Free Essay

Violence in America vs. Gun Control

In:

Submitted By shawncarter
Words 1121
Pages 5
Violence in America vs. Gun Control In America today violence continues to drastically increase with millions of gun related deaths annually, yet given the right training, skills, and a sound minded person a gun is often one of the greatest assets to have for protection. In the U.S. Constitution the right to bare arms is a liberty given to those citizens who qualified to do so under their first amendment rights. Many people are torn about the right to bare arms and some lobby more increasingly by the days to have more laws to further restrict gun laws. On the other side of the fence you have a great deal of people who try to fight and not only keep their first amendment right, but to also have the noose loosened to make gun laws less restrictive. A gun is very dangerous and can be used to cause a massive amount of damage, but a gun is also safe and can also protect from a human predator who pursues another human as prey. The more powerful guns get and the more access people have to them the sum for me is simple “guns aren’t dangerous, but people are dangerous. On Tuesday, April 20, 1999 the Columbine school massacre happened in Littleton Colorado near Denver. “Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12 students and 1 teacher. They also injured 21 other students directly, and three people were injured while attempting to escape. (en.wikipedia.org) After the two high school students went on a wild shooting spree which lasted for about an hour and ended with the two shooting themselves to death. Not too long after these young kids went to their school and caused massed damage people quickly began lobbying for stricter gun control laws. The central issue to this specific case is that although the guns did the killing it was the two young troubled teens that caused the problem. “Harris and Klebold bought a handgun from another friend, Mark Manes, for $500. Manes was jailed after the massacre for selling a handgun to a minor”. (en.wikipedia.org) No matter how old a person is or the location of the purchase, the law often works in a reactive form. The law keeps kids from purchasing guns, but they will always be able to get their hands on one if they really want one. In this case the law could not prevent the shooting, but in reaction the law punished Mark Manes and all others connected with this tragic event.
In conclusion when it comes to gun control, safety measures are implemented to help safeguard the open public. A few gun related stats reported in 2005 are “every day in the U.S., guns cause the deaths of 20 children and young people under the age of 25. In 2005, 3,3,027 young people age 19 and under died from gunshot wounds. Of these deaths, 1,972 were homicides; 822 were suicides; and 173 were the result of unintentional shootings. Firearms were used in 46% of suicide deaths among persons under 25 in 2005.”( lcav.org) The graph included will display the 5 highest and lowest states with gun related deaths.

I believe that gun laws are a little more restrictive compared to the older laws and what the original constitutions meant it to be for. With this being said I agree that gun control should be one of the main social issues in the United States. It has been reported that gun violence has slightly slowed down since 2005, but the drastic inflation growth of population is not included when they do a consencus of these numbers. In my opionion gun control is a major social issue, but it is not a sociial issue that we will ever have full control over.
Many people think that most illegal gun use comes from that criminal stealing the gun. This is a misconception more so than it is a fact. In fact there are a few ways a teen or a criminal can aquire an illegal gun. “The most common ways criminals get guns is through straw purchase sales. A straw purchase occurs when someone who may not legally acquire a firearm, or who wants to do so anonymously, has a companion buy it on their behalf.”(pbs.org) One example of a straw purchase would be that a spouse comes in with her husband. He can’t legally purchase a gun, but she can make the purchase. He will look at the guns with her and choose the gun he likes and she will purchase it. Another example of this a younger teen not over the age of 18 comes into a gun store with his older brother who is legally able to purchase a gun. The teen chooses the gun he wants and his older brother buys it form him. “The next biggest source of illegal gun transactions where criminals get guns are sales made by legally licensed but corrupt at-home and commercial gun dealers.”(pbs.org) The people responsible for these types of purchase are (FLL) holders. FLL stands for Federal Firearms Licensees. “Another large source of guns used in crimes are unlicensed street dealers who either get their guns through illegal transactions with licensed dealers, straw purchases, or from gun thefts. These illegal dealers turn around and sell these illegally on the street.”(pbs.org) Even though local law enforcement assists with gun control it is mainly up to the (ATF) Alcohol, Tabaco, and Firearms agency to trace and clean up guns. To sum up an aspect of the ATF “one of the primary missions of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is to provide direction and advice to the firearms industry regarding the Federal firearms regulations.”(atf.gov) There are to many ways to get illegal guns and simply to many criminals looking to get their hands on them. Their will never be any real course of action to clean the streets up of guns as long as there is a black market to get them from. The only real solution to this problem is to not focus on getting every gun off the street, but making sure guns are being contained through various measures still allowing the people to protect themselves and punishing the criminals who deserve it. Works Cited
"ATF âBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives." ATF Online. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. .
"Columbine High School Massacre." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. .
PBS. PBS. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. .
"Virginia Tech Massacre." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Apr. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. .
http://www.lcav.org/content/minimum_age_purchase_possess.pdf

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Gun Control

...Gun Control Matthew EN-1420 April 15, 2015 What an amazing country “land of the free and the brave” known as the United States of America. It is a known fact that people from all around the globe immigrate here for the opportunity and the freedom. This very freedom that makes so many want to be here should not be impinged on. There are some good regulations and laws in place to keep citizens safe, however, the U.S. should not be banning anymore gun types! Let us explore. Our freedoms are detailed in the constitution of amendments. The second amendment states, “the people have the right to keep and bear arms and these rights should not be infringed on” (Cornell University Law School, 2015). The law does allow room for some regulation, hence the U.S has banned machine guns or fully automatic weapons from civilians. Further regulation as in banning rifles and handguns would be a breaking our constitutional rights. The law school at Cornell University states, “The second amendment has most recently been interpreted to grant the right of gun ownership to individuals for purposes that include self-defense” (Cornell University Law School, 2015). The Supreme Court has also ruled in this favor. In a case in 2008 (D.C vs Heller) and in 2010 (McDonald vs Chicago) the Supreme Court firmly established the 2nd amendment is an individual right (Smith, 2014). The legal carry of guns has reduced crime and in some states has reduced the murder rate drastically. Most of us would agree...

Words: 1239 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Annotated Bibliography

...Internet Resources 1. 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/ ...

Words: 2184 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Gun Control

...Gun Control Gun control and Gun right in America Throughout American history, gun control has been an issue in United States. In recent years, proponents of gun control legislation have often held that of only federal laws can be effected in United States. Although, it’s believed that in the absence of guns criminal violence would be much reduced. In reality, it’s a wrong concept. Meanwhile, most people in United States carry guns for the matter of protection. However, some argue the danger of widespread gun ownership. Many aspect of the gun control issue are best measured and sometimes can be measured through surveys. However, the accuracy of such surveys depends upon respondent providing truthful answers to questions that are sometimes controversial and potentially incriminating. In 2012, it was announced the plan on changing gun control in united states. Among the announcement, it was initiated background checks for gun sales the reinstatement and strengthening of the assault weapons, limitation ammunitions magazines to a low-round capacity, and offering more comprehensive insurance coverage for mental and health. In America the political system, gun control has been a debate for many years. However recent shootings have forced into a large spotlight. The problem that exposes gun control proponents from their opposition is the un-argued from their opposition is the language of the second amendment of the constitution. Personal Safety Top...

Words: 2642 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Rhetorical Analysis Of Mom's Demand Action

...Kinder egg rests in the hands of one child, while the other child cradles an assault rifle in her arms in the first add; and in the second one, a young girl holds Little Red Riding Hood while the other one carries the same assault rifle. The advertisement asks the reader “which object is prohibited”, but it beckons the audience to consider the question “which object should be prohibited?” Gun control has become a hot topic here in America. People are questioning what is...

Words: 1507 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Gun Control

...The Deadly Date The Deadly Debate Gun Control has been at the forefront of many debates due to the increase of deadly shootings. Over the past several years, there have been multiple mass casualty shootings, and as the number of shootings increased, United States citizens began the debate of whether tighter gun control laws would prevent these shootings. In this debate, we will address the reasons supporting gun control and the reasons opposing gun control. Americans have a choice and this choice will be debated below. America was founded on the principle of freedom and the rights of an individual to live in a nation built by the people, for the people. The government has begun to use tragedy, terrorism and civil unrest to force unjustified laws and federal controls into action that are a direct attack on our civil liberties. The NSA and other federal organizations have violated Americans rights and freedom in the name of national security far too many times. If we allow the government to take away our rights to bear arms it will be another tragedy in the long list of attacks on our American rights. Many gun control activists believe that reducing the number of private gun owners in America will reduce crime and suicide. This could not be further from the truth; strict gun laws will only take the guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens, criminals will be armed and normal citizens will have no means of immediate protection. A recent study conducted by Harvard...

Words: 1987 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Persuasive Research Paper

...Persuasive Research Paper Dominique Harris ENG/215 September 30, 2013 Bill Morgan Persuasive Research Paper Restrictions on Guns for the Sake of Life Volsky (2012), "I support the Second Amendment” (para. 2) Governor Rick Scott (R) stated December 2012 when questioned by anchor Soledad O’Brien about which reforms, if any, he would support. Gun control is one of the leading controversial issues society faces in America to date. The government is faced with the issue of limiting assault rifles with a trite and establishing tougher gun laws vs. the second amendment. President Obama said it best “the country’s background check system for gun buyers is so weak it makes the United States vulnerable to mass shootings” (Rucker, 2013, para. 2). That statement alone should end any controversy on the issue of gun control. Regulating individual’s right to bear arms certainly would bring a since of safety to our society. In order for that to happen, government will have to do more than just prohibited sales of guns. In everyone’s community someone knows an individual who owns gun e.g., for protection or hunting. To regulate the rights to bear arms authorities would have to confiscate everyone’s guns to make America safer. I personally would like that to happen because guns kill, accidentally and on purpose. Take a look at the bigger picture “every day in the U.S., an average of 289 people are shot. Eight-six of them die: 30 are murdered, 53 kill themselves, two die accidentally...

Words: 1640 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Paper

...& Business Ethics Gun Control vs. Gun Violence The debate over gun control in the United States has been a topic of controversy over the years. In particular, the killing of twenty schoolchildren in Newtown, Connecticut. In December 2012 this mass shooting fueled a national discussion over gun laws. However, compromise legislation would have banned semiautomatic assault weapons and expanded background checks was defeated in the senate in 2013, despite extensive public support. Arguments for more restrictive gun laws http://gun.laws.com/gun-rights/gun-control-versus-gun-rights As society continues to diversify and human beings become more individualistic, we drift further apart from understanding each other. The gun control debate is not directly effected by this, but psychologically human beings fear what we don't understand. In a society with hundreds of cultures, differences and arguments can arise out of nothing. Words are one thing but the use of firearms is an entirely different topic. With less restrictive laws on purchasing and ownership a seemingly pointless feud could intensify into murder. Guns give a man power, with power inevitably comes abuse. There is a high rate of gun-related violence http://gun.laws.com/gun-rights/gun-control-versus-gun-rights The United States leads the world in gun violence and ownership. There is a direct correlation. This is perhaps the most obvious argument made in the gun control debate-guns kill people, most of...

Words: 2274 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Fire Arms in America

...Running head: FIREARMS IN AMERICA Firearms in America Joyce W. Davis Oklahoma Wesleyan University Abstract The prevalence of guns in the United States and the frequency with which they are commit crimes has made gun control a much discussed and contentious issue. There are an estimated 200 to 250 million firearms in America, and of these, about a third are handguns. According to health researcher, Etienne Krug the homicide rate in the United States is six times higher than that of other developed nations. Though it varies from year to year, according to the FBI, in general guns are in about 70 percent of homicides. In 2000, for example, 52 percent of homicides were committed with handguns, and 19 percent were committed with other guns. The simple fact is that murder and other crimes committed with firearms occur more frequently, where gun control laws are least stringent. Firearms in America There is probably never a time in America history when guns were less popular in the culture. People fed up. Half the households in America are armed. Thirty-eight thousand Americas die from gunshots every year. A recent survey Yankelovich Partners found that 70 percent of Americans favor stricter gun-control laws. Yet, even in the face of lifelong anti-handgun convictions, more women than ever seem to be taking up guns. The Gainesville murder, the Los Angeles riots, the Florida Tourist killings, the California kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas—every time...

Words: 1889 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Mapping an Argument

...Mapping an Argument Article #1 Gun Control The article’s issue was about gun control in the United States and how the constitution should be challenged on this controversial topic. Discussions about citizens’ rights to bear arms extend back to ancient times. Supporters of gun control would like even tighter restrictions on the sale and circulation of firearms. According to Samuel Adams he argued that the Constitution should never be interpreted “to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.” Several stated premises in the article were that “Opponents of gun control interpret the Second Amendment as the guarantee of a personal right to keep and bear arms.” In two other rulings, the Supreme Court reaffirmed this view in upholding New Jersey’s tough gun control law in 1969 (Burton v. Sills) and in supporting the federal ban on possession of firearms by felons in 1980 (Lewis v. United States). Gun control laws have several functions. They may be designed to hinder certain people from gaining access to any firearms. The laws may limit possession of certain types of weapons to the police and the military. A person who wants to make a gun purchase or obtain a gun license may be subject to a waiting period. Gun-control laws vary from country to country. The following stated premises are that gun violence also affects more than its victims. Opponents of gun control interpret the Second Amendment...

Words: 912 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Compare And Contrast Democrats And Republicans

...Democrats versus Republicans A war goes on in politics as the republicans argue against the democrats. Both have very different views on things. The donkeys vs. the elephants; these two political parties a have always had different opinions on topics. Sometimes people cannot agree with one or the other People just go by what they think is right both political parties have different beliefs on many daily American issues. Democrats are known for supporting love between the same sex. They believe in more of equal rights for everyone. They believe that gay marriage should be left a state issue. They are strong supporters of gay marriage. In 2012 Obama won 76% of the votes from gay people. Gay marriage is a huge controversial in the U.S and the democratic party is...

Words: 711 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Argumentative Essay: Gun Control In The United States

...Gun control has been an issue in the United States even before the country was established, and declared independent. The first ever attempts by the British were embargoes on gunpowder. Also two massive direct attempts to confiscate firearms. The first major gun control act that followed was not until 1934 with the National Firearms act (or NFA) in the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration. Today it has become a controversial issue with many people taking very opposing sides. Along with multiple school shootings, the emergence of attempts to ban types of firearms and ammunition, people have been debating this more and more. It has become more than just attempts to control gun violence, but also attempts to restrict violent games, improve hospitalization of the mentally ill, and suicide prevention. When talking about gun control common themes are bans of weapons and background checks. Less talked about are suicide and the mentally disabled. When people see mass shootings there immediate thought is...

Words: 1539 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Gun Control and the 2nd Amendment

...The second amendment within our 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." The language of this amendment has created considerable debate as to what it really means. America has stood strong by what our founding fathers accomplished in drafting the United States Constitution which can also be called the “Supreme Law” of our land. Gun control advocates usually always invoke the second amendment in arguments related to stricter gun laws while the anti-gun side claims the second amendment does not include rights of an individual. The second amendment states “The right of the people to keep and bear arms” thus any attempt to set unreasonable limits on gun ownership does in fact infringe on our constitutional rights because according to our fore fathers we have a right to own firearms for any reason we as a free society deem necessary which may include hunting, self-defense or collecting. Firearms have played a major role in the shaping of American history. From hunting to sporting, collecting and self-defense, Americas’ fascination with firearms can be traced to the American Revolution where armed citizens gained independence through a sustained revolt. Not only did firearms have a role in gaining independence, they were a necessary tool for survival. In order for family’s to survive hunting was the only means to provide food. In the days of the “wild...

Words: 1007 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Essay On Gun Control

...Gun Control Gun control is a set of laws that regulate the sell, manufacturing, and possession of firearms by civilians. Most countries have very strict and restrictive laws regarding firearms. In fact, only 3 countries in the world give citizens the constitutional right to bear arms. Those being the U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala, but in Mexico and Guatemala the government makes it extremely hard to obtain a weapon legally. Depending on who you ask America has a serious gun control problem. But I don’t believe the U.S. has a serious gun problem. Guns don’t kill people, people do, and if they don’t have a gun they’ll just go find something else. “Those who are willing to break the laws against murder do not care about the regulation of firearms,...

Words: 1021 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Paper

...disease Animal rights Animal experimentation; Animal rights Animal experimentation; Animal rights Anorexia and Bulimia SEE Eating disorders Athletes and drugs Doping in Sports Drugs and Athletes Banking Bailout (2008) Bailout Battered women SEE ALSO Wife Abuse Abused women Conjugal abuse Birth control Birth control; Contraception Birth control; Contraception Black Reparations Movement Reparations; Slavery--Law and legislation Reparations Body language Body language; Gesture; Nonverbal communication Nonverbal communication Bullying Bullying Bullying; Cyberbullying Business ethics Business ethics; Corporations - Corrupt practices Business ethics; Business enterprises, Corrupt practices Capital punishment (Death Penalty) Capital punishment; Death row Capital punishment Cancer Cancer--Prevention SEE ALSO types of cancer, such asBreast--Cancer Neoplasms--Prevention and Control;Cancer Treatment Censorship SEE ALSO Freedom of the Press Censorship; Prohibited books Censorship; USA Patriot Act 2001-US AND Civil liberties; Filtering software;Banned books Child abuse SEE ALSO Domestic violence Abused children; Child abuse Child abuse Child custody/support Custody of children Child custody Children of alcoholics Children of alcoholics; Alcoholics--Family relationships Children of alcoholics Cloning...

Words: 1762 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Argumentative Essay On Gun Control

...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...

Words: 1698 - Pages: 7