Gun control has been a national issue for decades, if not centuries. The founding fathers created the Second Amendment that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. This amendment was passed as part of the Bill of Rights and simply recognizing something that has existed or will continue to exist in the future. It was also another check on the government, if the people had no weapons to rebel against them, the government can oppress them easily and would make it easier for the government to assemble militia in a time of war. This Second Amendment doesn’t also mean that the people can’t have some measure of control in these extremely dangerous weapons.
According to, “Counterpoint: Gun Control Saves Lives”, “Experts estimate that about one-third of all American households contain firearms, and that the total number of guns in circulation is at least 240 million.” This shows that the government may be too careless about who has a gun, and as a result, people are more vulnerable than ever. The article, “More gun control laws would reduce gun deaths”, describes the words of David Frum, Daily Beast and CNN contributor, “‘American children under age 15 were nine times more likely to die of a gun accident than children in other advanced wealthy countries…’”. This shows how dangerous it is for children to even live in the United States because of these
The Crime Research Prevention center determined that since 1950, nearly 99 percent of mass public shootings have occured in gun-free zones. The reason is obvious: deranged murders want to be in a position to murder as many as possible, so they target areas where
The mere access to guns, though for most, it is legal, can lead to grave dangers such as attacks on the innocent and put anyone in a life or death situation. According to the text by Harvard, “Too often youths use their parents’ guns. An NVISS study of firearm suicides among youths ages 17 and under occurring over a two-year period in four states and two counties found that 82% used a firearm belonging to a family member, usually a parent,” (Harvard T.Chan 1). This highlights the fact that guns are can be so easily attained by people who should not have them. Children, especially have a higher chance of misusing guns and may unintentionally harm others.
Also, high capacity magazines should be reduced because they increase the number of murder and injury rates. According to an investigation, at least 50% of high capacity magazines are used in 62 mass shootings between 1982 and 2012 (procon 2). If there is a gun at home it could be easily be stolen, 1.4 million guns are stolen from US homes between 2005 and 2010 (“Right to Bear Arms” 2). Another way to prevent gun violence is to have background check and ban on assault weapons. 83% of all adults surveyed approve of background checks according to a Pew Research survey.
Thousands of people in the United States each year die because of gun-related accidents or homicides. A weapon that has a powerful impact and should not fall in the wrong hands are guns. Therefore, the population’s access to them needs to needs to keep a more controlled rate. The ownership of guns should contained to law enforcement, government officials, and citizens who have met certain set standards, such as completing age requirements, a background check, psychological test, and informational classes. This would save thousands of lives each year and lower the overall crime rate within the country, preventing murders, suicides, and mass shootings.
The fact that the incredibly easy accessibility of guns leads to the death of nearly 34.000 people on a yearly basis would, in an evolved society, normally result in the direct cut of this accessibility. However, this is not the case in the United States. Therefore, in order to prevent the continuation of horrific gun-related deaths it is essential that people persevere in the fight against the Second Amendment. Thus, in this essay I will argue that the individual right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment is obsolete and should be removed
The implementation of gun control laws will thus increase crime rates as people will become vulnerable targets for criminals. Even though gun control advocates overlook the “good guy theory” or the situation in which a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun, there have been many cases where a good person has stopped gunmen from causing more gun violence. In the Texas Church Shooting, “The former National Rifle Association instructor [Stephen Wilford] who lives next door to the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Spring, Texas, grabbed his AR-15-style rifle…Confronting the shooter, Devin Kelley, Willeford shot him in the leg and torso before Kelley dropped his weapon and fled the scene in his SUV” (O’Reilly). In another Church shooting scenario, a church member/volunteer security guard shot gunmen Mathew Murray, who had shot and killed 4 other church members (O’Reilly).
Should guns be banned or should guns still be kept in America?This topic of banning guns has been a progressing debate yet the question still remains unanswered.Many people have probably heard of someone or knew someone that got injured or killed by a gun.These incidents happen every day from suicides to homicides.First, guns cost the lives of many people in America.Guns cost the lives of more than 30,000 people each year.If guns were banned, the number of deaths would reduce.Second, other populated countries with more gun control laws have lower suicide and homicide rates than the United States,which shows how having more gun control laws could affect the U.S.Finally, guns are rarely used in self defense when an individual is in a dangerous
In an online article from The Atlantic, Stray (2013) mentioned 8,583 homicides are by firearms in 2011. (para.1) He also mentioned how this affects us as a whole. The threat of violence makes neighborhoods poorer. It's also very difficult to quantify the total harm caused by gun violence. It is an estimate that people will pay up to $100 billion dollars to avoid this threat.