Gun Violence: Regulations That Uphold the Right to Bear Arms
opinion Essay
1317 words
Second Amendment to the U.S. 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." With the uprising of school shootings and killing sprees, it is rarely disputed that there must be something done about the issue of gun violence. Stricter gun laws are not the answer, however, regulations in some way are necessary as long as the rights of the people to keep and bear arms is not infringed on. Enforcing stricter gun control laws threaten to disarm America’s citizens and make it even more unsafe. The problem is clearly the people that are using the guns. Gun violence can be solved through decreasing high school dropout rates, decrease illegal drug operations, and increased funding for mental health treatment.
The U.S Department of Justice reported: “In 2011, a total of 478,400 fatal and nonfatal violent crimes were committed with a firearm” (Michael Planty). The FBI that same year showed that guns were used in 68 percent of homicides, 41 percent of robbery offenses and 21 percent of aggravated assaults nationwide (Office of Justice Programs). “More than 500 children die annually from accidental gunshots. Some shoot themselves, while others kill friends or siblings after discovering a gun” (Momlogic). Gun-control laws can’t stop a criminal and, guns in your home, used for defense, can be harmful. The United States can do a few things to help without making more firearm laws.
“The percent of US crimes that are committed by a high school dropout is 75 %” (Michael Planty). If we can decrease issues such as high school dropout rates, we can, not only decrease gun violence, but overall crime as well. A report from...
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...stance Abuse & Mental Health. 2013. 2013. .
Lu, Thoai. National Council on Crime & Deliquency. 29 April 2013. Article. 2013. .
Michael Planty, Ph.D., and Jennifer L. Truman, Ph.D., BJS Statisticians. "Firearm Violence, 1993-2011." Statistics. 2013. Special Report. 2013. .
Momlogic. Momlogic: Gun Accidents Kill 500 Kids Each Year. 28 September 2009. 2013.
Office of Justice Programs. National Institute of Justice: Gun Violence. 4th April 2013. 01 December 2013.
Patterson, Gary Jr. PolicyMic: The Best Way to End Gun Violence? End the War On Drugs. 9 January 2013. Article. 2013. .
In this essay, the author
- Opines that reducing high school dropout rates can reduce gun violence and aggravated assaults. parents need to be aware of what goes on with their children.
- Opines that if a parent doesn't provide the necessary support, there are programs in their communities and schools, which can help.
- Cites fight crime: invest in kids' 2008 publication, "school or the streets."
- Cites michael planty, ph.d., and jennifer l. truman. firearm violence, 1993-2011.
- Opines that stricter gun laws are not the answer to the issue of gun violence, but regulations are necessary as long as the rights of the people to keep and bear arms is not infringed.
- Opines that the national institute of justice is applying a focused deterrence approach to certain city's gun problem by targeting drug dealers operating in open markets within city neighborhoods.
- Opines that the cost of providing government-funded mental health care is the only down side.
- Cites patterson, gary jr.'s article, the best way to end gun violence? end the war on drugs.
Related
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- Are Guns the Problem?opinion essay"Gun Violence Prevention." The Nation Institute of Justice. Ed. Goverment . Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, 5 June 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the current laws and regulations are not working as good solutions to stopping violence generated from guns.
- Explains that semi-automatic assault weapons serve no good purpose when given to the public's hands and could definitely be removed causing a drop in violence assimilated with firearms.
- Opines that the extermination of semi-automatics will not conquer the issue of gun violence alone.
- Opines that a system of checkups would solve the problem of violence and firearms.
- Analyzes how the nation institute of justice states that 20 years of intervention programs have shown that a single approach is not likely to work. the modern idea of abolishing firearms altogether for the public is outrageous.
- Explains heyne, christian, and omar v. the campaign to stop gun violence.
- Cites leghorn, nick, "nssf: handguns = 40% of firearms sales, ar-15s on the rise."
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that people have questioned gun control for a long time. they believe that taking guns away from law-abiding citizens would not uphold their liberty.
- Opines that gun control laws do not stop criminals from finding and acquiring guns.
- Explains wright, stephen e., "gun control laws will not save lives." guns and crime, ed. christine watkins.
- Argues that limiting gun ownership with laws could prevent individuals from possessing guns, but it does not prevent people from illegally having or using guns.
- Argues that reasonable gun control actions can be taken by responsible individuals without the need to ban the use of firearms.
- Explains gius, mark, "gun ownership and the gun control index." atlantic economic journal 36.4 (2008): 497-98.
1297 wordsRead More - Juvenile Gun Violenceexplanatory essayIn this day and age the media is always covering breaking stories about juveniles and violence. It seems that every other day there is a headline about shootings or stabbings. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when analyzing juvenile violence and more specifically juveniles and gun violence. Gun violence is the intentional use of a weapon against a person, group or community that can possibly result in injury, death or psychological harm. There are many factors that need to be analyzed in order to come to a decision about the proper course of action to reduce gun violence amongst juveniles. The things that need to be taken into consideration are gun laws, different uses of a firearm, how youths attain firearms, causes of gun violence and most importantly, the options to combat juvenile gun violence.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that there are many factors that need to be analyzed in order to come to a decision about the proper course of action to reduce juvenile gun violence.
- Explains that in the united states, there are two levels of regulations pertaining to guns and the laws that dictate who is eligible to own firearms.
- Explains that under federal law, age is not a factor when deciding who is allowed to possess long guns. the purchasing requirements are set so that anyone under the age of 18 is considered to be ineligible.
- Explains that to be legally allowed to possess a handgun, one must be at least 18 years old.
- Explains that federal law does a nice job of outlining who is eligible to own firearms based on the person’s history.
- Explains that the federal laws are straightforward while the state laws tend to be convoluted. there are three different categories of state regulations.
- Explains that the second amendment, the right to bear arms, was written so that citizens could create a militia in absence of our armed forces.
- Explains that modern reasons for a person to bear arms have deviated from the initial intentions of the bill of rights.
- Explains that the majority of deaths caused by firearms are due to suicide.
- Explains that guns are used to conduct illegal activities, such as aggravated assault, forcible rape, robbery, kidnapping, and murder.
- Opines that when we look at juveniles and gun violence, it should not be all that hard for youths to get guns.
- Opines that if we look past the legal means of purchasing or attaining a firearms for youths, we need to look at means that are illegal.
- Explains that youths can get weapons from secondary markets, which account for 30-40% of all guns in circulation. these markets tend to be safe for transaction but they can also be dangerous.
1262 wordsRead More - Spoken Word Poetry Essayanalytical essay"CRIME LAB." Report: Gun Violence Among School-Age Youth in Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that holbrook high school holds a poetry café every year, where young adults perform for their peers. spoken word poetry is necessary to openly discuss the issues that affect today's youth.
- Explains that spoken word poetry allows young adults to deal with issues of gang violence. nate marshall and demetrius amaparan recite "lost count: a love story" because of several children deaths.
- Explains that marsall's mother worried about his long commute to whitney young, but the walk through his neighborhood frightened her the most. four thugs jumped him at 115th and halsted streets as he was getting off the bus on his way home from school.
- Explains that young adults in chicago are suffering from the losses of the kids they attend school with and that live among their communities.
- Analyzes how the poem lost count: "a love story" depicts the violence a kid had to experience.
- Explains that spoken word poetry helps young adults express themselves when dealing with issues such as divorce. dr. emery is a professor of psychology at the university of virginia.
- Explains that divorce is stressful for children, as it can strain parent-child relationships, lead to lost contact with one parent, create economic hardship, and increase conflict between parents.
- Analyzes how the poem "spelling father" by marshall jones illustrates the experience of a kid growing up without both parents in their lives.
- Explains that spoken word poetry isn't just written down on paper, it's performed allowing the audience to feel the real emotions the reader wants, and the poem writer is developing a voice.
- Narrates how they realized the power of spoken word poetry when they heard students from all across chicago and the land region putting their words out there for everyone to hear.
- Explains louder than a bomb is an organization that allows students to perform in front of an audience, giving them an opportunity to find their voice.
- Explains that spoken word poetry is a powerful performing art that can be written down so people can read it. its power has reached today's young adults, who are using it to deal with gang violence, divorce and find their voice.
- Cites turner, dawn, and stleber, dave. "the power of spoken word poetry."
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the power of gun rights versus gun control in the united states. gun rights supporters promote firearms for self-defense, hunting, and sporting activities, while gun ownership by law-abiding citizens reduces crime.
- Explains that firearms are classified into three broad types: handgun, rifle, and shotgun. they argue that guns are not the root of the problem, but that the person pulling the trigger is.
- Opines that the american people and the government cannot infringe the right to bear arms, but they can make the process of owning a weapon more difficult and time-consuming.
- Argues that leaving the firearm market with as little regulation would cause a larger problem than any possible aid it could potentially provide.
- Concludes that guns are tools, nothing more and nothing less, and how we use them makes them what they are. by tightening gun laws and destigmatizing mental illness, great strides can be made to reduce the likelihood of tragedies.
- Explains that gun politics in the united states is a topic covered by the wikimedia foundation's "background on gun control."
1008 wordsRead More - Another Day, Another Mass Shooting in Americaopinion essayAs shootings begin to happen more frequently, Congress feels like throwing up more laws is going to fix it; when in reality that will not help. It is human nature for the majority of people in the world to want to break rules, or in this case laws, solely just because they are there to break. Therefore, Congress should not create more gun control for it is unconstitutional. In the event that Congress makes more laws, they should expect more crime than without them. Does taking guns away solve the problem; well not exactly. Reprehending the rights to have guns is a good intention but condemn rights of law abiding citizens. Those who use guns for safety do not give reason for guns to be taken because of others lack of knowledge. There will never be a perfect world where there is no violence or shootings. And abundant amount of factors go into how those who commit crimes fall to the state of mind that they do.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that in the u.s., it is not illegal for the owner of a gun to leave the gun out and around the house, but in germany, that is illegal.
- Opines that congress should not create more gun control for it is unconstitutional. reprehending the rights to have guns is a good intention but condemn rights of law abiding citizens.
- Argues that if laws were put in place for guns, it would just be over run later down the road.
- Opines that the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of lz granderson.
1136 wordsRead More - Gun Controlopinion essaySince the early days, gun control has been a never-ending debate. It is because of the fast increase in crime, the fight for the right to own a hand gun, the introduction of legislation for gun control in order reduce the crime in the United States, that this issue has been hotly debated in recent years. The streets of America are now a war zone especially right here were we live. ?Florida has the highest crime rate of any state and the sixth highest homicide level?(www.guncite.com). A sad fact but true. Many people feel that gun control violates their right to own a gun the second amendment says so: ?the right to bear arms?. I personally share that point of view for it would not be in the constitution to begin with. However, there is no doubt that something must be done in order to reduce violence and to make America a freer country to live in. I believe that gun control should not take place for it does not reduce crime, it only increases the debates and as an alternative there should be a stronger education.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that gun control should not take place for it does not reduce crime, it only increases the debates and as an alternative there should be a stronger education.
- Opines that guns and violence are not as linked as people think. both australia and england have banned personal ownership of guns, but violent crime is not down in either country.
- Opines that putting gun control into practice would only make it better for the black market to grow.
- Opines that arguing about gun control does not solve the main problem, which is the lack of values and morals in society.
- Opines that if gun control did not exist, the arguing would be over and people would stick to what is settled.
- Opines that education is where all begins, and society is going trough a lack of values and morals. every human being should know how to love themselves and love life.
- Opines that education is primordial in order to live in a better and safer world.
- Concludes that by gun control and disarming citizens, the entire society is at risk of attack, by neighborhood criminals or even by international terrorists.
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In this essay, the author
- Opines that stricter gun laws would help reduce crime and robberies, but people use guns for self-defense against those types of crimes.
- Explains that guns cause crime and violence, but few people like them. they say that if people purchase more guns, there is a higher probability for people to commit crimes such as theft, homicide, and improper use.
- Opines that citizens who obey the law, have no criminal records, and use their guns for protection should have the right to buy a gun easily without enforced gun laws.
- Opines that if gun control laws are enforced, criminals will always find ways to get guns. law-abiding citizens will be hurt because they cannot protect themselves from crime.
- Concludes that enforcing gun laws would not be the best solution in reducing violence in the united states.
643 wordsRead More - Gun Control Lawsanalytical essayMany government officials believe it is their right to control the use of firearms in our country. Many civilians believe it is their right to bear arms to protect themselves and their families. This has been a very controversial issue over the past recent years. Especially since Barack Obama was inaugurated. Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting really set a fire underneath the feet of liberals to secure more gun control laws. Is it really effective to take away guns from law abiding citizens? What about the gun running by the gangs and cartel? Who will take their guns away? Will the ATF? It’s nearly impossible to completely shut down organized crime such as the cartel. When guns are taken away from people who possess them merely to protect themselves, what will happen then? Let’s take a look at the much bigger picture here.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the national crime victimization survey measures the nonfatal violent crimes of rape/sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault.
- Cites gun owners of america, "the failed experiment: gun control and public safety in canada, australia, england, and wales."
- Cites the bureau of justice statistics, "weapon use by offense type."
- Argues that gun control laws should be enforced for the person responsible for a minor child's criminal actions.
- Explains that guns are not our biggest threat. gun control is an unpopular topic, similar to the prohibition of alcohol.
1135 wordsRead More - Is Guns affecting your Life?explanatory essayIn 2009, 146 out of the 15,241 cases of homicide involved firearms, including massacres and shootings. We ha...
In this essay, the author
- Opines that school shootings, suicide, and homicide are usually connected to guns. shootings occur in local streets, where rival gangs meet for a showdown.
- Explains that 146 out of the 15,241 cases of homicide involved firearms, including massacres and shootings. incidents like texas sniper, columbine, and virginia tech, will likely occur again if the gun issue is not dealt with.
- Describes how sally johnson, a 16-year-old high school student, was bullied by her boyfriend, her mom, and her father, who was an alcoholic. suicide is an issue in this nation, with firearms increasing the death tolls of suicide.
- Explains that guns are used for murder, assaults, and suicides. the framers of the constitution meant to add this for town militias who could fight a revolt.
- Opines that americans' duty is to attack national problems and guns are a national problem. guns were once used for protection, but now transformed into an evil that causes chaos wherever it goes.
525 wordsRead More