Introduction
In general, gun control is a term that denotes the policies and laws introduced for the manufacture, production, trade, transfer, ownership, alteration, or utilization of firearms. These laws and policies are significantly different in every country. In the United States of America, the gun laws administer the regulation of trading, employing, and possessing of assault weapons. It is significant to note that there is a remarkable variation in state laws pertaining gun control with either a restricted or broader extent when compared with the federal laws. Gun control and gun ownership have turned out to be the hottest issues in the contemporary American society.
Enthused by several back-to-back incidents of mass killings in residential sites, the issue has emerged as a grave one in the last few decades. Particularly, the December 2012 shootings that killed 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Connecticut sparked a nationwide debate over gun laws. The Obama administration also called for stricter laws for restricting the accessibility and availability of assault weapons. Nevertheless, despite strong public support, the Senate defeated the compromise legislation pertaining to ban of military-style weapons in 2013 (Master, 2016). Being a strong supporter of gun control, I assume that the government must make the gun ownership illegal because of the increased crime rates, increased accidental deaths, inclination of people towards suicide commitment, desensitization developed with continuous exposure, and several related factors that make such possession disadvantageous for the individual and society.
Why is it Necessary for the Government to Put a Ban on Gun Ownership in America?
A Small Arms Survey conducted in Switzerland in the year 2007 reported that the United States of America “with less than 5 percent of the world's population, has about 35–50 percent of the world's civilian-owned guns” (Master, 2016). Whereas many people consider that gun control laws limit the autonomy and independence of American citizens, majority of the contemporary Americans possess firearms that are mostly unregistered. As a staunch supporter of gun possession, I believe that it is extremely significant for the authorities to proscribe gun possession on a national level.
Recently, after the occurrence of several mass killing incidents in 2015, Obama administration has exhibited a crystal clear approach in banning firearms. In January 2016, the Americans witnessed a vigorous advancement when Obama administration introduced several executive initiatives for reducing gun violence. These actions also included the expansion of federal background checks for investigating the individual history of gun purchasers (Masters, 2016). As a law-abiding citizen, I believe that such steps for controlling guns and other assault weapons are critically necessary for making America and its people safe.
Illegalization of Guns Would Decrease Homicide-by-Firearms Rate
The backers of gun ownership assert that the Second Amendment allows every American to own firearms as a basic right. According to the United State’s Constitution’s Second Amendment, "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" (as qt in Carter, 2002). Under this decree, the gun control opponents believe that putting a ban on gun possession is against the law. With the citation of the mentioned amendment, the rulings of the Supreme Court have been successful in upholding states’ rights associated with the firearms regulation. Many campaigners working for gun ownership regard it an individual’s birthright as well as an integral element of American legacy. For them, it is unconstitutional to introduce and implement gun controls.
My opinion on this matter resonates with the believers of gun control. Considering that the United States of America holds the first position in firearms’ possession per capita, I believe there is a dire need for the authorities to consider this issue more seriously as the USA “also has the highest homicide-by-firearm rate among the world's most developed nations” (Masters, 2016). Also, the wordings of the Second Amendment as stated above are rather debatable as they do not describe ‘militia’ as well as the sort of “Arms”. Also, since there is no clear explanation of the people who can possess arms and the types of arms, does it signify that there must be no restriction on weapons’ types and anyone can use any weapon?
Illegalization of Guns Would Decrease Crime Rate in the Society
Moreover, gun control opponents also believe that putting bans on guns would neither facilitate their disappearance from the society nor it would make them less unsafe. They assert that it is the lawful right of people to possess and use guns in an alarming situation for their own protection as well as for safeguarding their property, family members, and loved ones. According to such campaigners of gun ownership, different people keep guns for different reasons and they must continue to do so.
On the other hand, I firmly believe that the government must make gun ownership illegal because the only purpose served by a gun is to cause physical harm to the other person or to kill him. With lesser accessibility to weapons causing injury and life loss, there would be lesser incidents of firearms-killings. Also, the society would be safer. Public safety and individual defense is at risk due to the pervasive presence and utilization of guns. For instance, the state of Texas experienced the wrath of guns in 2006 as 70% of killings were caused by firearms. Also, people used guns for suicidal purposes and other crimes. As a consequence of gun ownership and lose gun control laws, “access to these extremely effective weapons makes it possible for even normally law-abiding individuals easily to act on violent urges” (Maxwell, Crain & Santos, 2010). Put it in simpler words, guns are fatal and their controlled possession is better for everyone.
Illegalization of Guns Would Minimize Accidental Deaths
Another popular argument offered by the promoters of gun possession is that people kill other people and guns do not. They emphasize on the notion that restricting guns would not help anyone in protecting the society as everyone should be afraid of the criminal intentions of people. They also argue that the unavailability of registered firearms would not stop people from committing crimes as they would then use illegal means to acquire unregistered weapons from other countries. Their argument relies on the assumption that “given that criminals are more likely to obtain their guns in the secondary market; any regulation of the primary market is unlikely to have a significant impact on firearms used in criminal activity” (Wilson, 2007).
As a follower of gun control battle, I strongly oppose such arguments as the legal possession of guns by ordinary people certainly results in inadvertent loss of life. Such tragic and accidental deaths are always caused when people are urged to use weapons in situations that could be resolved otherwise. In some cases, criminals steal guns from their legal owners and end up using them in crimes. Less prevalence of guns and other assault weapons would definitely make it difficult for criminals to obtain registered guns from ordinary citizens.
There is also another side of this story. The presence and easy accessibility of guns within domestic settings also threaten children safety as children (knowingly and unknowingly) access these dangerous equipments leading to horrendous incidents. Protect Children, Not Guns 2013, a publication by The Children’s Defense Fund confirms this threat stating that “2,694 children and teens died from guns in the United States in 2010” alone (“PROTECT CHILDREN NOT GUNS 2013 - Corporations and Health”, 2013). The same publication also mentions that the children and teens in the United States of America “are 17 times more likely to die from a gun than their peers in 25 other high-income countries combined” (“PROTECT CHILDREN NOT GUNS 2013 - Corporations and Health”, 2013).
It is necessary to note that gun killings are not particularly an everyday incident in specific areas on American soil. Unfortunately, gun violence kills children and teens in every American state; Hawaii being the safest and Alaska being the deadliest state (“PROTECT CHILDREN NOT GUNS 2013 - Corporations and Health”, 2013).
Illegalization of Guns Will Discourage Shooting Sports That Threaten Peoples’ Lives
Countless people support the usage of guns and other firearms for sports purposes. In the United States, several fractions of law-abiding people take pleasure in shooting as a leisure sport. The believers of gun ownership assume that it is the right of American people and shooting-lovers to go on with playing with their favorite activity. Large sums of capital have been invested throughout the country for establishing purpose-built shooting ranges. Also, people spend heavily on the purchase and maintenance of guns to carry on with their chosen recreation. According to the proponents of gun ownership, the government must not introduce gun laws as such a decision would confiscate the guns as well as the money invested in mentioned activities and other gun-related sports.
In my opinion, it is the high time for the government to make gun ownership illegal. This is because shooting as a sport has made people insensitive to the fatality of firearms. In fact, such recreational activities have been successful in facilitating, creating, and nurturing a culture of unwarranted gun possession. There is absolutely no point of investing millions of dollars for the glamorization and legitimization of gun ownership for sports.
As a matter of fact, sports shooting and similar pursuits are an interest of a small fraction of population. Therefore, the government must take necessary steps to make gun ownership illegal. Possessing and using guns for sports creates a hurdle for the entire society that is willing to impose gun laws for the safety and betterment of all. In case of a ban implementation, the government could give compensation to gun-owners, shooting clubs, and gun retailers to reimburse any financial loss. In short, no justification for allowing gun possession to play a sport is strong enough than the fact that guns are extremely dangerous even if used for entertaining purposes.
Illegalization of Guns Would Decline Suicide Rates in America
Suicide is one of the most imperative reasons due to which government of the United States of America needs to put a ban on gun possession. The risk of suicide escalates with the ownership of firearms. Gun ownership activists assume this proposition as false. They consider that the firearms’ availability is not directly related with suicide. For them, only a negligible difference is possible in diminishing suicide rates if a ban is imposed on gun possession.
On the other hand, facts and figures reveal a different story. According to a research conducted by Andrew Anglemyer and his colleagues, “rates of suicide and murder may be higher in areas with a high prevalence of gun ownership because people who commit those acts on impulse have an easier time getting a gun there” (“Gun ownership tied to three-fold increase in suicide risk | Fox News”, 2014). The lethal nature of weapons heightens the risk of completion of homicide as well as suicide. Fatality rates are extremely high where the accessibility of firearms was not difficult. In particular, suicide is strongly correlated with the availability of firearms within the domestic settings as ‘weapons to kill’ leave very little opportunity to reassess the decision of ending one’s own life.
It is essential to mention that there is a strong connection between the sloppiness of gun laws in a country and its rate of suicide. These rates are not high due to the fact that gun owners are more anxious and depressive than other people. The reason is simple. The ease of using a gun is the quickest means to end one’s life after a suicidal attempt. Even though a large number of people who fail in such attempts later confess of being emotional and foolish, it is still necessary for the government to make sure that gun ownership is restricted as it may cause the wastage of precious lives.
Gun Ownership for Self-Defense is Rare
There are many other factors due to which the government must pass distinctive bills for the illegalization of gun possession and unwarranted utilization of weapons. Even if the gun ownership is legal and legitimate, legal gun possessors tend to harm others with their guns. It is the high time to realize and comprehend that there are rare occasions when a gun is used for self-defense. In point of fact, “Guns are far more likely to be used in a homicide than in a justifiable homicide by a private citizen. In fact, a gun is far more likely to be stolen than used in self-defense” (McLaughlin, 2015). It has been observed that the presence of guns and weapons in a household is an attraction for the burglars to break in and steal them. For the same reason, gun owners have a higher risk of harming or injuring themselves.
It is a fact that there is a greater chance of fatal incidents when an assailant is threatened by an innocent individual. Citizens are mostly shot after they draw guns first at the offenders for self-defense. Similarly, it is not justifiable to shoot a person with a lethal firearm for protecting one’s property. Even if the right to property is a central civilian right, it is still not an adequate justification to kill an offender to defend one’s land and assets. In many cases, false claims are used by the shooters in order to protect themselves and their property. Sometimes, the gun owners deliberately take an offender’s life and provide the mentioned justification to hide the truth.
Conclusion
President Obama has announced several executive policies in January 2016 with the sole purpose of decreasing gun violence in the United States of America. In particular, these actions offer distinguished measure that make it necessary for online firearm-dealers and dealers at gun shows to acquire federal licenses. Also, background checks of potential purchasers and customers have been made an obligation.
As a supporter of gun control, I am hopeful that such measures will be helpful for the authorities to facilitate the closing of current legal ambiguities. Such loopholes have let the aggressive and belligerent offenders to trade in weapons without prior screening by Federal Bureau Investigation. Therefore, it is a huge step towards stopping gun violence in the country (Johnson, 2016).
The recent measures pertaining gun control laws and gun ownership policies offer a hope to the uncountable people in American society who support gun control. Most importantly, the families that have been affected by guns are anticipating a radical change in the governmental policies with regards to gun legalization and circulation. However, this hot debate is still expected to prevail in the society as numerous influential individuals, government officials, and powerful armament companies are against gun control laws.
References
Carter, G. L. (2002). Guns in American society: An encyclopedia of history, politics, culture, and the law (Vol. 1). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Gun ownership tied to three-fold increase in suicide risk | Fox News. (2014, January 21). Retrieved February 22, 2016, from http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/01/21/gun-ownership-tied-to-three-fold-increase-in-suicide-risk.html
Johnson, T. (2016, January 04). What The Media Should Know About Gun Background Checks Before Obama's Announcement Of Executive Actions On Gun Violence. Retrieved February 22, 2016, from http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/01/04/what-the-media-should-know-about-gun-background/207722
Masters, J. (2016, January 12). U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons. Retrieved February 20, 2016, from http://www.cfr.org/society-and-culture/us-gun-policy-global-comparisons/p29735
McLaughlin, M. (2015, June 17). Using Guns In Self-Defense Is Rare, Study Finds. Retrieved February 22, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/17/guns-self-defense-study_n_7608350.html
PROTECT CHILDREN NOT GUNS 2013 - Corporations and Health. (2013). Retrieved February 21, 2016, from http://corporationsandhealth.org/2013/08/07/protect-children-not-guns-2013/
Wilson, H. L. (2007). Guns, gun control, and elections: The politics and policy of firearms. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
