...Groups such as the NRA argue that gun control does little to actually deter crime, therefore, why limit the right of law abiding citizens. A November, 2013 study found that, between 1980 and 2009, "assault weapons bans did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level," Likewise, "states with restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murders." The goal of gun control should be results, not merely implementing policy for the sake of policy. Additional studies show that “States with the largest increases in gun ownership also have the largest drops in violent crimes... The effect on 'shall-issue' [concealed gun] laws on these crimes [where two or more people were killed] has been dramatic. When states...
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...Gun Control Team Debate Paper BCOM/275 May 7, 2013 Gun Control Gun control is a hot topic in the United States with primarily two sides of the conversation advocating for either more control of guns or more freedom of guns. The current laws on gun control or gun rights are disagreed upon by these individuals essentially based on the interpretation of such gun control laws. Firearms and the effects of gun rights has many cases that call for the strictest form of gun control. Some of these instances involve elementary school shootings, shootings at theaters, and even shootings on military installations by military members. The 2nd Amendment in the constitution has long been the proof of rights for citizens to bear arms to defend themselves from tyranny. Gun rights supporters say firearms should be unrestricted as it allows for self-defense in the case of another individual holding a weapon. Gun control supporters state that less regulation on gun control does not allow the government to provide its role of security because of it. The statistics for gun ownership in America are interesting to look at. For example, in the United States the average gun ownership per 100 people is 88.8, the highest of all other countries. Both sides of the argument have valid points, however it is important to dive deeper into each argument to analyze the logic and statistics involved in each argument. Major Gun Control Arguments Every day there are a countless instances that show that...
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...Arguments on Gun Control Arguments on Gun Control Introduction Gun control is law and policy which has been developed for the purpose of restricting the import, production, shipment, possession, use and sale of the firearms. There are variations in the laws and policies of gun control around the globe. There are strict gun control policies in United Kingdom. On the other hand, the gun control policies in United States are modest. Many people claim that the gun control policies are very effective and there should be strict control on the implementation of these policies. On the other hand, a group of people thinks that the gun control policies are not so effective and there should be no strict policies on the firearms. Thus, the both sides provide their arguments on the issue of gun control. The main aim of this paper is to persuade against the policies of gun control. The paper is comprised of both the arguments in favor and against of the gun control policies. Discussion It is so easy to understand that without guns or rifles, killing of criminals would have been much more difficult to consummate, which is sometimes hard to explain how it is possible that guns are legal in the largest and most powerful democracy in the world. But it is undeniable that easy access to firearms greatly facilitates this sinister task (Amo, 1989). The criminals have committed one of the latest killings with firearms that shook Americans, 14 Dead Colombine students in 1999...
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...Senior Research Project: Is the right to bear arms ethical? Lucas Van Duyn Senior Seminar: Business Ethics Dr. Jewe July 31, 2012 Introduction to the Project: In the United States, research into firearms and violent crime is fraught with difficulties, associated with limited data on gun ownership and use, firearms markets, and aggregation of crime data. Research studies into gun violence have primarily taken one of two approaches: case-control studies and social ecology. Gun ownership is usually determined through surveys, proxy variables, and sometimes with production and import figures. In statistical analysis of homicides and other types of crime, which are rare events, these data tend to have poison distributions, which also presents methodological challenges to researchers. (Just Facts, 2010) Americans own an estimated 270 million firearms, approximately 90 guns for every 100 people. In 2009, guns took the lives of 31,347 Americans in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings. This is the equivalent of more than 85 deaths each day and more than three deaths each hour. 66,769 Americans were treated in hospital emergency departments for non-fatal gunshot wounds in 2009. Firearms were the third-leading cause of injury-related deaths nationwide in 2009, following poisoning and motor vehicle accidents. Between 1955 and 1975, the Vietnam War killed over 58,000 American soldiers – less than the number of civilians killed with guns in the U.S. in an average...
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...Gun Control in America Peter Z Bliss ENG/215 February 2, 2012 Kim Holloway Gun Control in America Gun control is a debate topic that comes up every election and when a major event happens that involving guns. Pro-gun lobbyists say “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” [ (Hagan, 2007) ] the anti-gun advocates want to take away the right to bear arms. This topic has no right or wrong answer it is a preference of the individual. This is why gun control is such a fiercely debated topic. Implementing gun control Gun control cannot determine an accurate measurement according to research as there are two key components to the research lacking. What is the crime rate with no gun control? There is no documented research showing what the baseline is without gun control. Different government parties have each placed their own gun controls as a universal solution. These controls are mandatory locks sold with every gun purchase, and limitations on different classification of guns a citizen may own (Moorhouse & Wanner, 2006). Part two of measuring gun control is making sure the gun control laws are in place along with proper enforcement of the law. An example of this could have a blanket gun control law for a state. Each county within that state will potentially have a different outcome of this law. With the effort their law enforcement offices and judicial system place on enforcing that law. Gun control law enforcement is a large part of the accurate measurement...
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...Gun Control Gun control is one of those debates that seems to never go away. This is most likely due to the fact that on any given night a person can turn on the TV and see a report of a gun-related death or crime on the news. Gun control advocates take these instances and immediately declare that gun control laws need to be strengthened or that guns should be outlawed completely. While this may seem like a rational reaction and a solution to the problem, upon further investigation it is discovered that this might not solve the problem at hand. The solution to preventing crimes involving guns is not enacting stricter gun laws, but addressing the problems with the individuals that commit the crimes. As stated before, many people believe and argue that by enacting stricter gun laws and regulations the crime rate and gun death total will decrease. This argument makes sense in theory, until you take into consideration the individuals who are committing the crimes in the first place. The people who go out and deliberately kill someone or use a gun to aid in a crime are not law-abiding citizens in the first place. In most cases, the individual uses a gun that they did not legally obtain meaning that they either stole it from an individual that did or they acquired it through some sort of black market. How will making gun laws more strict help stop an individual that is going to acquire the gun illegally in the first place? According to Stranger, the percentage of crimes that are...
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...Final Project: Persuasive Research Paper ENG102 March 30, 2014 The finality of misuse of a firearm sometimes ends up in catastrophic injury or death which pulls at the heart strings of almost all Americans. Many choose to use them for sport or recreation while others use them as a way of furthering their criminal actions. In turn there are many that feel it is their legally protected right to own firearms and enjoy their recreational uses. Due to the multiple conflicting arguments for and against the owning of guns many turn to powers above themselves such as the government to regulate gun use. When a cause that is so vast in the distance between its’ opposing sides we must ponder, does legislation for or against gun control really obtain its intended effect. In a literal sense, gun control and legislation does not have enough effect on overall crime rate to be the number one focus in the reduction of crime. The debate on gun control is an ongoing battle which has continued to span many decades. Some feel they need more gun laws to protect us while others feel that they need more guns in our possession to protect us. There has been very limited data available to determine whether gun laws or guns themselves that positively impact crime statistics. There is a school of thought that states that have passed conceal to carry laws would lower crime rates. Over the last twenty years there have been 10 states to pass new CCW laws. Oddly enough the intended overall impact...
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...Gun Control: The Battle Rages On Tyler D. Scott Ozarks Technical Community College Abstract This paper discusses and is centered around the on-going debate over gun control, I directly address how each major political party views this subject and what I believe the United States Government should do to be able to best combat this tremendous issue. I use research from multiple sources that contrast each side of the argument and give an overall insight into the world of modernized gun control. Gun Control: The Battle Rages On With the Second Amendment giving American citizens the rights to bear arms, and approximately fifty percent of Americans owning some form of a firearm, issues involving the ownership and possession of guns have led to heated debates in American society. Most notably is the issue of gun control. Many feel that the some form of gun regulation is necessary in order to lower the level of gun related violence in the country. On the other hand, the opponents of gun control feel that it would be an infringement on their second amendment rights. The outcome and extent of gun control has strong political implications because it basically determines the present day meaning of the Second Amendment. While each side has strong points to their arguments, one quote by writer Michael Warfel basically sums up the need for gun control. He writes, “An individual’s right to own and bear arms must be balanced by the greater social needs of a society” (Warfel, 2000, p...
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...The gun control debate is one of the hottest topics of current media - and it will be discussed further in this paper. This research paper will be oriented against gun control, therefore being for gun ownership. Many aspects of gun control will be discussed, and the argument of this this research paper will be for gun rights and ownership. A lesser-known but important topic in the larger scale gun control debate is handicapped individuals owning a firearm and permit for self defense. Handicapped citizens are more opposed to gun control laws than most, due to the fact that some grips and stocks that are illegal are more necessary (Ennis, 2013). Assault-style weapons, such as AR-15’s, are very customizable, and such customizations could compensate for an individual’s disabilities. Banning that genre of firearms would remove the broad personalization options, and therefore making it more difficult for handicapped shooters to modify a gun to their needs. Also, some disabled shooters may have certain conditions that prevent them from assuming a normal shooting stance. If accommodations can made for the shooter to use their gun effectively, such as a lighter weight gun or laser...
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...Gun Control COMM 215 October 14, 2013 Gun Control The United States is in a controversy of whether or not the Second Amendment is protecting the country or killing it. The United States owns approximately 250 million guns, nearly one for each citizen, and increases about seven million more each year. Numerous experts believe that the Second Amendment in the Constitution is rational and legal. However, they do not condone maliciously shooting people. Many lives could be saved with stricter gun control laws and educational requirements legislated. A well-intended and justifiable right during its era, the “right to bear arms” today needs common sense reform. During the late 1700s, founding fathers were not certain about the future success of the “Union,” nor did they have the legalities fully worked out. Trusts between the states were hit and miss and few if any trusted “big” government. The possibility of invasion was frighteningly real; the Second Amendment was put in place to make sure that a citizen’s militia could defend the principles of the Constitution (10- arguments for gun control, 2013). However, they did not say that citizens could go around shooting people and claiming that the Second Amendment protects them. Society’s problem is not the guns; it is the people handling them and the laws that surround their use and ownership. The bottom line is simple; nations with zero to few requirements/laws in force to regulate gun ownership will have more...
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... Agresti, James D., and Reid K. Smith. "Gun Control Facts." 11 Feb. 2013 Web 18 Sept. 2014. http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp. This is a web document in which the authors cover pure statistics and facts. Graphs, tables, quotes, and statistics are all that this piece contains. This resource is useful since it was updated a little more than a year ago with the most recent data and continues to be updated as new stats and facts become available. It is also neutral in nature, giving just the facts and referencing both the affirmative and negative sides of the argument. 2. McEntee, Peg. “Utah Teacher Shoots Herself in Leg With Concealed Weapon.” Huffington Post 11 Sept. 2014 Web 18 Sept. 2014 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/11/teacher-shoots-self-concealed-weapon_n_5807826.html?utm_hp_ref=gun-control The Huffington Post is a news site with an entire section dedicated to news surrounding gun control, both recent and past. This article is helpful because it outlines the concealed carry laws in Utah schools, a state which has closely modeled it’s laws after Colorado’s. This article is useful because it describes some of the negative effect that concealed carry on campus has for the person carrying as well as the student population/their parents if they find out about the firearm. 3. Students for Concealed Carry. “Common Arguments Against Campus Carry.” Concealed Campus 2011-2012 Web Sept. 18 2014 http://concealedcampus.org/common-arguments/ Students for Concealed Carry is...
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...ProCon website, the first argument that stood out to me was the issue of gun control. Gun control has been a debate for many years, but in light of the heartbreaking event that took place in Parkland, Florida, killing seventeen people, it is ever so strong. The proponents of gun control argue there should be a change to the current gun control laws (ProCon.org, 2017). They contend if America had more gun control law, we could reduce gun deaths nationwide, not to mention the protection these laws would bring to the victims of domestic violence and stalking situations. Another stance is the necessity for banning high-capacity magazines because data illustrates “50% of mass shootings during 1982 and 2012 involved this type of weapon, and when high-capacity magazines are used, death rates rise 63% and injury rates rise 156%. That is definitely some alarming statistics, especially when the media continues to discuss the school shootings and casualties. Furthermore, proponents argue that the guns being used are those same legally owned guns that the current gun control laws allow individuals to have in their...
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...Gun Control: American Gun Laws Need Reform Roderick D. Harris Capella University Gun Control: American Gun Laws Need Reform At the national level, the issue of gun control has been in the spotlight for the last 50 years. The conversation seems to pick up or lose steam depending upon current events. In more recent years, the barrage of mass murders carried out with the use of assault-style weapons have fueled the fire and reopened the public debate. In 2012, President Obama and his administration made a strong push toward reform of current laws on gun control but were met with hard opposition and their efforts failed. Many states have developed their own gun controls in the absence of federal statues, but these new reforms do not go far enough in most cases and the variances between state laws add to the confusion around developing comprehensive reform at the federal level. Strict gun control should at the least consist of full background checks, a ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines for ammunition. Congressional leaders should take the first step toward reform with a bi-partisan approach to a sweeping legislation. Strict gun control with a ban on assault-style weapons will reduce violence and shootings of mass murder in the United States (U.S.). The fewer the assault weapons and large-capacity magazines in our society will provide a greater opportunity for survival and reduced by-stander casualties during random acts of violence and mass shootings...
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...Jonathan Schwartz Prof: F, Gomez Eng 1A 11-15-13 The Power of the Media to Shape Our Perceptions and Understanding of Reality on Gun Control Introduction The wake of gun violence in the United States has seen various proposals on how to handle the gun issue. Occasionally, people have woken up to shocking incidences of gun violence on various quarters. Perhaps the most outrageous incidents are the ones that involved shooting of school going children by a fellow student, seemingly unstable, or at least for that moment. It is important to note that in these incidences, the media coverage of the live happenings have always been extensive, giving the perpetrator of such violence a lot of fame. Various segments of the society have reacted to such incidences with diverging and converging opinions on what should be the best way forward. While the Obama administration has been on the forefront proposing stringent measures for the purposes of reducing or eliminating repeat occurrence, Republicans have a different view on how to address the whole matter. Religious groups and civil society have not spoken in one voice although one may deduce that everyone desires some changes in regards to how the whole issue should be addressed. Some of the emerging schools of thought that have come out have to do with logic behind issuance of guns, the ethical and practical implications of the solutions proposed for adoption as policy. Probably the big challenge is that the incidences...
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...Gun Control…Why Not? A few months back Obama stated at a mid-day announcement at the White House, "While there is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, no piece of legislation that will prevent every tragedy, every act of evil, if there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try it." I absolutely agree with Obama that we, as Americans, have an obligation to protect our communities and children…what better place to start than placing a greater emphasis on not only gun control but security and mental health awareness as well. In recent years there has been a spike in gun violence and mass killings leaving a trail of broken people trying to make ends meet, why was it their child, brother, father, etc. who was shot. This increase in guns ending up in the hands of dangerous people must be addressed; something must be done in an attempt to reduce these horrific acts of violence such as the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. The argument has been made that those who own guns typically only use them for safety and are responsible law abiding citizens. Also, the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to bear arms. But in an attempt to protect ourselves, our communities, and our children from tragic mass shootings Obama has devised a Gun Control Act that includes four steps that will reduce the gun violence uproar. 1....
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