...massacres, gun control has once again been thrust back onto the main stage in the United States. In a New York Times op-ed titled, “How to Win an Argument About Guns”, Nicholas Kristof takes on this very issue. According to his bio, Kristof has been a foreign correspondent and columnist for the New York Times since 2001. However, his bio says nothing about any involvement with firearm related topics. This makes his opinions less trustworthy than that of an actual expert on the issue. Kristof is very pro gun control and dispels five main myths from those that oppose his views on gun control. The author believes that greater restrictions and laws concerning firearms will lead to a safer country and far less casualties....
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...Gun Control Paper Gun Control has been an issue that has been brought to the public’s eyes in recent years. This main issue has been going on for many years, for example when John F. Kennedy was assassinated; it raised public awareness to the lack of control on sales and also possession of guns in America. Until 1968 guns were available over the counter in stores and through mail catalogs to just about any adult in America. This was an example of how loosely guns were regulated which bring us back to the issue of guns. The constitution tells us in the second amendment that we, as American Citizens, have the right to bear arms. But the government is trying to change that by regulating everything to do with owning a gun. My stance: Gun control is just another way for the government to get into our personal lives. Gun violence is a common thing in America and it needs to be stopped some say. For example, Susan Milligan says this, “Opponents of any kind of gun restrictions argue that they are meaningless, since criminals by definition don't follow the law, and therefore won't allow gun laws to hamstring their criminal behavior. That's true. But gun violence isn't only committed by classic criminals, as recent gun-related tragedies show.” Now she argues that all of gun violence, well the majority, is because of criminals which bring us to background checks. When a person buys a firearm they go through a process of steps to make sure that they are capable of buying a firearm...
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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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...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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...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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...One Solution to a Complex Problem As society has changed, the standards in the United States have evolved into something they were not a hundred years ago. Guns, once a common utility in an average American home, have become one of the most controversial subjects today. The rate of mass shootings, according to Harvard research, has tripled since 2011. This has led to the question between the leaders of our country, “How do we prevent school shooting incidents?”. School shootings are becoming a commonplace among Americans today. Sadly, there is not just one single solution to this growing problem. There has been at least 95 school shootings since two years ago, according to the Chicago Tribune. Yet, the first step in bringing an end to this horrific dilemma is to allow a specified and trained professional on campus to carry a weapon. This weapon is not only for protection while an incident is occurring, but it also helps to deter potential threats....
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...Downside to Gun Control Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could no longer protect your family, yourself, and help in being part of the militia? Well that’s the direction some of our politicians are trying to go towards. I am talking about the negative results that imposing harsh gun control laws and regulations would bring if the government passes gun control laws. I am going to talk about three reasons why. First, crime rates would go up. Second, it is in the second amendment where it says we have the right to protect our rights and families. Thirdly, the second amendment protects us against our own government. In today’s society there are people who obey the law and people who do not. The people who obey the law would give up their guns if legislation was passed. Would they be happy? No, they would not, but they would have to. Criminals on the other do not obey the law in the first place, so what makes you think that they will obey new control laws. The answer is quite simple. If you disarm the civilians then many innocent people will be murdered, robbed, and punished by people who do not obey the law. This is because criminals will be the only people besides the police with weapons. Examples of this have been seen in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C. Crime rates in these cities are much higher. The murder rate in Washington D.C. has risen 134% since the strictest gin control act ever created was enacted on the city. The reason that...
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...Gun violence is not a new issue, nor is gun control a new argument. The “war on guns” dates all the way back to the infancy of the United States of America; the right to bear arms was guaranteed in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, and has been seen, in the more than two centuries since, as a cornerstone of American liberty. However, in the last few years, repeated mass killings have placed the gun control debate at the eye of the American political storm. In an effort to balance beliefs from both ends of the political spectrum - that gun ownership needs to be protected, while restricted enough to keep guns out of the hands of those who may do deadly harm with them - has come a lack of serious, effective legislation on the matter. The Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act - seen at its enactment as a milestone in the gun control movement - has proven itself ineffective at preventing the type of mass shooting that is, unfortunately, all too common today. These killings, and the high rates of gun violence overall, challenge the core values of social work practice, and the short- and long-term economic impact of this violence is, at best, counter-productive. Based on the research outlined in this document, it is necessary as social workers to create a culture of safety, and as a country to enact sensible gun...
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...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 two-year period. In the first seven years of the U.S.-Iraq War, over 4,400 American soldiers were killed. Almost as many civilians are killed with guns in the U.S., however, every seven weeks. (Just Facts, 2010) Over the past...
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...Gun Control Concealed Weapons Laws in Arizona Vernon Daniels Jr. Com 220 Jewel Jackson “Gun Control” Concealed Weapons Laws in Arizona Arizona has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the nation. It also has one of the highest rates of gun deaths in the country. But, how closely are guns and violence connected? The answer, like much involving guns in America, is complicated. Even though there is a right to bear arms, gun control laws in Arizona are in need of some work. There have been various shootings that have attributed to this need, adding the fact that carrying a concealed weapon is open to just about anyone only intensifies this need. “Arizona Fired Up Over Year-Old Weapons Law” is an article from 1995 in the Christian Science Monitor that discusses the stance that Tiffany Williams took regarding concealed weapons. Tiffany Williams is one of some 31,000 Arizonans who had decided that their safety hinged on toting guns, and thus had completed a 16-hour firearm-safety course required at that time to carry a concealed gun. Non-supporters of concealed weapons laws worried that as guns continue to show up in more hands, the greater the chance of violent incidents while supporters of concealed weapons laws argued that allowing people to carry firearms - openly or not - is a basic right, and gives people a greater sense of security. Tiffany...
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...they’re actually more likely to be victimized.(Fawcett,2015). On the contrary, another article states that “there are over 57,000 people with mental health conditions in prison and jail in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama.”(Mental Health in America.2016).This could be considered an error in her reasoning. Not to mention another article states “approximately 20% of state prisoners and 21% of local jail prisoners have a “recent history” of a mental health condition and 70% of youth in juvenile justice systems have at least one mental health condition and at least 20% live with a serious mental illness.”(NAMI,N.D).That one point can be majorly negated by the facts listed, meaning that it could be argued the other way and makes it an unsolid argument. Other than that she uses many examples of misleading media...
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...test themselves throughout the physical and mental challenges. Whereas, De Souza argues that the army has interesting recruitment such as ‘Join the Army and see the world’ or ‘ Learn a new skill in the Army’ but does not mentions about any negative things such as killing people or being killed. In the second argument, Blythe claims that people can gain practical job-related skills which will be taught by top professionals and these skills will be useful in the real life after military services. From De Souza’s point of view, he states that focusing on building a strong army can lead to the unnecessary threats to the country’s neighbors and it might end up triggering a war between the countries. Thirdly, Blythe also states that conscription is gain more knowledge and have wider perspective, he supports his idea that it lead to “a more tolerant society”. On the other hand, De Souza emphasizes that the army should upgrade the condition of the army and conscription is not the only way to contribute the society. This essay will analyze the strength and weakness of both authors’ arguments. Discussion: The perspectives of these two authors are very different. Blythe’s argument is quite strong...
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...for oneself and binds them. This should be avoided to the far extent possible. There may be some aspects of the common good that cannot be realized effectively using authoritative legal rules which implies that law is not a good tool for all purposes. Thus, the aspects of common good supported by authoritative rules are the appropriate aims of law. This object of this paper is to examine five controversial laws in US that restrict or regulate behavior and present a philosophical argument for or against why such laws advance a proper aim of law. Controversial Laws in US Due to their sensitive nature, there are several topics which are highly disputed. Since prudence and emotions never go hand-in-hand, it becomes hard to arrive at a conclusion. There are a number of issues, topics and laws which can be debated upon like laws permitting or prohibiting gay marriage, abortion, use of marijuana, assisted suicide, child pornography, animal cruelty, health care, human rights, recreational drugs, gun control and harm to the environment etc. Here we will discuss five of these. 1) Homosexuality – Gay...
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...brought up. This interests me as an active gun owner and activist. But with as much of an unbiased view I look for the answer. Should there be a ban on assault weapons? The most popular method for attempting to reduce violent crimes would be gun control. The idea for an assault weapons ban is on the rise. The recent proposal of an assault weapons ban is not the first within the U.S. Back in 1994 there was a federal assault weapon ban (Warrick). This ban was eventually repealed in 2004. This previous ban banned military style weapons with high volume magazines. With the thought of these bans brings up a question, is it constitutional for these bans. The second amendment gives U.S. citizens the right to bear arms. But with this right comes restrictions, it doesn’t mean that a citizen can waltz around with a firearm anywhere they please. Also there are restrictions on who can and cant own certain or any fire arms like felons and the mentally ill (Kelly). With the idea of gun control and assault weapons bans it’s to reduce the frequency of violent crimes committed with firearms. This comes from the idea that firearms are a more dangerous and lethal weapon compared to other possible weapons. But gun use and possession is a double edge sword, for one a user or someone with the possession of a firearm may attack others, but on the other hand the same person can detour attacks from others with this weapon (Kleck). The argument also arises of the second amendment. With being...
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...Gun Control Gun Control in the United States is a topic that many people are discussing on the news or in private. The mass shootings at the Aurora movie theater that claimed the lives of 12 and injured 59-plus the recent mass shooting at the elementary school in Newton, Connecticut that claimed the life’s of 20 children and six adults. These shootings have stirred up the old debate about gun control and what the second amendment is and what it means to people. Politicians, including President Obama have claimed to create new laws that will reduce the gun violence in this country. Laws that include an assault weapons ban, background checks, in an attempt to keep guns out of the hands of people who may hurt someone or themselves. The opposition has claimed that some of these laws will violate their second amendment right to bear arms and are fighting against any new gun control measures. There are good potential outcomes of gun control and outcomes that might have a negative impact on citizens. A form of gun control that was law but failed to pass again is the ban on assault rifles. The ban on assault rifles will take those types of guns out of people who might do others harm. Most of the mass shooting that happened in 2012 didn’t involve assault rifles like the AR-15 but hand-guns. Along with the ban on assault rifles there will be tougher laws that will allow faster tracking of weapons. The new background checks and the electronic data of all sales of weapons and ammunition...
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