Problem Topic and Thesis
Could gun violence in America be reduced through stricter gun control at the federal level? Gun violence in America has risen to pandemic levels due to lax gun control measures, which makes it relatively easy for otherwise dangerous and questionable individuals to purchase firearms. Although some individual states have passed stricter gun control measures, the lack of uniform federal legislation leaves American citizens more vulnerable to gun violence than other industrialized societies. While opponents to stricter federal legislation cite that it will not reduce the number of public shootings and homicides, one must acknowledge that America has a visible problem with gun violence. Given the fact that measures other than a lack of federal legislation are failing to solve the problem of gun violence, increased federal legislation stands to make a difference. In order to reduce gun violence in American, federal legislation should be passed that mandates background checks, a waiting period, responsible gun use education, and bans known criminals and those with documented histories of mental illnesses from purchasing a firearm.
Reason for Selection and Key Concepts
Gun violence in America is a broad topic that ranges from its prevalence, its devastating effects, who commits gun violence, why it is committed, and what needs to be done to curb it. The history of the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) influence on the lack of federal legislation has been a source of controversy. In comparison to other Westernized nations, America’s lack of centralized legislation has raised concerns that increased legislation would be highly effective in solving the problem (Gatehouse, 2016). The possibilities of stricter gun control measures have drawn an equal amount of controversy from opponents. Besides citing that homicides committed with the use of guns has decreased since the 1990s, opponents believe stricter gun control is in direct violation of the second amendment and poses an ethical problem (Stell, 2004). Behind that ethical problem is the belief that the government does not have the authority to infringe on an individual citizen’s right to bear arms. The topic of whether stricter federal legislation will lead to a reduction in gun violence in America cannot be proven until enacted, but other nations that have enacted stricter gun control measures can serve as an indicator of potential success. Whether stricter federal legislation can solve America’s gun violence problem was chosen due to the fact that the controversy is politically charged, politically polarized, and little has been done to assert whether such legislation will actually lead to a reduction in violence.
The key concepts that are important to the topic include the role of the National Rifle Association in the lack of federal gun control measures, President Obama’s push to enact stricter gun control measures, the history of gun violence in America, the demographic that commits gun violence, the harmful effects of gun violence, the history of federal and state legislation for gun control measures, the rationale for increased federal gun control measures, the results of increased gun control measures in other nations, the relationship between increased gun violence and lax legislation, and whether alternative measures can be as effective as increased federal legislation.
The role of the federal government in gun control measures is an additional important key concept. This includes the appropriate role of the federal government given the evolution of the use of guns and the increase in gun violence. Should the Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment be modified to fit the modern state of society? What would it take to modify the Second Amendment and would this result in further political polarization? Given the NRA’s stronghold on voting members of Congress and the Senate, would a modification even be possible? Should interest groups such as the NRA be allowed to financially control a government that is supposed to be “for the people, by the people”?
References
Gatehouse, J. (2016). Disarming the gun problem. Maclean's, 128(51/52), 12-13.
Stell, L. K. (2004). The production of criminal violence in America: Is strict gun control the
solution. Journal Of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 32(1), 38-46.
