Should People Keep Handguns at Home?

In the article "Crime is the Basic Problem, Not Guns" (1989), Wayne LaPierre argues that the only way to curb crime is to join forces with Project Crime Control. In the article "Do Gun Laws Work? Study is Inconclusive" (2003), Kristen Wyatt argues that gun laws do not even work because people can buy guns without background checks at a gun show and also many guns are sold illegally, therefore it is not the guns that are being sold legally that are a threat. In the article "Why I Bought a Gun" (1988), Gail Buchalter argues that she bought a gun because she feel threatened and wants to keep herself safe from intruders and gang members. In the article "Of Killer Pens and AK-47s" (2004), Micah Sifry argue that it should be required to have a child safety lock on guns and stricter regulations on firearm purchases at gun shows. I believe people should keep handguns at home but a thorough background check is a must. Keeping a gun at home can make the family feel safe from intruders because they know if worse comes to worse they can pull out the gun and save their family from any terror the intruder could bring. I will discuss the security people feel when they have a gun at home, the sale of guns at a gun show, and the role guns have played throughout history.

The main reason people should keep a gun is because it can make them feel safe at home from any intruders. Knowing that you have a gun can bring security that you probably do not have. Buchalter had an awful experience where two guys were "...yelling hat they were going to rape, cut, and kill..." (3) her. Also her husband was not home, so she had nobody to defend her or save her from the guys. Buchalter also mentions how there was a rapist in her neighborhood that "...would be waiting in his victim's house; other times he would break in while the person was asleep" (7). That is when she realized she needed a gun. I'm not saying woman are defenseless, I'm saying everyone needs a way of protecting themselves from ridiculous people who wants to hurt them. People feel safer knowing they have a way of protecting themselves.

The second reason people should stop trying to limit gun sale is that it is not the people who are getting their guns legally that are the problem. It is the people who buy their guns at gun shows or illegally. The people opposed should see that there is a thorough background check with guns when bought legally. The next step would be making it a law to enforce background checks at gun shows. Instead of the people getting the gun that day, the gun show salesman can do the background check and then ship the gun to the person if the background check is approved. Sifry speak of the Columbine High School shooting leaving twelve students and a teacher dead. "All four guns they used were purchased by an eighteen year old friend at Denver area gun show from private sellers who are not required