Gun Violence in America Thomas Leonard February 9, 2017 As it is well known gun violence is a major problem in today’s society, places like Chicago and New York City have a serious epidemic on their hands. It is not uncommon to hear about an incident where a gun was involved in these big cities on a day to day basis, but it’s not just the big cities, these type of things are happening nationwide. There has been an argument for many decades whether the cause of such violence is due to the lack of gun control laws or the restrictions put on firearms. Both sides of the isle will argue, the more liberal individual will tell you there is not enough while the conservative individual will tell you the laws put in place are too strict. We should …show more content…
Another article looks at the Tucson shooting where six individuals were killed as an example (Kaveny, 2016). While the author agrees that the constitution protects the rights of gun owners, she makes the argument that semiautomatic weapons were not what the founding fathers had in mind though and that these type of weapons should not be allowed to be owned by the public (Kaveny, 2016). The author also believes that it would be beneficial to have to obtain a license to own firearms and to purchase insurance for possible damages along with further funding for mental health patients to help keep these mass shootings from happening again (Kaveny, 2016). There are many other proposed solutions that are similar to the ones previously mentioned. Philip J. Cook believes that if guns are less available it may not reduce all gun violence but that it would likely reduce the number of deaths caused by guns (Cook, 1981). He makes the argument that criminals are going to be more apt to choose firearms because with these types of weapons they are more likely to be successful in there crime (Cook, 1981). This is a common argument made in favor of stricter gun control laws in the United States. Even with the laws we have put in place there are those who
Gun control is an extremely controversial issue in the United States, and the debates around this topic has started many decades ago. According to the article “Gun Rights vs. Gun control” by Brianna Gurciullo, these debates are fueled by the people who defend the gun rights and the people who advocate in favor of gun control. It has been difficult to prove that gun ownership is directly related to an increase in violence due to the fact that researches tend to disagree on the impact of gun ownership in the American society. These debates tend to be brought to the spotlight whenever there is a mass shooting in the United States, which according to Abbey Oldham, who is a reporter from the PBS News Hour, happens quite frequently. However, organizations, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), defend that the laws for gun control violate the Second Amendment of the constitution, which states “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” stated Gurciullo. Due to the distinct interpretations of the constitution and the difficulty to agree on the best approach to tackle the issue, this controversy seem to be almost unsolvable.
Gun control in America is one of the most fiercely debated topics in today’s political sphere. Nearly everyone has an opinion and there is a mind-boggling amount of information typically discussed regarding the matter. Media hot takes and campaign talking points aside, far too many lives have been lost to gun violence. A total of 12,902 in 2016, to be exact. The fact that more lives have been lost to gun violence in the United States this year than the 5,000 lost in the almost 10-year war effort overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan is appalling. Is sensible and reasonable gun control progress attainable in our near future? That remains to be seen, however it is my intention to respectfully dissect an argument presented by none other than an essay
Many tragedies have occurred recently that have spurred the debate on whether or not we need tighter gun controls. On one side of the debate are the gun control supporters, who claim that the easy access to guns is the primary cause for high rates of crime plaguing the United States. On the other side are people who argue that gun laws will not prevent criminals from obtaining guns, since they will continue to get them illegally. Guns are used for protection when in the hands of people who obey the law. It is crucial to not hinder law-abiding citizen’s ability to possess firearms with stricter gun laws, since gun laws do not lower crime, and guns can keep people safe.
In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since it’s birth. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, hunt for food and engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control is complex. Weighing the rights and liberties of the individual against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the freedom to use and keep arms, rely on the fact that the provision for such rights is enshrined in their constitution. In this climate of
Countless opinions have been broadcasted on national news media regarding what society ought to do about gun control. This controversial topic sparks many heated debates with people of either position reluctant to compromise. Gun supporters claim that the proposed gun laws infringe on their constitutional right to bear arms. Conversely, others believe that restricted gun access would cause gun violence to decrease. Regardless of what side one stands on, with the increase in gun violence, it is safe to say that something must be done.
Gun violence has been on the rise for many years and there seems to be no solution. People feel more protected with guns in their home, but actually this increases their risk to be in harm’s way of being hurt or killed because of the gun. The majority of gun ownership is owned by civilians “75 percent of the world’s 875 million guns are civilian controlled”(Gun Violence). People also feel more protected when they carry a gun on their person but this also increases their risk of being harmed “Philadelphia study found that the odds of an assault victim being shot were 4.5 times greater if he carried a gun" and that "his odds of being killed were 4.2 times greater when armed”(Gun Violence). If people knew that it increases their risk of being killed then not very many people will carry a gun around.
Even though evidence proves otherwise, many people claim the large quantity of guns in the United States are culpable for the country’s murder rates. While the United States population and number of guns have steadily gone up since 1994, the rates of all different crime types have drastically gone down (Planty). Over the last nineteen years, almost fifty million guns have been added to the US, yet firearm violence has been reduced by more than two thirds (Federal Bureau). This completely contradicts the statement that more guns equal more violence. To compare the two, solely based on these statistics, it looks as though the upsurge of guns and armed citizens has only led to less violence. Another example, that disproves this, is the Firearm Act of 1997. After a school shooting, the United Kingdom passed this act banning almost all of their guns. That year, the UK had initially recorded seven hundred and thirty-four homicides. While only steadily increasing, by the year 2002, they had a recorded one thousand and forty-one homicides (Osborne). This act did not prevent homicides at all, and as a matter of fact it only created more violence. The District of Columbia is another case in point on how the lack of guns does not mean there is any lack of violence. DC has a 3.6% gun ownership ratio of the people living there, ranking it the lowest in the Unites States. At the same time, DC has the highest gun deaths and firearm robberies in the Unites States. The District has a
With an increase in the number of mass shootings that have occurred in the United States in the last few years the issue of gun control laws has become a prevalent topic of debate throughout American society. This debate stems from two opposing arguments over gun control. Some feel gun control laws are fair and not the contributing factor to these mass shootings, whereas, others feel that there is an urgent need for strict laws in order to end the problem of mass shootings. There are numerous pros and cons to the enforcement of stricter gun control laws but we must note a few things: stricter gun control laws would interfere with the second amendment, it is not the gun that kills it is the individual, and it is ultimately not laws that are
Gun control has become an increasingly controversial topic in the nation due to the continuous debates relating to gun control and whether or not laws should be passed to make it harder for guns to be obtained. Guns serve for a variety of purposes that range from good to bad. Guns are not for everyone. Some individuals cannot handle guns properly, and some choose to use guns inappropriately. Lately, guns have become more of a problem in our society. There has been an increasing amount of shootings that have taken many lives and have wounded people emotionally, not just physically. Although guns are used for protection, firearms are reportedly used more in crimes. More and more shootings are breaking out across the nation. As a result, the
Throughout the past several decades gun control has been put under scrutiny by the media and the general public. While the first major piece of gun control legislation was passed in 1911 in New York, it was not until the 1960’s that the gun control movement was truly galvanized(“Gun Control Reform”).This occurred because of a series of major political assassinations that led to the Gun Control Act being signed into law in 1968(“Gun Control Reform”). To this day the gun control movement lives on and many Americans believe that harsher gun control laws should be put into effect. These supposed gun laws range anywhere from a nationwide ban of assault weapons to a complete ban of guns. Supporters of gun control argue that taking away guns from
The debate over whether the United States should have stricter gun laws has become a major talking point in our society. However, the clear choice that will bring the most prosperity and security to our country is to maintain the current gun control laws as they are the best option for the USA’s modern society. We must not let the rush to judgement after every shooting spree cloud our minds and glaze over all the benefits and lifestyles that guns let us take for granted. Society must also see what the outcomes are for the other options suggested and to not make the wrong choice and have to live with the consequences. We must not let the government enact laws that would place stricter controls on guns.
With gun violence increasing, the United States has to agree on a solution whether it is to tighten gun laws or confiscate firearms altogether. Increasing gun control would be the best solution to gun violence in the United States: It still allows citizens to purchase firearms and having laws enforced will potentially stop murderers and killers in possession of a gun. Something must be done to the issue the United States is currently facing with firearms or the death count will never
I picked the topic, gun violence. Gun violence has shocked this nation has a rollercoaster. Having guns in our society has also caused many deaths around the world over something senseless. Nevertheless, there is always a debate about gun control, but there is no current move about this topic. Gun violence happens daily because people can get various access to it without background test, drug screening etc. Eventually, it has to change. The second Amendment is another controversy because it dates back before our time. Many Americans believe that taking their guns away is taking away their freedom. Is gun ownership the cause of gun violence?
Gun laws are the cause for much of the violent crime in the United States and need to be changed by enforcing and assembling stricter regulations, allowing more concealed carries for protection, and educating Americans about firearms to reduce mass panic. Over the course of our history American has suffered from a substantial number of mass shootings; Columbine in Littleton, CO, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C, Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. These mass shootings are just one side of the gun violence in America. There are also drive-bys, accidental shootings, and many other types of gun crimes. And these are all happening in different parts of the country and in different periods of time. They are tragedies that affect not only the people but our nation as a whole.
Murder, a crime which has been illegal in nearly all societies throughout the history of man including the U.S has immensely lucid laws written against it. This law prevents many people from committing murder, however mass shootings still occur despite this law. Why would more laws preventing such crimes stop them? Whenever there is news of a mass shooting or shooting incident, gun laws are always the first thing to be blamed by the media. Saying increasing gun laws and banning assault rifles would stop all these crimes is an overstretch. These people fail to realize that statistics have shown more gun laws would not stop shootings. Making guns illegal would not reduce mass shootings, due to the majority of shootings taking place in gun free zones, it will only stop law abiding citizens from obtaining guns, and thus endanger people more.