Gun Control Is a hot topic, It Is seen or heard almost everywhere you go, According to Nugent, (2013), “If guns cause crime, all of mine are defective. ” America sure does love their guns! A recent survey explains in the united States for every 100 people 88. 9 of them have firearms. Many would argue, the more guns the better; hence, the safer we are. Does this mean, the more gun ownership rises, the fewer people will want to be Involved in a confrontation? Is there a correlation suggesting fewer fights will break out due to everyone being armed?
As Americans, the right to bear arms Is a right that protects us as citizens against other Americans that are bear arms, although it was originally intended for a different purpose. It is every Americans right to own weapons to protect themselves; however, ordinary people do not need military style weapons and magazines without limitations capacity, because this will undeniably help prevent future tragedies. Military Assault Weapons Truly, the most recent tragedies that have occurred have been horrific yet preventable.
To Illustrate, James Holmes was the shooter In the Aurora Colorado vie theatre shooting; the weapon Holmes used was an AR-1 5 assault rifle. This fearsome weapon is made to kill as many people as possible in a minimal amount of time, it’s so powerful it shoots 50 shots a minute (Klein, 2012). Let’s envision, if military assault rifles would have been banned years ago and Holmes had to go in the movie theatre with a semi-automatic handgun. He would have killed half or maybe less people then he did using the AR-1 5. The next example is about a shooter who used an assault rifle In the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.
One weapon that shooter Adam Lana used was a Bushmaster . 23 caliber semiautomatic rifle. According to Feral, (2013), “This rifle is a modified civilian version of the military’s WI 6, it’s Just as deadly because what makes it dangerous is the ability to take almost unlimited amounts of ammunition and a pistol grip. ” Sit and think for a moment what was Just read, why would the government allow a replica of a military weapon become legal to make and buy? This is a huge mistake the government is making and with the examples provided above It truly Is a big mistake and we the people have to pay by losing our loved ones slowly but surely.
With that being said, citizens should not be allowed to own weapons used for war and should only allow magazines that have a limited capacity. If a law was passed banning military assault weapons and limited magazine capacity, it is clear that less would have been killed in both Sandy Hook Elementary and Aurora shooting. Violent Gun Crime gangs, robberies and revenge. Crime is an on going issue that happens almost everyday; the majority of the time firearms are either used to scare, get revenge or kill.
According to the National Factorization survey, between 2005-2011 there were ,955,185 firearm incidents and 2,049,961 firearm victims. Data collected by the FBI show that firearms were used in 68 percent of murders, 41 percent of robbery and 21 percent of aggravated assaults. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2011). The law that the government is trying to pass is for a thorough background check when buying a gun. As mentioned above James Holmes had no criminal background but yet he was able to purchase the weapons, which then lead to murdering x amount of people.
It varies from state to state but between the ages 18 and 21 civilians could buy a gun forever, does that mean they are going to use the gun to protect ones self or to commit a crime? The majority of the times criminals know they are not allowed to buy a gun due to background checks but they will have someone else buy the gun for them. How can we prevent this from happening, is there a way or do we live life in constant fear? Another question to ponder is, do you think age 18 is an appropriate age to allow someone to buy a gun? Repeat that age one more time, eighteen, NO teenager should be thinking about buying guns.
At the age of 18 teenagers are radiating from high school or entering college, the last thing they should be worrying about is buying a gun. This is the age teenagers are drinking and partying, what makes people think they are responsible or mature enough to carry or own a gun? Thus, government needs to raise the age limit to 25 or older, that is a reasonable, mature and responsible age. So, to an extent this may help but it is not the answer to stop crime caused by guns. Another issue that may be a problem is mental health. This is an issue that is talked about often.
Someone may be able to arches a gun with no criminal record buy may have a physiological issue. This individual may be k one day and turn the next. When buying a gun you are not diagnosed with a mental issue, therefore something needs to be done, their needs to be some type of testing and qualifications before buying a gun. If an individual knows he or she has a mental problem how will the person behind the counter know that the individual is sick? Therefore, government needs to pass a law where gun buyers need to pass a physiological test before buying to ensure the safety of other people.
The Second Amendment Additionally, many people argue that any kind of gun control violates the second amendment however the second amendment states, “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. ” The second amendment was originally passed to put down citizen rebels, slave uprisings and Indian attacks. Another reason many think the constitution was drafted is because it was designed to facilitate an armed rebellion against the U. S. Government if the States rights ever became infringed on.
However, in today’s society it is widely accepted that the second amendment was written for regular citizens to own and use any type of weapon of choice. It is arguable that the reasons that caused the second amendment to be written are technically no longer valid in this day in age. We are no longer fighting slaves or militias, and we have created the National Guard, which belongs to the states and not these types of weapons, military style weapons that common citizens are able to buy did not exist in 1791. Another perspective during the first American Revolution armed tizzies fought tyrannical government and gun confiscation.
Any type of gun control can be seen as a slippery slope in which history may be repeated. United States citizens live in a very different time compared to the days of the American Revolution, when weapons were being confiscated. Nevertheless, if citizens still had to protect themselves from the British, Indians, and random militias, then the rationale behind not wanting to repeat history would make perfect sense. The only true need for weapons in society today, is for self-defense against other armed individuals. Not militia and not a tyrannical government.
To an extent yes we do have the right to bear to arms but to a limit. Citizens are already forfeited the right to own weapons the government has; therefore the argument of creating a regulated militia to overthrown the government is unfounded. Equally important, although the United States Constitution does not specifically support it, citizens should be allowed to own only certain types of weapons to protect ones self. The answer can be left up to interpretation or a look at history. In conclusion, the right to bear arms is a right for ones protection but needs its limitations.
