Gun control is a serious topic in the United States at this moment. Record number of Americas are purchasing firearms for either protection or recreational use. The increase in guns across the country has led to a substantial increase in the number homicides and public shootings. Although the second amendment to the United States Constitution allows American citizens the right to bear arms, what can the federal government and citizens do better for protection from gun violence? Currently, many states and cities have certain regulations on gun possession; however, there has yet to be a federal stance on how to control and curb gun violence. Also, there are numerous countries that have strict laws that either limit or restrict access to guns. These countries usually tend to have lower rates of gun related injuries or crimes. Guns are very common in American society. Sometimes, dichotomization is associated with guns. For example, when white society dichotomizes African-American males as thugs or gang bangers this negatively affects the African-American male population. When a person is dichotomized they will eventually fall into a certain category at some point. In this case, it may lead to more gun related crimes especially amongst African-American males. Therefore, gun related crimes may be associated with dichotomization of certain groups. Also, gun related fatalities and suicide can result within from the LGBT community or even teenagers that often feel isolated due to dichotomization. Likewise, it is seen very patriotic for an American male to carry a gun with them. This is often shown on media and television where it is shown that the male must carry a gun either for protection or hunting. True men that don’t carry a gun wi... ... middle of paper ... ... and informs the public there is often some bias. The sponsors will pay the media and tell them what to report and broadcast. For example, NBC or CBS will air stories pushing for gun restrictions on their networks. On the other hand, Fox news will talk about how their need to be less restrictions on guns. Basically, the sponsors of the networks play a vital role in dividing public opinion while gun violence continues to take innocent lives. Tougher gun laws are critical to curbing unnecessary gun violence. The United States could learn from Canada and the United Kingdom that putting tougher restrictions at a federal level is critical to limiting gun violence. Overall, America loves its guns and doesn’t like it when laws are passed that limit guns; however, the passage of laws in some states and other countries has lowered gun related fatalities by a large margin.
Aroung the time of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the controversial and widely argued issue of gun control sparked and set fire across America. In the past decade however, it has become one of the hottest topics in the nation. Due to many recent shootings, including the well known Sandy Hook Elementary school, Columbine High School, Aurora movie theater, and Virginia Tech, together totaling 87 deaths, many people are beginning to push for nationwide gun control. An article published in the Chicago Tribune by Illinois State Senator Jacqueline Collins, entitled “Gun Control is Long Overdue” voiced the opinion that in order for America to remain the land of the free, we must take action in the form of stricter gun laws. On the contrary, Kathleen Parker, a member of the Washington Post Writers Group whose articles have appeared in the Weekly Standard, Time, Town & Country, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune Small Business, gives a different opinion on the subject. Her article in The Oregonian “Gun Control Conversation Keeps Repeating” urges Americans to look at the cultural factors that create ...
The second amendment grants all Americans the right to bear arms. The ability to hold a firearm at any time as long as the firearm is registered. In the United states, all it takes to hold a firearm is a background check and a safety class. In a short reading from the “American Now” book a short article By Christina Tenuta called Responsible gun ownership saves lives she asks “do Americans really need guns?”, but are the guns really the problem? Although the second amendment requires some decent documents , the qualifications to obtain a firearm needs to be revised to a mental check, a family history check , and also to make it a priority for reinforcement to check on the registered firearm every six to twelve months.
Should the 2nd amendment be revoked or changed? Many Americans would say “No,” stating that guns are dangerous and times have changed. Others might argue that having the right to bear arms keeps people safe and less threated by the outside world. In this debate, both sides of the 2nd amendments constitutional rights will be argued. The upcoming presidential election has been influencing voters to revoke our 2nd amendment rights which could change the democracy on which our country was founded.
Without sufficient gun control laws, the death rate in the United States is incredibly high. Gun violence in the United States results in thousands of deaths and many times more injuries annually. Many countries have death rates of gun violence at or lower than 200. This, as will be shown later, is quite It is reported that out of twenty-seven developed countries, the U.S. has the highest rate of gun deaths and the number is more than forty times larger than the deaths of Great Britain by guns (O’Brien 1). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2013, firearms were used in 84,258 nonfatal injuries and homicide deaths reached 11,208, suicide rates of 21,175, and accidental deaths by guns reaching a death count of 505 (23). From these similar high death counts from several different organizations, it is clear that the U.S must impose stricter gun control laws. If countries as developed as the U.S. are achieving low death rates from gun violence what is stopping the U.S. from making the same changes? Why not the U.S. too? By the same token, in an interview between Tiffany O’Callaghan and Garen Wintemute, Wintemute states that “It (guns) takes upward of
In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since it’s birth. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, hunt for food and engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control is complex. Weighing the rights and liberties of the individual against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the freedom to use and keep arms, rely on the fact that the provision for such rights is enshrined in their constitution. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified. As citizens of the “Land of the Free” possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity... Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and gun related crimes in an effort to call on the government to take action. By enacting more laws and stricter control, these people not in favor of guns feel society would be better safer.
Written on December 15, 1791 was the second amendment of the constitution. It states that "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."(Cite)? United States citizens have used guns for various reasons that include protection, hunting, and sporting reasons. The topic on gun control is a very complex topic that is discussed daily. It is such a big issue that it has both the democrats and republicans firmly established in their positions. One of the main reasons this has been such an important topic in recent years is because of all the murders and massacres that have happened recently in the United States. As our newly nominated president, Donald
“In her study of the gun-rights community, Burbick (2006) discovered that despite the inclusion of women and people of color in their ranks of gun ownership, gun culture is essentially of culture affirming and celebrating white manhood.”(Approaches to Gun Violence)
Thesis: We should have Gun-control in laws because it will prevent a lot of problems .
There have been numerous measures taken to ensure public safety in regards to who has access to firearms in the United States. The Brady Handgun Prevention Acts, enacted November 30, 1993, made it impossible to purchase a firearm from any store without first passing a background check headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These acts also made it illegal to conceal a handgun with the proper licensing as well as put restrictions on who can buy certain firearms. You must be 21 years of age to own a handgun legally, and you must be at least 18 years of age to own a rifle or shotgun. The F.B.I. keeps records of gun purchases and has access to the serial number and owner of every gun that is bought or sold in the U.S. The most crucial
Gun rights are the source of much controversy in today’s society. People have been skeptic after the multiple shootings that happened in the past few years. Recently, the NRA has been under constant threat by Congress. Background checks are not effective as planned. In order to keep the gun rights, changes need to be made in order to prevent gun control from being created.
Growing up in Brooklyn, NY I keenly became aware that in my own neighborhood there were educational disparities, street violence, and police brutality. Due to the widespread presence of these issues while walking home from school or going grocery shopping with my mother, I also learned there was internal conflict between the people that lived in the community and those who were appointed to represent them- the congressional representative of my district. My premature awareness of these issues caused me to question who had the ability to solve the problems of my community? I discovered that the television show “Law and Order” offered a possible answer. As the youngest child of my household, my older siblings affinity for the show naturally steered
As actor Vince Vaughn once said, “I support people having a gun in public full stop, not just in your home. We don 't have the right to bear arms because of burglars; we have the right to bear arms to resist the supreme power of a corrupt and abusive government. It 's not about duck hunting; it 's about the ability of the individual. It 's the same reason we have freedom of speech. It 's well known that the greatest defence against an intruder is the sound of a gun hammer being pulled back. All these gun shootings that have gone down in America since 1950, only one or maybe two have happened in non-gun-free zones. Take mass shootings. They 've only happened in places that don 't allow guns. These people are sick in the head and
Another controversial issue in America is the issue of gun control. The Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. However, the extant of this right remains highly debated. In the past two decades, massive killing sprees and school shootings have given rise to debates about this issue. In the 1990s the prevalence of guns in our society has allowed these mass killings to occur, angering a majority of the Americans. Therefore, in the 1990s there was a massive public push for stricter gun control with the majority of 60 percent Americans thinking laws needed to be stricter (Figure 4). However, as state laws became stricter and shootings became more prevalent there was a push back on gun control in a few short
Gun control and self-defense has been a hot topic in the United States in the last couple of years, with the United States having 88.8 guns for every 100 people. People argue whether individuals should have the right to own and carry weapons or whether there should be a stricter regulation on guns. With crimes occurring everywhere in the United States it’s only logical to allow those who qualify for a concealed weapon the right to obtain a permit to carry. With the recent laws of concealed carry weapons being allowed in all 50 states and Jerry Brown banning concealed carry on college campuses, controversy is hotter than it’s ever been. Although we have seen weapons used for hurting, guns, when placed in concealed carry hands, are not the cause
Behind the majority of gunmen in mass shootings is mental illness. These gunmen were ridiculed and bullied leading them to depression and anxiety. These emotions in a man are seen as a weakness, degrading their masculinity. It is much more socially acceptable for a women experiencing depression to seek treatment then it is for a man. A women can learn to work through mental illness because it is encourage for her to undergo therapy. A man may feel that treatment for mental illness will make him less authoritative and will turn to the only thing he knows- guns. Boys are brought up thinking that a man with a gun is masculine. A male adolescent who has been called homophobic slurs his entire life for not measuring up to these standards turn to guns to prove himself. Boys and men use violence to overcome shame associated with not being respected by their