Gun Control
Gun Control
Gun control refers to laws and provisions when it comes to gun ownership, licensing, and transferring of any firearms. Thus, these are also policies that govern firearms manufacturers. Many gun control proponents recognize the extreme dangers of gun ownership in the country. In fact, many of these gun control proponents want to have stricter regulations when it comes to gun ownership. However, opponents of such rules are claiming otherwise. They are claiming that gun control does not reduce the violence such as murder, suicide, and injuries that are related to firearms use. On the other hand, many evidence show that widespread ownership of guns in the country is related to such violent incidents. In this writing, we analyzed the evidence of the violence that is related to gun ownership. Thus, we discussed that such events can be reduced by creating stricter gun control regulations in order to put limitations on gun ownership. Relatively, creating stricter regulations about firearms will not only reduce violence, but it will generally save many lives in the country.
The Need to have Stricter Gun Control Policies
Based on the federal law, there are several people who are not allowed to own a firearm. They are the fugitive from justice, people who are under indictment as well as the people who are convicted of crimes that are punishable by more than 1 year imprisonment, drug users, people with mental issues history, and underage citizens (politicususa.com). The limitation in the gun ownership restricts these people for having their own firearms. However, a person who is allowed to own a firearm could also be a potential offender especially once they are provoked. A person’s mental capacity to own a gun should not be the only basis for granting him the license as he might be within an environment that could develop his behavior towards gun usage. Additionally, we cannot deny that there were numbers of mass shooting in the United States. So, because of these incidents, the issue of gun safety has been repeatedly brought into many Americans’ attention. That is why, the country needs to have a stricter gun control policies. On the other hand, activists say that proposals to make gun ownership policies to be stricter violate their constitutional right (Tsembelis, 2012). However, these activists may have failed to realize that neglect to a gun control and ownership increases the risk of violence, which makes our environment more dangerous. Therefore, it violates each person’s right to liberty and life. Widespread gun ownership with less strict rules will give way to widespread tragedies and violence. According to Brady Campaign that fights gun violence, there were a total of 61 mass shootings in the country after the massacre incident in Tucson, Arizona in 2011 (Tsembelis, 2012). These incidents were all unfortunately related to gun violence due to widespread ownership of guns. Statistically, gun violence incidents could have been lower if the gun control policies have become stricter as authorities could have a bigger control over the issuance and ownership of firearms.
Making the existing gun control policies to be stricter could also increase the law’s efficiency. The legislators must include recommendations as to how such policies can be enforced extensively. Tsembelis (2012) also claims that the government must improve its enforcement when it comes to gun control laws in order to have safer environments for the people. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office or GAO indicated that the federal law is not prohibiting the terrorist organizations and their members from possessing or purchasing both explosives and firearms (Tsembelis, 2012). In this case, the risk of further gun violence will increase. If potential terrorists are able to have a gun, then it defeats the pre-existing laws’ purpose to control the gun ownership in the country. That is why; creating a stricter law could reduce any potential terrorist attacks, which will also safe more lives.
Saving more innocent lives is one of the problems when it comes to gun violence. Therefore, it needs to be addressed through various points of view such as cultural, social, and political perspective. In that way, safety measures can also be enforced especially to those who already owned a gun.
Not only that stricter gun control policy will save innocent lives, but the children’s lives as well. Lenient laws on gun ownership may also reduce children-related gun violence. In fact, the United States pediatricians called for the ratification of the strictest gun sales regulation to reduce children-related gun violent incidents. They also called to include an extensive education on parents about owning a gun at home in order to prevent deaths of teens and kids (Pittman, 2012). The reason behind the kids being the victims of such violence is due to their curiosity in which their behavior includes being impulsive when it comes to guns. Therefore, if their parents are not responsible enough to own a gun, chances are their kids might play with it as a toy or use it to experience how it is to pull the gun’s trigger. If gun control policies will be much stricter than it is now, responsible gun ownership can be included in the laws provision. Thus, it can also impose heavier fines and penalties against irresponsible gun owners. On the other hand, such incidents could have been prevented if the pre-existing laws are already enough to avoid such incidents.
Emily Swanson (2014) says that almost half of the Americans are in favor of having a stricter gun control law. However, on the other side of the arguments, many people question the effectiveness of our pre-existing laws regarding gun control. Swanson (2014) also says that 49 percent of the Americans are now supporting to make gun laws much stricter. Their support for the maximum limitations when it comes to owning a gun includes background checks for potential buyers of guns from both private sellers and gun shows. In fact, 78 percent Republicans, 80 percent Democrats, and 72 independents say that they are in favor of new background checks. However, some of them who oppose against gun controls claim that in terms of killing incidents, offenders do not only use guns. They can also use another weapon to kill. That is why, they are skeptical about the gun control’s efficiency especially if it is being linked to deaths.
Then again, the pediatrician group states that the death toll and suicide attempts are much higher related to guns as to compare with other tools such as sharp objects or pills (Pittman, 2012). Additionally, homicide incidents are also linked to gun ownership and violence (Morris, 2013). If your neighbor will have an easy access to guns, it only means that they are more likely to kill you, but not if they have a limited access or no access to gun at all. Furthermore, the suicide attempts and incidents in States that have high gun ownership rates are twice as high as those States that have lower gun ownership rates (Morris, 2013). Therefore, it is obvious that lenient gun control policy is equal to high crime rate in various ways such as homicide, irresponsible gun ownership violence, and even suicide.
Conclusion
Some people may say that owning a gun provides them with security as well as their family. If that statement means no other violence, then the pre-existing gun control law would be enough. However, the reality states that such law is may no longer be effective, which needs to be strengthened by making it stricter. We cannot identify potential terrorists just by looking at the person. The country needs to have an extensive background checking in a form of stricter gun control. The government needs to address this issue as this is not a simple debate that can be solved through exchange of arguments. Lives are what at risk in this issue and we do not want ourselves and our family members to be the victims of gun violence.
References
Morris, M. (2013, April 21). 10 Arguments for Gun Control - Listverse. Retrieved from http://listverse.com/2013/04/21/10-arguments-for-gun-control/
Pittman, G. (2012, October 18). Strict Gun Laws Will Protect Kids, U.S. Pediatricians Say. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/18/strict-gun-laws-will-protect-kids_n_1981849.html
Polticus USA. (2013, December 12). Why America Needs Stricter Gun Control Laws. Retrieved from http://www.politicususa.com/2013/12/12/america-stricter-gun-control-laws.html
Swanson, E. (2014, April 17). Half Of Americans Support Stricter Gun Laws, But Many Question Their Effectiveness. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/gun-control-poll_n_5161905.html
Tsembelis, M. (2012, August 19). Stricter gun control laws needed - The Tartan Online. Retrieved from https://thetartan.org/2012/8/19/forum/gun-control
