| Gun Control Essay, Research Paper
Gun control in today?s society is one of the major problems we face in the use and misuse of guns. Guns are deadly weapons that can change a person?s life physically and emotionally, mostly when it is not used properly. Many people possess at least one handgun for the purpose of their own protection in home; while others own guns for their own pleasure. Although it may serve as a protection to an individual, it can also be misused. This is why it should be limited to the use of authorities such as the government, marines, and the police. Death by guns is very common in America. There are some possible solutions to the gun problem. The first solution is to slow the number of handguns being produced and sold in the country. The second is to get handguns registered. The final way is to make possession of all handgun ammunition for licensed sporting clubs and licensed gun collector?s illegal. By limiting the use of a gun to only the authorities, it will help eliminate the danger and will make people think twice about committing a crime.
The American people have been subject to a massive gun control experimental for over thirty years. Since the passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act, the federal government, in one form or another, has been in a position to regulate every retail sale of a firearm in the country (Henderson 19). Over the years, Congress has added many layers of gun control, with legislation such as the Brady law, the 1994 ban on many semiautomatic firearms, and the misdemeanor gun ban and so called gun-free school zones act, both passed in 1996 (Henderson 23). Louisiana and about two dozen other states are accused on attempting to stretch product liability laws. The National Rifle Association called the lawsuits with the attempts, ??frivolous and other ploy by? greedy trial lawyers seeking enormous contingency fees (gun suit shot down)?. But will more gun control lead to a reduction in violent crime or could it be that gun control laws actually result in more crime? A comprehensive study by University of Chicago Law School Professor John Lott, who looked at data from every county in the country over an eighteen year period, has shown conclusively that making it easier for citizens to carry firearms leads to lower crime rates (Henderson 104). The Lott study also gives some insight into the negative side on gun control. By definition, only decent citizens will obey gun laws. A criminal, for instance, will not suddenly become an upstanding citizen and subject himself or herself to a government mandated background check. So increasing the number of gun laws only makes it harder to obtain and posses a firearm for the people least likely to commit a crime with a gun. Criminals, meanwhile, are virtually unaffected because they do not go through normal retail outlets in the first place (Henderson 26). The most effective thing Congress can do right now to help fight crime is to repeal the misguided gun control laws of the past thirty years, thereby making it easy for decent citizens in this country to obtain, possess, and carry firearms. If that happens, our streets, neighborhoods, and schools will become safer places.
The registration of handguns would be an attempt to stop people from owning handguns. People against gun control feel that is a violation of the Constitution to control the sale, distribution and registration of guns and gun owners. But it is necessary for there to be certain limits on the violence created by criminals, and teenagers using guns. There are restrictions in Arizona to ensure that only responsible citizens are issued a permit. These restrictions cover age, criminal record, and mental complicity. Applicants for this permit must pass a sixteen-hour training course. In addition, the applicant must send a copy of their fingerprints to the department of public safety to help them conduct a background check. Hopefully this law will show improvements in Arizona and will lead to other states passing that law with a national system of registration. Like Arizona this hopefully will prevent the buying of guns illegally and selling them illegally, because the person registered will be accused of a crime if the person he illegally sold it committed a crime. The system would be more helpful in tracking crimes after they have happened, to bring the perpetrators to justice. If gun control legislation were to go through, there would be a significant decline in gun related crimes.
Guns are also used in competitive sports and many people collect guns. The limitations of these people purchasing guns will help decrease our problem. Since the days of the pioneers of the United States, firearms have been part of the American tradition as protection and means of hunting or sport ( Bellesiles 50). As the people end the 20th century the use of guns has changed significantly (Bellesiles 82). Because of fast and steady increase in crime and the fight for the right to own a handgun, the introduction of legislation for gun control, to try to reduce crime in the United States, has been a hotly debated issue in recent years. Many people feel that gun control violates the rights of people given in the second amendment ?the right to bear arms.? Clearly we have seen more gun control measures over the last two decades; the gun industry has exploited its unique freedom by intentionally increasing the lethality of its products. This decade?s guns carry more ammunition, in higher caliber, and with more conceivable designs than ever before (Heanderson 108). Together, the industry and press callously target woman, youth and minorities for these lethal goods. Manufactures flood markets in states with lax gun laws, knowing their product will quickly travel to cities with strict gun control. That?s how the illegal use of guns comes into play. This is why stopping the use of guns with sports and collectors will help decrease the distribution of guns.
Limiting the gun ownership to only the authorities will decrease accidents and death rates because when violence occurs, a gun is usually involved. The only way to reduce crime is to make guns unavailable to the public. By passing a law that will eliminate guns to citizens, murderers and robbers will have a harder time committing crimes. Guns are also the main reason for death among children and teenagers. If guns were made illegal, the public would be living in a much safer environment, and children would be able to grow up caring about, not hating each other. In today?s news, most of the homicides are due to the improper use of a gun, and those who suffer are the innocents. Decreasing the number of guns will also decrease the homicides through accidental weapon use, or the use of weapon to stop an argument. Authorities should be the only ones to use a gun because they are trained professionals who have purposes to owning a gun. In order to handle a gun properly, a person needs to have some knowledge about the weapon. A gun is a sophisticated device that demands education and practice, so that it can be used safely.
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