A National Gun Control Policy is Needed One of the most controversial issues in our society is gun control legislation. Violence associated with guns is increasing every year and something must be done to stop it. Gun legislation varies in every state. In some states gun policy is stricter than in other states. Gun legislation should be abolished in favor of federal gun legislation. To analyze the problem with gun violence today you must understand the gun laws that are in effect. The gun legislation in the United States are mostly based on a state level. One federal law for example, prohibits the manufacture of all plastic guns. The federal government tightly restricts fully automatic guns. Manufactures stamp serial numbers on guns for law purposes. The government also has regulation on importation on guns brought into the country. Also, most states restrict the purchasing of long guns under the age of 18, and 21 for the purchase of handguns. Most states prohibit the purchase of guns if you are: a convicted felon, alcoholic, drug addict, mentally ill person, alien, or a fugitive from justice. Some laws require prospective gun buyers, to get a purchase permit, which comes with applicant passing all background checks. A few states even require that all persons possessing guns must have a license to do so, even in their homes. Some states don't ban guns from addicts. This is a problem. Gun concelation isn't the same in each state. Also it is commonly unlawful to fire a gun within city limits or in other congested urban areas. These are some of the common laws that most states have. Guns are a form of power. Many individuals, including criminals' feel powerful when carrying a gun. Half of the households in the United States possess a gun. Criminals use guns for satisfaction. For example, to obtain sexual gratifaction in a rape or money in a robbery, or more frequently, to frighten and dominate victims in some other assault. All of these things can be gained without an attack, and indeed the possession of a gun can serve as a substitute for attack, rather than its vehicle (Kleck,1991). A sample was done by police in 50 major cities to see who is more common to use a gun (Kleck,1991). The data included that gun use in homicides is more common when (1) the victim is male rather than female, (2) the victim is male and the attacker is female, (3) the attacker is outside the "physical prime" ages of 16-39 compared to other ages, (4) the attacker is outside the "prime" age span and the victim is in that age span, compared to the reverse situation, (5) there is a single attacker, and multiple victims, compared to a group of attackers, and (6) there is a single attacker and multiple victims, compared to the reverse situation (Kleck,1991). The death rate with gun violence is somewhat uncertain. About one in seven gunshot wounds known to police result in death. However, this doesn't count all of the injuries not reported to police. This means that the actually rate is lower than the one mentioned above. Gunshot wounds are more likely to result in death than those inflicted by a knife. The knife is the weapon considered to be the next most lethal. One of the common question among the American public is , where do criminals obtain guns? A recent survey asked many criminals this very question. Obtaining from friends was the most prevelant answer. This was about 40%. Off the street was second with 14%, followed by gun shops, which was 11%. Other sources included pawnshops (6%), fences (5%), and family members and drug dealers (4% each), (Wright,1986). The handgun is the favorite among criminal activity. Criminals usually prefer a handgun with a short barrel (Shields,1981). This is because it's extremely lethal and is so easily concealed. When it is stuck inside the belt, only the grip or handle is visible, and a jacket or suitcoat or sweater can easily cover that small bulge. It also slips easily into a coat, jacket pocket or purse. It can also be hid easily in a automobile. Handguns therefore are a common weapon of choice for criminals. One example of gun violence was in New York City. A Palestinian man opened fire in the Empire state building on Sunday February 23, 1997. Ali Abu Kamal, 69, a retired college instructor; carried a semi automatic weapon to the 86th floor of the Empire State building and opened fire. There were eight shot and one fatally during the drastic Saturday evening. Many others, including young children were trampled during the chaos. It was reportedly the worst bloodshed since an Army bomber lost control and smashed into the building in 1945. Kamal came into the United States on Christmas Eve. He checked into a Florida hotel and spent his nights partying. He came to the country to try and improve on his life savings, which was 300,000 dollars. Kamal then reportedly bought a .380- caliber Beretta on Feb. 4 at the Oaks Trading Post, which was a one-story weapons outlet in Melbourne Fla. Kamal somehow sidestepped a U.S law that potential gun buyers be a U.S. resident for at least 90 days. Kamal purchased the weapon by using a temporary state identification card, (George, 1997). Florida has been known for lenient gun screening laws that require buyers to wait only three days to pick up their weapons after sales personnel check that they are state residents and that they have no criminal records. New York, for example, mandate that gun buyers turn over fingerprints and establish why they need the weapon before the sale. The Oak Trading Post also came under fire in the late 1980's, when a crazed gunman shot 10 at a Palm Beach shopping center. The gunman had bought the gun at the Post. When asked about the Empire State building incident, Mayor Giuliani responded by saying "Weak gun laws in Florida and at the Federal level are to blame for the Empire State Building tragedy." This is a major reason why the policy on gun control must be drastically changed. This is why all gun laws should be on a Federal level. The Mayor has gone on many talk shows such as, Good day New York, and "CBS Evening News," to prove his point. He responded on this shows by declaring " It's totally insane that the gunman, a Palestinian, could visit Florida declare residence in a "fleabag motel" and buy a semi-automatic handgun "that can kill 14 people in three or four seconds. The mayor also replied, "obviously the system is no system at all. But that's the fault of the Legislature in the State of Florida," the mayor said. A new policy on gun policy is needed. In this new policy the federal government would mandate laws, concerning gun policy. There will be a gun control board that will represent the United States. Each member will represent each state. They will be voted on in their individual state. This system will provide equality and fairness. Gun legislation will be stricter and more under control. By giving the federal government all the power we will eliminate careless sale of guns. Along with changing gun legislation we must also enforce our gun policy laws better. The Unites will not tolerate the purchasing of guns and weapons illegaly. The government should increase the penalty of a gun violence offender. There also should be laws in every state threatening the shutdown of any gun business that doesn't make the sale exactly according to the gun laws. There will be no warnings! It's time that we get serious about gun legislation. Mentioned in this paragraph will be gun laws that should become in effect on a federa level. Transportation with a gun on a certain person or in a car will be prohibited, unless given permission by the federal government. The legal age of gun ownership will be 21 years of age. A 16 year old may shoot a gun only for hunting purposes, and he or she, must be accompanied by someone 21 years old or older. Any business selling guns must be approved by the government and will be inspected by the gun policy board every year. The date of the inspection will not be revealed. The inspection will include a federal agent posing as a prospective gun buyer. All of these laws and many others will be voted on by the federal board. One major problem with this new policy on gun control would be, how will I protect myself from criminals? Many people argue that guns in households scare away many criminals. Criminals take major risks when they attempt an armed attack. The also can achieve major benefits. The benefits consist of the potential economic or other gains, however conceived, from the contemplated crime; the costs include the possibility of being caught and imprisoned, of being shot at in the course of the crime, either by the police or by the victim. The likelihood of social disapproval could be a negative factor. It has been known that one half of every household has at least one gun. If you restrict a victim's options by limiting household guns, crime could rise dramatically. This new policy on gun control should help lead our nation in the right direction. The massacre at the Empire State Building was an example of how our gun legislation must be changed. The new federal gun legislation will provide equality among all states. Criminals will not have the option of buying a gun in a state with weak gun legislation. This new policy on gun legislation will cut down on violence dramatically.
Hurricane Katrina was considered as the worst hurricane in the history of United States. The winds and the rain were shattering people’s homes which collapsed and flooded. Thousands of people were suffering and dying. People were starving, and becoming dehydrated. Many people were left on the street and became homeless. After the hurricane, so many questions were left regarding the widespread damage and loss of loved ones. This devastating disaster destroyed the city of New Orleans and nearby cities and was estimated to cost $80 billion dollars in damage. State and local emergency in the affected area were struggling to perform urgent response missions such as emergency medical services, search and rescue, firefighting, giving food and water,
The Federal Government today is putting forth much effort in order to control the purchase and registration of handguns. In 1993, Congress approved the Brady Bill that requires a mandatory five-day waiting period when buying a gun. The recent school shootings have pushed Congress to pass a bill requiring approximately 80% of handguns to be produced with child safety locks. The ultimate goal of the government is to ban the sale of firearms to the public. By starting out small, and having big goals, later generations will enjoy peaceful lives.
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating natural disasters to happen in the United States. The storm resulted in more then US$100 billion in damage when the cities flood protection broke and 80% of the city was flooded (1). The protection failure was not the only cause for the massive flooding, the hurricanes clockwise rotation pulled water from north of New Orleans into the city. 330,000 homes were destroyed and 400,000 people from New Orleans were displaced, along with 13,00 killed (1). Although the population quickly recovered, the rate of recovery slowed down as the years went on leading us to believe not everyone
schooling course and pass a test. If anybody owns a firearm, it has to be
In summary, the events of Hurricane Katrina had left a lasting and devastating impact on not only the general public, but also those within public safety including local, state and federal agencies. The storm had affected nearly hundreds of square miles resulting in thousands of casualties, and people misplaced with no homes to go to as well. In addition, there were many contributing factors that had resulted in major life, including the geography of New Orleans, how the levees around New Orleans were built, as well as the lack of coordination between local, state and federal officials.
One of the most important aspects of the debate centered on gun legislature is the distribution of illegal firearms to felons, criminals and American youth. Witemute’s article hints that there have been several illegal gun sales from unauthorized markets and to those under the legal ages of 18 or 21 depending on the type of firearm being sold. Unfortunately, these illegal sales have resulted in an increase in gun related injuries and deaths. (55)
According to Hurricane Katrina At Issue Disasters, economic damages from Hurricane Katrina have been estimated at more than $200 billion… More than a million people were displaced by the storm… An estimated 120,000 homes were abandoned and will probably be destroyed in Louisiana alone (At * Issue). For this perspective, “Hurricane Katrina change the Gulf Coast landscape and face of its culture when it hit in 2005” (Rushton). A disaster like Katrina is something the victims are always going to remember, for the ones the lost everything including their love ones. Katrina became a nightmare for all the people that were surround in the contaminated waters in the city of New Orleans. People were waiting to be rescue for days,
More than 1,400 people lost their lives. It became the global symbol of American dysfunction and government negligence. At every level and in every duty, from engineering to social policy to basic logistics, there was revelations of malfunction and failure before, during, and after Katrina. With 80 percent of the city underwater it has been a slow road to recovery. Out of the 140,000 applicants, only 22,000 families have received funds for renovating their homes and only expending 1.3 billion out of the total allocated. Many people are still displaced, many are still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt, neighborhoods are still in shambles, and business are still trying to rebuild but for some the situation still remains
August 29, 2005 was one of the darkest days for the residents of the State of Louisiana. Katrina, a category 3 hurricane, ripped through New Orleans and the surrounding areas causing catastrophic loss of life and property. The federal government’s disaster response team, which was formed in 1978, titled the Federal Emergency Management Agency, (commonly referred to as FEMA) responded to the needs of the survivors. Unfortunately the Bush administration through FEMA showed gross ineptitude in its response to the disaster. Pre-Katrina the lack of response resulted in a largely unsuccessful evacuation. After the storm, aid to the citizens of New Orleans was slow and inadequate. When we look back at the federal government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, it appears that Bush’s FEMA botched much of the handling of the crisis and that overall, our “administration” could have responded to the situation much better.
The government has passed many laws regarding the ownership and use of firearms. Currently the federal law states the following: The use of any firearm in a violent or drug trafficking crime is punishable by law. A person who wishes to purchase a firearm must be 18 years of age to purchase a rifle or shot gun and a person must be 21 years of age to purchase a hand gun. Regarding travel, notwithstanding any state or local law, a person shall be entitled to transport a firearm from any place where they may lawfully possess and transport such firearm if the firearm is unloaded and in the trunk.
of 1968 has anyone engaged in the business of buying or selling firearms is required to obtain a
To begin with, the theme about truth is introduced through flashbacks throughout the story. For example, when the author states, “No, Ismael in the ministry without being able to tell what he knew, forced to be silent. Ismael in the bar with the glass (his third) in his hand, and the irrevocable decision: better death” (Valenzuela, 6), it clearly shows that the government is up to no good. Ismael is not very happy about it, considering he is in a bar drinking it off. When someone, such as Ismael, is forced to be silent, they may take drastic measures in order to reveal the truth. In Ismael’s case, his drastic measure is taken by killing the minister. Also, when the narrator says “better...
Texting while driving should be illegal in every state due to many reasons of safety. A person 's life is far more valuable than any text message ever will be, no text message is worth the cost of risking the life of yourself and the life of others while behind a motorized vehicle. Being on the phone and texting while driving becomes more and more common on a day to day basis. Safety, well-being, and protection are all ways you can simply take care of yourself, but if you won’t take the time to do it no one will. Only you can help yourself when it comes to your safety and well-being, taking your eyes off of the road to look down, around or anywhere other than watching the road is putting not only yourself but others well at risk of an accident. Texting while driving can border your senses as a driver to not be able to respond when a car comes out of no where, or is even near you.
On early morning of August 29th, 2005 on the Gulf Shore near New Orleans, a devastating hurricane struck. It wrecked havoc, demolishing anything in its path. Leaving nothing but mounds of trash. The surviving people were forced to leave due to massive flooding and the destruction of their homes. New Orleans was not the only place hit by Katrina but it was one of the areas that was hit the hardest. Millions of people were affected by this tragedy and the cost range was up in the billions. Crime rates went up, no one had a place to stay and water was polluted. The damage done by Katrina affected New Orleans and the other areas hit years after it struck. Restoration for the areas hit was going to need support from all of America and support groups across the country. No one was ready for this tragedy or could ever predict the horrible outcome.
...ad no control, you can order a gun through the mail but in 1961, Senator Thomas Dodd stopped mail- ordered guns and set an age limit of 18 years old. Unfortunately he didn't stop mail-ordered guns for all guns until the assination of President Kennedy.