Do Guns Necessarily Lead to Crime

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Recommended: Introducing the 2nd amendment and the debate surrounding gun control

Crime and guns. The two seem to go hand in hand with one another. But are the two really associated? Do guns necessarily lead to crime? And if so, do laws placing restrictions on firearm ownership and usage stop the crime or protect the citizens? These are the questions many citizens and lawmakers are asking themselves when creating gun control laws. Guns have been a part of American history for as long as people can remember. For most individuals guns are supposed to be very dangerous and unsafe; Though, that is not true. Guns can be hazardous, but only if they are in the wrong hands. Owning a gun is a right that every American should take pride in having. Guns are used for self-protection, hunting, law enforcement and other practices. However, recent incidents, like mass shootings, have caused a change in opinions and demand for gun control. Obama’s proposals sought to reform the national firearm purchase check system, so that offenders and the mentally ill could not buy guns legally, and close down the unregulated secondary gun market which is such a handy supply line for the criminally inclined.While critics dispute that enacting restrictions on gun sales is imperative to keep Americans safe, gun control restricts citizens’ rights to the 2nd Amendment, proves ineffective in other countries, and neglects to lower the crime rate.

The first reason why gun control should not be strengthened is that citizens have the right to own guns; it is one of those entitlements that makes the United States different from other countries. The Unites States Constitution states that, “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.” This timele...

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...nderstanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

Institute for Legislative Action. "Biden Says Administration Doesn't Have Time to Prosecute People Who Lie on Background Checks." Nraila.org. National Rifle Association of America, 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

Kates, Don. Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder and Suicide. N.p.: Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, n.d. PDF.

Lee, M.Stingl, Alexander. "Gun Control: An Overview." Points Of View: Gun Control (2013): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

"President Obama Declares Gun Control Will Be a 'Central Issue' of Second Term."The Online NewsHour 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

Wilson, Brian. "Point: The Unrealistic Goals Of Gun Control." Points Of View: Gun Control (2013): 5. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

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