Persuasive Essay: Gun Control Is Needed

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Regulation of guns is a necessary action that needs to be taken in order to

save lives. A good definition of gun control is needed to understand the sides

and issues. Gun control is an effort to stop the rise in violent crime by

strengthening laws on the ownership of firearms. Persons in the group against

gun control believe that gun control is wrong, and that it is a violation of

constitutional rights. Those in favor of gun control believe that gun control

is good, that the Second Amendment does not apply to regular citizens, and that

guns should be taken out of the hands of criminals.

There are several major anti-gun control groups. These groups include the

National Rifle Association (NRA), and the Gun Owners of America (GOA) . The NRA

is a national group dedicated to the upholding of the Second amendment of the

Constitution (See Appendix). In their magazines, American Hunter and American

Rifleman, they say "The NRA, . . . believes that every law-abiding citizen is

entitled to the ownership and legal use of firearms, . . . " The NRA does many

things to help display their beliefs and persuade others to their beliefs. This

association also has a strong pull on legislation, because it has many

lobbyists and supporters in government. This group has many members in Congress,

and former presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan are NRA members. The NRA

lobbies for several types of legislation. For example, the NRA is currently

trying to repeal the ban on assault weapons. A lot of money is spent each year

on legislation (See Appendix for figures).

The Gun Owners of America is another group that is against gun control.

The GOA preserves and defends the rights of gun owners through legislation.

They publish books, articles, and videos on gun issues and how those issues

affect people. They also conduct seminars for the press and Congress about

issues on the Second Amendment, and gun issues. The GOA opposes bans on

semiautomatic weapons, armor piercing ammunition, and handguns.

There are also many groups that are pro gun control in the United

States. The major group for gun control is Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI), which

is headed by Sarah Brady. Mrs. Brady is the wife of James Brady, who was shot

during an attempt on president Reagan's life in 1981. Another major group is

the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV), which was formerly known as the

National Coalition to Ban Handguns. The CSGV believes that handguns should be

outlawed completely, with a few exceptions, such as the military, police and

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