Gun Control Viewpoints

Legislative Efforts on Gun Control in Relationship to Crime

Kenneth Cornwell

Arizona State University

There are many views on gun control and laws that restrict or loosen the policies on gun control. Both views on gun control have their strengths and weaknesses. This paper will discuss both views then analyze which laws have had any effect on crime control whether they are pro or con towards gun control. Before diving into the two views there is one law that must be examined first. The 2nd Amendment in the Constitution is the highest law there is pertaining to firearms. “… the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which states that “[a] well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right

The people that are pro-gun control believe that the Second Amendment is out dated, that there is no reason that a civilian needs firearms that are not for hunting or sporting purposes, and that the Second Amendment was not an absolute right but one that could be limited with reasonable requirements (Krouse, 2009, p. 2). They believe that the out dated Second Amendment was only to allow citizens to regulate, with a state militia, any suppression from the central government and that in the present day with state police departments around that it surrenders the Second Amendment useless and out of date. Also the “right to bear arms” is not an absolute right that it can be limited with reasonable requirements goes hand in hand with civilians not needing any firearm that are deemed none hunting or sporting purposes. This argument has been the back bone to the creation of several federal laws including the Gun Control Act of 1968 and the 1994 Violent Crime Control Act. Both acts restrict the ability to own certain types of

First and foremost is the Gun Control Act of 1968, and the 1996 amendments to the act, which restricts people who have been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor domestic violence, minors, illegal aliens, and those who have mental disorders to be able buy and own guns (Worrall, 2015, p. 161). There have been many studies that have looked into whether this law has reduced crime or not and they contradict each other supporting both sides of the argument. Another law is the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act or the Brady Act which required that gun dealers in states that do not require background checks that these gun dealers contact their law enforcement and get a background check on a person that wants to buy a firearm. These background checks took time so legislation said that the waiting period on the background check cannot take more than five days. A study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the mortality rate in states that invoked the Brady Act and the states that do not use it (Worrall, 2015, p. 161). The study showed that there was not any significant reduction in crime involving firearms. This act was later ruled by the Supreme Court unconstitutional. The “right-to-carry” laws discussed earlier have shown reduction in crime anywhere from good desirable portion to modest or slight reduction. Either way these laws show some