Thesis Question: What is the past history and impact of gun control legislation in the United States on violent crime and do the findings recommend future restrictions?
Section 1: Introduction (see proposal)
Perspectives of the general population regarding their responsibilities, rights, and credible information
Legal rights according to the law
Legal rights according to the Constitution (Cook, Jens & Adam, 2008)
Utilitarianism collectivism (responsibility for the collective) (Celinska, 2007; Donovan, 2015)
Contradictions in statistics regarding the effects of gun legislation
Interpretations of statistics by various sources toward supporting their views
Types of statistical analyses used
Section 2: History of Gun Legislation
The Federal Assault Weapons Ban (Congress.gov, 2016)
Explanation of FAWB (Chu, 2013)
Situations that prompted the enactment of the FAWB
Sandy Hook killings (McCarthy, 2013)
Impact of FAWB
1. No impact on violence with firearms of all kinds (Guis, 2014)
2. Positive impact on assault weapons violence (Guis, 2014)
Overview of statistics of violent crime involving firearms (Chapman, 2013; Gerney, Parsons & Posner, 2013; Ayres & Donohue, 2002)
Section 3: Arguments on individual rights to own firearms
Opponents of strict gun control
Constitutional right to bear arms (Celinska, 2007)
Statistics showing gun control is ineffective in controlling crime with weapons
Australian gun control law of 1996 (Taylor & Li, 2015; Henig, 2009; Aic.gov.au, 2009; Chapman, 2013; Leigh & Neill, 2010 ).
States with strictest gun laws have highest murder rates with firearms (Guis, 2014)
Examples cited of armed citizens stopping mass killings (Alpers, 2015; Bennett, 2012; Bird, 2008; Cook, Jens & Adam, 2008; Lott, 1998; Lott, Jr. & Mustard, 1997)
Proponents of strict gun control
Statistics showing gun control is effective in controlling crime with weapons
United States statistics show states with softest gun laws have highest crime rates (Cook, Jens & Adam, 2008; Gerney, Parsons and Posner, 2013)
Easy access to firearms has a strong relationship with murder (McCarthy, 2013; APA, 2016)
Section 4: Proposed Gun Control Legislation
President Obama announced revised plan concerning violence with firearms (Ncsl.org, 2016; McCarthy, 2013)
New background check requirements.
Improved education of law enforcement officers
Improved compliance of existing laws
Mandatory federal licensing and customer background checks for businesses that sell guns
Tightening restrictions concerning firearm purchases through other channels
Better communication between state and federal authorities regarding the history of convicted criminals
Revamp the current system for background checks
Additional funding for agencies dealing with gun control
Encouraging federal attorneys to work with law enforcement officials to decrease and prevent domestic violence
Create a $500 million fund for improved mental health care
Remove the barriers the NICS has with retrieving information from other agencies
Section 5: Conclusion
References
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