Gun Control

Gun Control

Gun control will not stop crime, violence, nor prevent criminals from obtaining guns to commit the crime. Our Government has been trying to pass legislation for a long time regarding gun control. Even though some states have some sort of gun control measures in place, guns are still be obtained by criminals and used to commit horrible crimes on innocent people.

People that are committing crimes do not care about gun control laws. If a criminal wants a gun to commit a crime, they have no problem in getting them. Therefore, honest people should not be prevented from owning guns. They are the only ones that are willing to be compliant to the laws.

If a criminal is going to commit a crime using a handgun, they will be able to get the hand gun with very little problems. Criminals will use illegal weapons to commit the crime. An article in the Milwaukee Journal stated, "Rather than discussing existing laws that are supposed to con strain criminals (and don't because they are ineffective, unenforceable or just not enforced), The Journal editorialists want to see more laws passed that would be just as ineffective and hurt lawful firearms owners."(Horne, 1990)

Guns are a vital part of our society. Our law enforcement officers and our military personnel are required to have guns in their possession. Therefore, we need to have tighter laws that would prevent criminals from being able to obtain guns. Some assert that a gun-carrying public will serve as an extension of the police in deterring crime. (Ludwig & Cook, 2003). To deal with criminals swiftly and justly are: the institution of background checks along with the current two-day waiting period, institute minimum mandatory sentences for crimes involving the use of guns. (Gun control does not deal with root causes of crime.1991). Gun ownership should be treated like a driver's license meaning you would have to qualify annually.

American citizens have earned the right to own a gun and this should not be taken away. We need to uphold the 2nd Amendment which states that we have the right to bear arms. In District of Columbia v. Heller, the US Supreme Court held that individuals have a constitutional right to own firearms, notably to keep a loaded handgun at home for self-protection. (Gostin, 2010) Our forefathers wanted us to have guns for our own protection. The NRA has positioned itself as a crime fighting group by arguing that violence can only be curtailed by getting tough on criminals, not by passing gun control measures. (Beck, 1993)

Guns help us to protect ourselves. They provide a good source of self-defense. The NRA upholds the right for us to own guns so that we can protect ourselves. In the state of Florida and several other states, they have passed laws in which citizens can carry concealed weapons. By presenting numerous model specifications, they found little evidence that increases in the number of citizens with concealed-handgun permits reduce or increase rates of violent crime. (Kovandzic & Marvell, 2003) By allowing people to carry concealed weapons, this allows them their own method of self-protection. We all have the right to protect ourselves.

Being a submissive victim does not help. Victims that have defended themselves with a handgun during a robbery or an assault, have the least chance of being injured, or the crime being finished out. Anti-gun people say you don't need a gun to help save your life. You can just try and escape, reason with the offender or use physical resistance (other than a handgun), and that will work. That is not true. Human beings have a right to feel safe and an unalienable right to life, and the best way to ensure these rights is often to entrust individuals to provide for their own defense.(Jurado, 2004) Most of the time when the victims resisted with a handgun, there was a less chance of the crime being committed or the victim being hurt.

According to the political side of gun control, we need to enforce stricter ways of owning guns. Some of the ways that have been proposed is taxing, registration and licensing of guns. Recent home gun accidents involving police officers show that practicing gun safety is what is needed, not civilian disarmament. (Police and guns.2003) Also according to the politicians, we need to aid the police officers by disarming the criminals. Gun owners should have to register their guns when they purchase them. They should also have to go through background checks and a waiting period.

However, we need to educate ourselves on the proper use of guns and when they should be used. This needs to start at an early age. Children should be taught about the effects of guns and what happens if they are used. This is why it's important to educate children about the dangers of guns, beginning at an early age, said Dr. Paul Schreiber, chairman of the Injury Prevention Committee of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Every day in America, 14 children and youths under age 20 are killed by guns, and many more are wounded, according