others in the number of gun deaths, such as England and Australia. Consequently, we live in one of the only first world countries that does not have extensive gun laws and restrictions to gun access. Aside from the countless homicides and suicides by firearm in this country, one particular issue within this predicament is mass shootings, with the most recent mass shooting occurring on February 14th, 2018 at a high school in Parkland, Florida where 17 people were killed. Although, it may seem like an easy fix to just implement gun control laws into our society to eliminate gun violence, but it is important to note that Americans own nearly half of all firearms globally, which is roughly 325 million guns; when
Just as drugs are to Columbia, and malaria is to Africa, gun homicides are epidemic in the United States. While it makes sense that a nation founded on violent uprising and personal freedom is resistant to restrictions being placed on their firearms, the body count is far too high for our current gun practices to go on as is. On an average day in America, 92 people are killed by firearms (Lopez 2015). Even more jarring is the number of school shootings; 150 since 2013 (Everytown 2015). In an extreme expression of convoluted judgement seven states have passed legislation allowing the possession of firearms in the classroom. These laws that in some twisted way are intended to make our schools safer are only further
Over the course of three years, approximately 160 school shootings have been recorded. Including fatal and nonfatal assaults, suicides, and unintentional shootings. In all, the incidents resulted in 59 deaths and 124 nonfatal gunshot injuries (Analysis of school shootings). It is unreasonable how many innocent lives have been taken away because of these tragedies. Oftentimes when a mass shooting occurs, people debate gun control laws more profoundly. A solution to help prevent school shootings from happening would be to increase the amount of laws surrounding guns, and controlling the way guns are obtained.
The use of and the owning of guns is a very hot and debated topic in society today. For many, this is a life and death debate due to the recent and numerous school shootings. These school shootings have caused an outcry for more gun control, specifically in relation to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Despite these calls, increased gun control is not the answer. Most gun owners’ use their guns responsibly and for good purposes. Gun control also limits our constitutionally derived right to own firearms. If gun control is enforced, law-abiding citizens will be forced to give up their guns and their right to own guns, while many criminals who own guns may illegally keep theirs. As the saying goes “If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.” Guns are an important aspect of our society in many ways. They allow for protection, recreation, and hunting. They also do not have as many negative effects as some claim. The right to own firearms is a constitutional right that is important and needs to be upheld.
Since the Columbine High School shooting, school shootings have become a common occurrence. People have become so accustomed to seeing them on the news, so we hardly bat an eye at them anymore. For every instance of a school shooting we see, there are hundreds of lawmakers making public that their thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Frankly, those thoughts and prayers are simply not enough anymore. The Parkland shooting is one of many school shootings, that have brought light to the subject of gun violence in schools, and it is clear, if it hasn’t been one already, that gun regulation needs to change.
As I write this introduction, I am like millions of others watching the tragedy in Louisiana and Alabama caused by hurricane Katrina. A small but important part of the devastation and the challenge is the existence of individuals and groups of citizens from the area mostly impacted by the storm who used guns against their neighbours and those attempting to assist them. In any other industrialised nation, this will never happen because it will eventually cause the level of socialisation to decline due to the issue pertaining citizens getting the ready access towards guns. Most likely, gun violence is categorised as the most highly anticipated violence around the world because it is growing rapidly and causes