Gun control has been a major issue lately that has sparked a great deal of controversy. With the multiple shootings that have occurred just in this past year, have caused many people to favor stricter gun control laws. Research shows that there are more than 30,000 deaths each year in the United States that are caused by guns. (USA Gun Violence Statistics) Stricter gun laws are needed in order to reduce all of these injuries and deaths.
The more gun laws there are in a state, the less deaths tend to occur there. (Obama: More Gun Laws Means Fewer Gun Deaths) States that have a law on registered guns have significantly less death rates than states without registered gun laws. (Obama: More Gun Laws Means Fewer Gun Deaths) This goes to show that
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During a survey in March of 2013, researchers found that, “83% of all adults surveyed (and 79% of gun-owners; 86% of people living with a gun-owner) approve of background checks for private and gun show sales.” (Gun Control - ProCon.org) By doing background checks on everyone that is trying to buy a gun, could prevent dangerous criminals from getting a gun. The crime rate using firearms would go down because the people responsible for the crimes wouldn’t even have a legally purchased gun. About 40% of all guns sold are not documented and did not require a background check. (Gun Control - ProCon.org) This is a very high number that needs to go down. There would be a great amount of deaths and crimes prevented by simply requiring more background …show more content…
There have been many mass murders in the past year and in most of these shootings, the shooter had multiple high capacity magazines. In a recent study, it was found that high-capacity magazines have been used in at least 31 of the 62 cases of mass murders. (A Killing Machine) After some very recent shootings such as, Sandy Hook, the movie theater shooting in Colorado, and the shooting in Tuscon, Arizona that killed 6 and injured 13, many americans have began to question our gun laws. Family members that have lost loved ones in mass shootings have been standing up to try and get stricter laws on high capacity magazines. This should be motivation to change these laws soon before more incidents like these
Right now, the U.S. has a National Instant Background Check System; however, it contains many flaws. This system is meant to act as a filter to stop the wrong people from having guns. In 2007, the Bipartisan legislation was passed to strengthen this system. It relies on data supplied by the states, but the data is often incomplete and inadequate (Merino 104). Unlicensed gun sellers have also created a dangerous loophole. The law makes an exception for gun sellers who aren’t federally licensed gun dealers. These sellers sell guns informally through venues such as gun shows, and are not required to run background checks. This is a dangerous loophole where people who should not have guns can get them (“Gun”). Senator Frank R. Lautenberg once stated, commenting on the gun sh...
We need to continue creating new legislation to regulate gun laws. As previously pointed out, there are loopholes in our current set of laws that allow for people to bypass the background check system completely at times. We first must look into ways of upgrading our current existing laws to ensure problems like this don’t keep happening. After that, as has been discussed earlier and seen in other countries around the world, we must continue to pass gun legislation laws because it will help to reduce overall violent crimes in the country.
Violence and crimes are growing in number and affecting American society. By reinforcing background checks we could reduce crimes and limit easy gun access to mentally ill people. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is a database where the names of people that have committed a misdemeanor, are mentally ill or drug abusers is kept to prevent them from attaining guns. Most criminals buy guns from unlicensed sellers at gun shows that don’t do properly background checks through the NICS, making it easier from criminals to purchase firearms. Another problem is missing records or information that was not reported to the background check system. Better background checks could reduce crime and gun violence in America.
John R. Lott, Jr., PhD, author of More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws, stated, "States with the largest increases in gun ownership also have the largest drops in violent crimes... The effect on 'shall-issue ' [concealed gun] laws on these crimes [where two or more people were killed] has been dramatic. When states passed these laws, the number of multiple-victim shootings declined by 84 percent. Deaths from these shootings plummeted on average by 90 percent and injuries by 82
For many years, America has witnessed mass shootings within it’s borders. In 2015 alone, there were 372 mass shootings (Oldham). The question most Americans are faced with is: do we need more gun control or is gun control the problem? With more gun control, it can be made mandatory that protective devices are used on firearms to prevent accidental harm. Gun control creates mandatory laws such as the requirement for an individual to pass a background check before he/she is permitted to purchase a firearm. Gun control has also been proven to prevent suicides due to the increased difficulty of obtaining a firearm. Those who believe that gun control is the problem claim that by removing one 's firearms, you are endangering them to threats that
One way gun control advocates have tried to reduce the number of guns being issued to citizens of the United States of America is to require background checks. Background checks are performed on some weapons but they want a full background check for felonies, mental issues, proper classes, safety precautions to name a few. Background checks would make sure that if you have any type of police record you will be given a second look and make sure that you are fit to own a gun. (Asa Best) If you have a record this does not mean that you will not be able to own a gun it may just mean that your ch...
“The latest tragedy at Virginia Tech [where a student shot and killed 32 people on April 16, 2007], one side argues, might have ended with only a few people dead if there had been an armed citizen on the scene to shoot it out with the killer” (Medred). While other people believe that the Virginia Tech tragedy could have been prevented if there was better gun control. “The latest tragedy at Virginia Tech, the other side argues, wouldn 't have happened at all if there was better gun control, if it was hard to get a gun, if guns were banned, etc” (Medred).Both arguments are as valid as they are invalid. No one can know what might have happened if there had been someone on the scene able and willing to stop the killer with a bullet. Likewise, no one can know if any gun law would have stopped, or even slowed, this killer 's commitment to his murderous
Background checks lay a big role in the ownership of guns and by applying stricter background checks it could most likely decrease the rate of gun crime. Even with stricter background checks criminals will still be able to obtain guns online or at private gun shows but if we were to say make private gun shows illegal that would prevent at risk people from obtaining firearms that are meant to do harm to others. Private gun shows now don’t have to do background checks and this causes a problem because we don’t know who they may be selling these firearms to and what the person they sell them to attends to do with them. With lack of background control within private gun shows there has been a proven increase of guns falling into the hands of criminals in and out of state. If we were to close this loophole by making private gun shows illegal or even making them have to do background checks like any other gun seller we would close the loophole and reduce the gun ownership to criminals and high risk
They believe that if background checks were required for private sales, which they describe as “firearms sold at gun shows, through classified newspaper ads, the Internet, and between individuals virtually anywhere” then the “Gun Show Loophole” would be eliminated (Coalition to Stop Gun Violence). As evidenced by the call for an increase in gun control after mass shootings people believe that with stricter gun control, we would have less incidences of gun violence. Gun control advocates argue that if we have stricter gun control then we will have a safer country, with less shootings. According to a study done by the University of Wisconsin and Bowling Green State University between 2005-2007, the number of police officers who “were convicted of firearms violations” were convicted “at a .0002% annual rate” (Fund). According to this study .0002% is “about the same rate as holders of carry permits in states with “shall issue” laws”
Many gun supporters will say that more guns bring down the crime rate. These same believers will give facts stating that the more guns in a state, the less likely gun owners will use them. “The chances of innocent people being the victims of violent crime, including murder, decrease—not increase—when access to guns is made easier” (Luik). Luik emphasizes that guns will not make any innocent people killers, it will make crime and death rates go down. They argue that the states with the lowest crime rates are the same states that have a higher gun ownership rate than any other state.
Gun control is one of the biggest debates that America is currently facing today. The reason why this topic concerns many Americans is because of the crime that is related from it. FBI data shows approximately 70,975 homicides were committed in America from 2006 to 2010 from various different types of firearms (Wenzel, 2012). That 's 14,195 on average per year homicides from firearms. Only 9,075 came from knives and other sharp objects, which equate to about 1815 homicide a year. Firearms are the number one tool being used in America for homicides. But even bigger than this, suicide rates reached over 19,000 casualties in 2010 from firearms. Firearms have a 90 percent success rate compared to poison, which is only 30 percent (Center for Disease
Recent mass shootings at San Bernardino and Sandy Hook Elementary have resurfaced the issue of gun control, with citizens appealing to the federal government to change laws concerning firearms. While there are organizations that are for tighter gun laws, groups like the National Rifle Association argue any laws restricting possession and use of firearms ignores the Second Amendment, and therefore reduces a law-abiding citizen’s constitutional right to own a firearm (Stingl, 2015). However, the United States still has a higher crime rate compared to other developed countries that have tighter gun laws, suggesting more restrictive laws could reduce gun violence (Grey House Publishing, 2011). With increasing gun violence and deaths, laws pertaining
... crime rates. They give a few examples of where the gun control laws were in fact enforces and still have mass shootings and crime in those states.
Public shootings have recently become the backbone behind the gun control movement. People are hoping that potential shooters wouldn’t be able get the weapons if we put stricter regulations on weapons. Background checks and clip size are just a few of the issues that are being presented to lawmakers. Intensifying background checks could slow the amount of shootings happening but, won’t stop them. Most shooters receive their guns illegally or have someone that will pass a background check buy it
Whether, you are in McDonalds, Wal-Mart, or at the mall, you pass someone who is currently carrying a concealed weapon. Do not seem so shocked. This is possible because of the second amendment. The second amendment to the constitution protects the people’s right to bear arms. Even though this is stated in the constitution; congress is trying to pass stricter gun control laws. Forty-seven percent of Americans say they favor stricter laws covering the sale of firearms. Thirty-eight percent of Americans say these laws should be kept as they are now, and fourteen percent say they should be made less strict. I believe they should be kept as they are now. I believe this because humans today are more violent. We are capable of anything. Even killing someone.