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Gun laws in the usa essay
Opposing political viewpoints on gun control
Essays on gun control laws
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Discussion and recommendations of the study have been drawn and structured in accordance with the study’s propositions. The discussion will therefore seek to determine the extent to which each of the propositions has been confirmed or invalidated by the study findings. The research propositions were: Proposition 1: Variations in local and state gun laws are affected by variables such as: political orientation, cultural background, geographic location, population density, rates of gun violence, visibility of gun related crimes, and conservative or liberal perspectives. Proposition 2: Basic federal legislation on gun law is preserved regardless of the variances adopted by state and local governments. In discussing the first proposition, the study will use the prevailing public opinion and support to existing gun laws, especially with respect to licensure and registration requirements, and regulations on concealed or open carrying. Public opinion is distinguished from public view, where the former represents the opinions of the population with regards to existing gun control laws, while the latter depicts the open carrying of arms in public. The study has identified a possible link between state culture, such as strong gun culture and popularity of sport hunting and gun sportsmanship in the state, with geographic location, such as being a southern state. Population density also appears to be a significant factor since larger states with lower population distribution, such as Utah, Montana, Arkansas, Arizona, and Georgia were more likely to be gun liberal, have a strong gun culture, and support fewer restrictions on gun ownership and open or concealed carry. The political culture of such states also reflected and affirmed the prevail... ... middle of paper ... ...rearms such as long guns versus handguns, as well as the proximity with other states that have weaker or stronger gun control laws. A future study is recommended to investigate the relationship between gun laws and gun violence, with the view of making gun laws more cohesive to reduce the transfer of illegal firearms from states with permissive laws into their immediate neighbors with strict gun control laws. However, it should also be considered that while gun laws and gun violence have a reciprocal effect that might be difficult to deconstruct, tightening gun laws can significantly reduce gun violence, while high gun violence will make it more likely that gun control laws with be further tightened. It would therefore be interesting to conduct a study that investigates how gun control laws change in the context of an increase or reduction of gun related violence.
During the problem definition stage, one must realize that “a condition is not a social problem unless it is seen as violating certain fundamental values and beliefs about how society should operate” (Gusfield, 2011). I have determined that there exists a problem concerning gun control, more specifically, concealed carry laws, as they are inconsistent throughout the states. While 48 states now have some form of concealed carry policy in place, the Illinois does not. Thus, the citizens’ rights are in violation of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Violence and gun control laws are strongly correlated for both political parties, but inversely so. Whereas Democrats believe lessening crime requires stricter gun control laws, Republicans believe lessening crime requires less strict gun control laws. However, as Cronin has shown, the need to identify with a political party should not distort facts about gun control, nor be the sole reason for an opinion in favor of, or in opposition to gun ownership.
This article analyzes one of the most debated sociopolitical issues in America based on index of individualism and collectivism: gun ownership and gun control. It tests the hypothesis that the widespread gun ownership in the United States and prevailing attitudes toward gun control represent competing individualistic and collectivistic cultural traditions, respectively. The findings indicate that the index is one of the predictors of gun ownership and of attitudes about gun permits.
During the 111th Congress, the gun control debate was looked into by two key Supreme Court decisions. In District of Columbia v. Hel...
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
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 ...
Opposing sides have for years fought over the laws that govern firearms. For the purposes of this paper "Gun Control" is defined as policies enacted by the government that limit the legal rights of gun owners to own, carry, or use firearms, with the intent of reducing gun crimes such as murder, armed robbery, aggravated rape, and the like. So defined, gun control understandably brings favorable responses from some, and angry objections from others. The gun control debate is generally publicized because of the efforts of the Pro-Gun Lobby or the Anti-Gun Lobby.
Is it any coincidence that the states with the loosest gun laws in America tend to contribute to the highest amount of national gun deaths and injuries? This is one of the main questions we should be asking when deciding what is best for our country and its citizens. Although gun control has been an ongoing issue, certain events like the Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and the Aurora, Colorado mass shootings have increased our attention to this topic. Although I believe that Americans possess the right to own a firearm, I believe there should be detailed screening and control systems to keep guns out of the wrong hands, to prevent more gun violence from happening in the future.
The implementation of gun control in the United States is a large problem as it will take away the 2nd Amendment rights of citizens, while preventing law abiding citizens from protecting themselves from criminals.( Noyes, 3) The right to bear arms is promised to citizens of the United States. Crime is very high in states that have loose gun control laws. The state of Texas is known to have the most lenient gun control laws of any state in America.( Noyes, 6) However, the solution of taking guns away from people who are registered and licensed to carry them with no criminal record is not the answer to the problem. Americans have never responded well historically to prohibitions. (Baldauf, 7). Public concern about gun control has grown in Texas in the last two years due to the constant violence caused by Mexican drug cartels on the Mexico and Texas border. People in Texas have different beliefs when it comes to gun control, there are those who believe gun control laws are effective in reducing crime, those who believe that gun control laws are ineffective against crime, and those who believe that private owner ship of guns reduces crime.
Taking into account of the recent shooting sprees, the gun control debate has started again. However, people have contemplated: “Why does America need gun laws” and “Why are so many states disagreeing about the restrictions that need to be put in place for civilians looking to purchase firearms.” The reasoning for such contemplation is that the fluxuating strictness of gun laws have led to several incidences within states that have strict gun laws due to the fact that the perpetrators of these incidences have purchased their firearms either from black markets, or states where the severity of gun control is at minimal levels.
Peterson, Eric. "The Consequences of Gun Control." Oklahoma Wesleyan University. The Keating Center, 18 Apr. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Crime and guns. The two seem to go hand in hand with one another. But are the two really associated? Do guns necessarily lead to crime? And if so do laws placing restrictions on firearm ownership and use stop the crime or protect the citizens? These are the questions many citizens and lawmakers are asking themselves when setting about to create gun control laws. The debate over gun control, however, is nothing new. In 1924, Presidential Candidate, Robert La Follete said, “our choice is not merely to support or oppose gun control but to decide who can own which guns under what conditions.” Clearly this debate still goes on today and is the very reason for the formation of gun control laws.
[2] Dowlut, Robert. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms in State Bills of Rights and Judicial
Lott, Jr. John R. More Gun Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Print.
In this article the author talks about the relationship between gun control laws and gun ownership rates in relation to crime rates. He informs his readers of the studies to determine whether gun ownership rates have any effect on criminal activity being that firearms are the leading cause of murders; and if by making gun control laws stricter will it lower the violent crime rates, and overall homicide rates.