There exist an estimated 270-310 million firearms in the United States owned by civilians (Kleck, 2006). This means that the United States has the highest population of gun owners than any other developed country in the world. In relation to these latest statistics, gun related homicides and suicides have risen drastically, seeing the year 2015 experience a high profile of mass shootings. In another survey carried out 2013, 65 percent of all homicides were gun-related. At this current rate, it means that approximately 337,000 Americans will die by guns by the early 2020s, which is equal to the current population of Tempa, Florida (Kleck, 2006). As a result, hundreds of thousands of American lives hang in the balance if the gun control issues are not addressed.
Guns are effective weapons used in defense situations as they can be used against criminals with malicious intentions. Their effectiveness is however limited to the ability of use by an individual. Owing to the dangers associated with wrong gun-use, they pose a significant threat to the community. This paper will assess issues that accompany gun ownership in the house. Studies have shown that having a gun in the house is considered dangerous. This is because there have been studies that indicate that unintentional shootings that mostly happen in the home are four times more common than any other gun-related cases. Having a firearm in the house also increases chances of the gun owner becoming a victim of a homicide or suicide by use of the affected individual’s gun.
Children are expected to carry forth future generations as a trend to ensure human survival on earth. However, the exposure of these firearms to this age-group could ultimately pose a risk to them and also to the rest of the community. According to the Telegraph newspaper, on average, toddlers have been reported to have accidentally shot one person a week. Moreover, the evening of January 26th shocked residents of Seattle as three teenagers ages 13,16, and 17 were arrested for killing two people and injuring three others (Riddler, 2007).
Furthermore, according to Carter (2012), at least, 28,000 children and teens were killed by use of guns over an 11-year-period. This massive number projects a worrying trend, considering that most of the cases were unavoidable. One study also shows that 22% of parents who believe that their children have never handled the firearm in their house have been contradicted by their children. This result indicates the lack of attentiveness on the side of parents and guardians as a result of the busy modern lifestyle. Therefore, parents should be very cautious with how they keep their guns away from their children so as to prevent future disasters.
The current legislation revolving around gun-ownership are weak and require amendment. This is because the ease at which one obtains a gun license is relatively easy as one is only required to present both the driving license and their identification number (McDowell, 2007). For this reason, it is projected that the crime rate will rise and will continue growing unless we find a way to control gun possession in this country.
Peaceful Demonstration
Effective citizen activism is essential in voicing out issues affecting the society. In this case, it is morally inappropriate to have more gun stores in the country than food courts, as the present situation represents. It is estimated there are 51,000 gun stores in the country as compared to 13,000 McDonalds food courts.
Community Organization
The organization of grass-root organizations in the society can help in addressing gun-related issues in the community. This can provide guidance on gun-ownership issues thereby leading to a reduction of violence from gun-use.
Political Engagement
Individuals in the society should engage their political representatives and organizations such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about current gun control laws. Individuals should advocate for the conduction of thorough background checks on the people who wish to purchase guns in stores. Another proposal includes the assessment of firearm stores by their license eligibility, and a thorough background check should be carried out.Even though this strategy will not reduce gun ownership directly in the country, the approach will provide for background checks that assess an individual and store's profile prior to owning a gun or running an associated business.
Annotated Bibliography
Carter, G. L. Guns in American Society: An encyclopedia of history, politics, culture, and the law. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. 2012.
According to Carter, having a gun inside the house exposes the inhabitants to the risk of accidents.in this case, one can even accidentally shoot a neighbor by mistaking him or her as a burglar.Carter also tells of the dangers that children residing in the house are exposed to in the instances such firearms are not properly stored.With children having access to the guns in their homes, the effects can be devastating. This concept is further explored in the paper.
Kleck, G. Targeting guns: Firearms and their control. New York: Transaction Publishers. 2006.
According to Kleck, gun ownership has been a subculture in the American society. This indicates the socialization of gun-ownership on the premise of conditioned culture. The author also reveals startling statistics on gun violence. This contributes to the content of the paper by strengthening the stance taken given the harmful effects of gun use.
McDowell, E. E. America's great gun game: Gun ownership vs. Americans' safety : an outline of the need for increased federal gun legislation. New York: iUniverse, Inc. 2007.
The title of the book clearly outlines the author's intentions. McDowell calls for the need for additional legislation on gun ownership. This comes in realization of the increased gun-related violence rates in the American society. The author also outlines the weak policies existing in the acquisition of firearms from gun-stores. The book provides statistics that strenghen this paper's arguments on the need for stricter laws on gun ownership.
Riddler, K. .No guns sign against the sky. New York: Columbia Press. 2000
In her book, Riddler explains the incident of violent crimes which happen when many people carry guns legally in the streets.The issue of legally carrying a weapon should be limited to individuals who are actually in danger of being attacked such as people in office but not made available to everyone, an argument advanced by the author. This provides for the premise supported by this paper in relation to the disadvantages of gun-ownership provisions.
