...Gun Control in America Alicia Buford COMM 215 Instructor Bruce Massis May 20, 2013 Did you know that in the United States that there are almost as many firearms as there are citizens (Wadman, 2013)? Consequently, the second amendment of the constitution gives each American citizen “The Right to Bear Arms.” The right to bear these arms is a just that, a right but, along with that right comes responsibility. Since the days of the pioneers, firearms have been an element of the American tradition as defense and a means of hunting or activity. However, as we progress through the 21st century the use of guns has changed significantly. Some of the reasons for the change are the steady increase in crime and the battle for the right to have possession of hand guns. Due to the number of gun owners in America, one might think that we have a strong affection for guns and gun ownership rights. This could not be further from the truth. Americans views towards guns have shifted significantly. In a 1998 Harris Poll taken a year before Columbine, shows that almost 70 percent of Americans favor “stricter gun control” (Contexts, Fall, 2003). So what should we do about this? I believe that stricter gun control legislation should be the solution to much of the gun violence that is plaguing our nation. Restricting the right to bear arms, especially assault weapons should make our communities safer. Granted, many people in community all across this country own guns. A large...
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...Gun Control what’s The Point Sondra Miller Dr. Kimberly Stanley December 8, 2013 Gun control in America is a debate that is a constant concern about the 2nd Amendment or the right to bear arms. Having the freedom to carry a gun is a very controversial issue in society today. There are many people who feel that guns has been a problem and part of the reason there is so much crime. In 1994 a crime bill was passed by President Bill Clinton that would prohibit just anyone from owning a gun (Washington Times vol0). As long as guns are made readily available for Americans to own them, tragedies such as the 1999 columbine school killing that 13 people were killed and wounding countless of others (Cullens2000,p 439) will continue to happen. Gun control policies should be stricter for people who wants to own a gun and for the store owners who sale them. The Hoffman Gun Center and Indoor Range require that gun owners have pistol permits that want to buy assault rifles. According to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Safety the law requires that a person who wants to buy a gun be at least 21 years of age, no convicted felonies, background check, and take a safety and storage course (Hoffman, 2001, newspaper). In America at least 400 children will die...
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...problem of Gun Control. Our founding fathers form the Bill of Rights specifically the second amendment to protect American citizens just in case the government turns tyrannical. Presently, the 2nd amendment is being debated on the extent gun rights apply in the expense of public safety. In the last half a century senseless mass shootings has shaped American history, from the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, and (attempted) John Regan. Additionally, mass shootings has made a similar impact on society from the Columbine, Tucson, and Sandy Hook. As a result, those events caused a media frenzy and public outcry...
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...debate.org/opinions/should-guns-be-banned-in-america Pro: Why Guns Should Be Banned in the U.S. Kevin Ngo Opinion Editor February 20, 2013 Filed under Opinion If guns make us safer, America should be the safest place on earth. We have more guns per capita than any other place in the world, but we are clearly not the safest country on earth. Guns have brought nothing to Americans except harm and heartbreak. It is unfortunate that a tragedy, such as the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, has to occur in order for anything to be done to place a ban on guns. President Obama has proposed a plan to have thorough background checks on those who purchase guns, and prohibit the purchase of armor piercing bullets, along with magazines with a capacity larger than ten bullets. The National Rifle Association believes that their rights are being taken away completely, but this isn’t true. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states: “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.” A more modern interpretation is required. That, like the First Amendment, the freedom of speech and press, is not an absolute right. There is also a key portion of the amendment that states, “In well regulated militia.” Any assualt-type weapon, regardless of whether it’s for hunting or not, needs to be banned, along with large capacity magazines. An assault-type weapon, such as the AR-15...
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...decade there has been a drastic increase in the debate over gun control. A Constitutional right set forth by our forefathers is now seemingly being laid to rest by the leaders of our country. However, as a modern Democratic society the people of our nation are refusing to go down without a fight. By evaluating and analyzing recent gun control policies and the reaction of such policies by the general public, supported by a graphical representation of my theory, I will argue that through recent policy that the increase in the limiting of sale of firearms and ammunition and the attempted disarming of the American public has endangered the law abiding citizens of this country instead of saving them as many would have us believe. I hypothesize that with stricter...
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...Gun control is becoming a more prevalent topic of discussion due to the increasing number of mass shootings each year. This article confronts the topic of gun control and delivers an interesting twist on someone’s liberal views. Most liberals believe guns should be outlawed or heavily regulated. The intriguing part of this article is the idea that a liberal owns a gun. Naturally, people with democratic views believe that guns should not be in the hands of the public. The argument has an interesting twist due to this unlikely scenario. The writer begins his essay stating he is “devoutly Democratic” and lives in Texas. He owns many different types of pistols and is looking to buy a shotgun. He states he loves to fire guns and exercise his rights as an American. Among the many reasons to own firearms, the author says the biggest reason is to protect his family. He was introduced to firearms while writing a novel where guns were used...
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...PROTECT CHILDREN NOT GUNS 2012 THIS REPORT IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF TRAYVON MARTIN AND THE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS KILLED BY GUNS EACH YEAR IN AMERICA. Children’s Defense Fund Mission Statement T he Children’s Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. CDF provides a strong, effective and independent voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investments before they get sick, drop out of school, get into trouble or suffer family breakdown. CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit public charity supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations. © 2012 Children’s Defense Fund. All rights reserved. Table of Contents Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Stand Up and Take Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Child and Teen Gun Deaths . . . . . . . . . ....
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...World War I Soldier Maenell Hendricks HIS/120 Amy Arsten February 26, 2012 Upon the outbreak of the Great War, the U.S. enforced a rule of non-intervention, preventing conflict while attempting to negotiate peace. President Woodrow Wilson expressed that the United States was too proud to battle, and commanded Germany to stop the assaults on passenger ships, which Germany obeyed his command. Because President Wilson could not mediate a settlement, he cautioned Germany that the United States would not allow unrestricted submarine combat. This warfare would violate the universal law and American philosophies of human rights. Germany became defiant, and continued with the plan to start submarine warfare anyway. Germany approached Mexico with a deal that if they join forces with them in war against the U.S., they would support them financially, and help them gain back territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. These were territories Mexico had lost 70 years ago during the Mexican-American war. President Woodrow Wilson announced the Zimmerman note, which was a telegram intercepted by British Intelligence, declaring war on the United States. This caused an outrage, and gave the U.S. a reason to wage war on Germany and its allies. The United States Army was very small, but grew by 2.8 million from the drafting of American soldiers after the passage of the Selection Service Act. Although the United States was an “Associated Power”, it was never officially declared...
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...Brittan. However, they did not want the Government to have “a standing army” that could impose on the rights of the people. On one side, the government had to be powerful enough to defend the country, but not so powerful that it would infringe on the liberty of the people. The leaders felt by allowing each person the right to bear arms would keep the government in check from imposing its will on the country. After the Constitution was written, the leaders had to convince each state to ratify the Constitution. Many of the states delegates were concerned about giving the central government too much power. The second amendment was one answer to the delegate’s concerns. More than two hundred years after the Constitution was ratified, gun sales have continued to increase over the years. Ammunition is more and more difficult to purchase and the cost is going up. Why? It is because there are leaders in the...
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...To begin with, Americans made a crucial contribution to the war effort. The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7,1941 brought America into the war. The Americans want revenge for the Pearl Harbor and soon they started a series of attack in Japan. Before they joined the war, American decided to focus on building up their air forces as Roosevelt thought air strategy is one of the ways that can decrease their casualties in the war. Americans were not only using their money for building atomic bombs, they were also used it for building hundreds of aircraft carriers, ships as well as planes. The Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway involved a new kind of naval warfare and Japan undergoes a crushing defeat from America. They eventually...
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...Campbell Department of Criminology Ryan Gale 483 McNeil Building Marissa Mandala 3718 Locust Walk Telephone: 215-746-3620 Office Hours: Professor Adler: Wednesday, 10am-1pm For all other times, please make an appointment Teaching Assistants will have weekly office hours TBA Overview: This course examines the multi-disciplinary social science of law-making, law-breaking, and law-enforcing. It reviews theories and data that predict when, where and against whom crimes happen. In addition, it addresses questions surrounding crime prevention and punishment of offenders. The role and importance of police, courts, and prisons are critically examined. The relationship between criminology and policy-making will be highlighted. Text: Adler, F., Mueller, G.O.W., Laufer, W.S, CRIMINOLOGY, 8th edition, New York: McGraw Hill, 2013 E-mail version: TBA Additional class materials will be posted on Blackboard periodically. Please check the course web site. Grading: Examinations: The final grade for this course is made up of grades from three non-cumulative examinations. These exams are taken in class. The first two are given during the semester (each one is worth 30% of the final grade). The last one is given during the final period (40% of the final grade). They are...
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... subsequent evolution, contemporary relevance, and potential for modification have been central to discussions on individual liberties, public safety, and governmental authority. This paper delves into the framers' intent behind the Second Amendment, its incorporation and evolution over time, its significance in modern society, and the prospects for amendment. The framers of the Constitution created the Second Amendment with the intention of safeguarding individual liberties and ensuring the security of the newly formed nation. The amendment states, "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," which reflects the framers' belief in the importance of an armed citizenry as a check on governmental power. Influenced by the Enlightenment, they viewed the right to bear arms as essential for defending against tyranny and preserving freedom. According to the LII website, ”In 1939, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the matter in United States v. Miller, 307 U.S. 174,... ‘has some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well-regulated militia...'" (Cornell 2022). The Second Amendment was intended to empower citizens to defend themselves, their communities, and their rights against potential aggression, whether from foreign invaders or domestic oppressors. The incorporation and implementation of the Second Amendment over time have been complex processes influenced by...
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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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...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 It has been debated whether or not American citizens should have the right to own firearms. Some may argue that most Americans don’t have the proper gun safety education that should be required before someone owns a gun. Few may even assert that everyone should have the freedom to own guns regardless of their education and experience with firearms. I believe that most Americans don’t take a strong stand on either side of this issue. Nobody wants to completely eliminate all guns in America. Likewise, I don’t think anyone wants to give people full access to guns. The issue that I’m arguing is simply whether or not the government should permit gun control by restricting the use and/or possession of firearms for American citizens. I believe that restricting guns would violate our personal freedom to bear arms. The problem with violence isn’t the gun itself, but the problem rests on the people who choose to use guns to commit acts of violence. To solve the ‘gun abuse’ problem, why doesn’t the government impose stricter consequences for people who still choose to commit acts of violence involving firearms? That way it would only affect the criminals, and the law-abiding citizens could continue to live in freedom. In an article titled “Gun Control: Does it Really Matter?”, Will Fawcett states, “There is no logical reason to believe that making it more difficult or impossible to own or poses guns, would deter individuals who already are taking part in illegal behavior...
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