Introduction
Gun control refers to any policy, law, proposal, or practice designed to limit or restrict the production, possession, shipment, importation, use, and/ or sale of guns or the other firearms by the private citizens. In most cases, these guns are long guns, handguns, and personal firearms. Gun control policies and laws differ largely around the world. Some countries have put strict measures to limit possession of guns. United Kingdom is one of the countries. On the other hand, countries like the United States have modest limits on possession of guns. In some countries, gun control topic is a source of heated debate with its proponents arguing that widespread gun ownership is a source of danger to the lives of common citizens. However, the opponents base their arguments on general individual liberties and self-protection rights of individuals. Is their need for implementation of strict Gun control measures in the United States?
Several studies have examined the relationship between the ownership of guns and gun related crimes. The various crimes associated with the ownership of guns include; threats, robbery, assaults, suicide by firearms, trafficking, and unintentional injuries. In the United States, gun laws are mostly enacted at the state rank. In the year 1993, a study that covered 21 countries was carried out by Martin Killias to determine the correlations between the ownership of gun and gun related homicide and suicide rates (Cook 4). The study found that there existed significant correlations between the two.
In 2010, the firearms manufacturers in the United States reported that roughly, there were 300 million firearms owned by the civilians and out of these; there is roughly 100 million handguns. This number is apparently large hence there is an urgent need to introduce strict gun control measures due to the repercussions that result with ownership of guns. The number of murders that were committed in 2008 in the United States was approximately 16,272. Of these, the percentage of murders committed with firearms was 67%. The number of gun related crimes continues to rise day in day out and for this reason, it is imperative for strict measures to be put in place. If these measures will be implemented murders related to gun ownership will reduce.
The increase in robbery is caused by an increase in the ownership of guns by the ordinary citizens. Apart from robbery, there is an increase in the threat, trafficking, and assaults rates in the United States. This increase is largely caused by moderate regulation that is employed in gun control and for this reason, it is imperative for the state to put strict measures in gun control. A study that was carried out by the U.S Justice Department from 1974 to 1985 found that in the course of Americans life, 42% of the population will be the victim of assault, robbery, or rape (Cook 4). That is, this percentage will be the victims of completed violent crime.
Suicide and homicide rates have been increasing due to possession of guns by many citizens. These deaths are caused by depression among the US citizens and the easiest way to end their lives is the use of firearms that they possess. Therefore, there is need for the country to propose and implement strict gun control measures to reduce the number of those committing homicide and suicide.
Gun control policy proposal was formulated to control the shipment, sale and illegal use of guns in the United States. This looks to glimpse at the control of the gun and the firearms in the private sector. United States have implemented various measures to see the implementation of gun control policy in order to promote social, political and the economic growth in the country. In the country, which has modest limits in the control, policy has seen a great debate on the way to handle the crucial issue at stake. This issue has fueled heated debate on the gun control issue (Spitzer 47). It has raised issues in the inner circles of the country caused by the increased horrific trend in the current years over the issue of killings and murders.
The rhetorical part of the whole saga seems detrimental in the country’s political system since the politicians in the last political campaigns were seemed reluctant over the issue. This is because the private gun owners want the crucial issue at stake to remain conservative in the media and other social arenas. This is because the issue affects their control rights over the guns at the margin which can further, seeks demolition and the making it unlawful.
Despite the flourishing of the guns business which had seen the gun manufactures making huge chunk of cash over the issue, the re-election of president Obama into power has seen the business becoming lucrative for the period. This has facilitated an increased trend in the anti-gun policy in the United States of America (Cook 5). This has even seen the gun manufacturers stop taking orders since the demand curves in the economy had shoot at a relatively negative curve. The trend and the backgrounds checks for the gun production have led to the reduction in the barometers of sales in the gun business.
The business addressed a negative confluence to the human nature and the social peaceful co-existence, has seen the proliferation of the critism to make the business an illegal activity, the country should borrowed leaf from the United Kingdom in her bid to outlawed the gun business. The business has seen the controversial outlooks since the divisive issues have arisen over the topics. Different people have different opinions over the issue and when the debate is heated, it develops powerful emotions in the running of the co-existing social status (Wright 455).
The rhetoric part also comes out effectively because as far as the gun issue has posed dangerous issues over the peace both in the urban centers, this also reflects the conceal that the people incur in the process of self defense. The ease of portability and the concealment of the gun, makes the handling of the pocket gun easy to handle even in the public domain. On the other view of the perspective, the gun serves as the universal symbol of violence (Spitzer 51). This is because the wide and vast sector of the criminals uses the handguns as tools of murder and suicides to eliminate others.
The weapons have been brought to the wrong hands in the other order since the guns are military weapons designed to be control in the use on the perception of bringing the peaceful coexistence in the social and the political strife. The military are the trained hands and accountable to handle the assets for the correct use. This brings the topic that it should not be granted ton the hands of the private individuals who can use the opportunity to cause a threat to others life. The maniacs have used the weapons to acquire and wreck murders and cause mayhem on the innocents in the public domain.
The fact about the gun control, issue which seems to be crucial in the United States of America, brings to the gun owners the stocking up because of the fear of the upcoming regulations in the continuing term of the re-election of president Obama in office. This is because they view the concept, as the regulations will be tightened and strict measures imposed over the issue. This is a reflection of the past assortment of the weapons over the human life.
The gun history in the American history goes along way back when the settlers used to guard and protect their status from the invasion by the Native Americans. This included the protecting of their animals from raiders. This leads to many of the America’s population developing a culture of self-defense (Wright 455). This leaves a remarkable milestone in the American history of guns handling. This makes many of the Americans embracing the culture as the association in which they remark their heritage. This also derives its roots from the American hunting culture. The diverse popularity of the issue remains popular as a sport in the country even to date.
In conclusion, the control of the gun policy has remarkable and significant issues to the economic development of the United States as well as the social co-existence of the people. The government should put in place strict measures to reduction the rate of crime. There is need to implement strict Gun control measures in the United States.
Work Cited
Wright, James D.: Public Opinion and Gun Control: A Comparison of Results from Two Recent National Surveys, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 455, (May 2001)
Cook, Philip J. Ludwig, Jens, Evaluating gun policy: effects on crime and violence, Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. P. 3, 4, 2003
Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control", page 1, Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 2005
