Gun control is a topic of discussion neglected more often than not. Gun control is an important issue due to events such as, Sandy Hook and the Aurora Colorado mass shooting which will most likely happen again if taken lightly. American citizens remain aware that the safety and life expectancy of innocent civilians are at risk when gun laws are not addressed appropriately. Adults are not the only individuals that die tragically from firearms. Innocent children are also brutally murdered as a result of the easy access to semi- automatic and fully automatic weapons.
First, America was taken by storm when 20 innocent first grade students and six faculty members were brutally murdered in Sandy Hook Elementary by Adam Lana. Barbara Mantel stated, it was one Of the worse mass shootings in history. Mantel goes on to say civilians don’t need assault rifles. The author concluded, Lana had an AR-1 5 and multiple magazines that killed his victims in less than 10 minutes (Mantel). The fact of the matter is non-military and non-police members do not have a legitimate need for automatic weapons or semi-automatic assault rifles.
Assault rifles are the weapons that the military primarily use in combat to defeat threats against terrorist and other foreign threats. The AR-15 used in the massacre is a rifle which is capable of attaching a silencer and bayonet. Neither a bayonet nor a silencer is necessary for the general public to have. In addition to the problems of gun related deaths, a ban on assault weapons went in effect from 1994 to 2004. According to Bob Adams, the statistics show crime rates which involved guns dropped by 50 percent when the law was passed.
Please refer to figure 1 and figure 2 (Adams). Finally, “The Brady Law mental issues were not able to purchase guns. The law also entails a person wanting to own a gun had to undergo a five day background check (Adams). The numbers reflect strict gun laws have a positive impact on society and drastically reduce gun related deaths. With sincere efforts such as The Brady Law, America would be a safer place. The law showed that Americans have no need of military styled combat weapons. After 2004 when the law was appealed more mass shootings took place involving assault rifles.
Statistics display more than enough evidence to support the need of strict gun laws. Second, America is one of the leading countries in gun related violence and deaths. According to Sydney Lupine, in comparison to Japan Americans who acquire firearms are significantly higher than the citizens of Japan. Sydney Lupine goes on to state, the U. S. Has 88 guns per 100 people and 10 gun- related deaths per 100,000 people. Finally the writer concludes, Japan also has . 06 guns per 100 people (Lupine). The number of deaths in the United States compared to a county like Japan which only has . 6 deaths per 100,000 people is phenomenal. Researchers: Dry. Serial Bangers and Dry. Franz Miserly of SST. Luke Medical Center concluded, out of 27 countries America lead in most gun relate deaths (Miserly,Serial). Government officials and American citizens have neglected the fact America leads in gun related deaths in comparison to 27 other countries. The numbers stated show an alarming rate that needs to be addressed before it gets further out of hand. The Ignited States has shown death rates have no significant effect in the way gun laws are implemented.
Bothersome, PBS commentator Mark Shields states, more Americans died from guns then all wars combined throughout story (Jacobson). Statistical data shows from the time of the Revolutionary War to the war in Iraq more than 1. 1 million people died in combat. More than 1 million people have been killed throughout the U. S. Wars. With the shocking facts at hand citizens can only imagine the amount of civilian casualties that involved guns on America’s soil. On the outside looking in, it looks as if America has no control over the citizens of this country.
Viewing the statistics, if U. S. Gun deaths dropped by 1 5%, American gun related deaths would still outnumber the deaths occurred in war. With the data given f the number of gun crimes a false analogy that America is at war with itself could be said. America is showing the very origins of their country is naturally violent. For example, how could one justify going to war possibly killing innocent civilians in a foreign country when their very country has no regards for their own innocent civilians being murdered at an all-time high.
Without having any regards for their own American citizens being murdered, civilian casualties from war would just be labeled collateral damage. In addition to why America needs more gun control one might argue the Second Amendment. In order to argue The Second Amendment, citizens must not abuse the safety of American civilians. 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” (Madison).
According to Ann Parrish, the preamble of the U. S. Constitution states the welfare of the people and American citizens must be held in high regards. The preamble of the U. S. Constitution states “we the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic rancidity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America” (Morris).
Parrish goes on to say, to neglect the safety and welfare of the American people is unconstitutional. Finally the author concludes, The Second Amendment is often argued under biased circumstances that rule in favor of majority viewpoints and not the minority (Parrish). A sweeping generalization is unfolding across the United States when the minority viewpoints are overlooked. With gun related deaths growing at an alarming rate how can Americans say the welfare of the people are being protected? The constitution is actually being violated and not being observed in all aspects.
Most Americans who conclude the Second Amendment in their argument are being biased by just supporting one of the Amendments instead of all of them. Additionally, the Second Amendment has been taken out of context and widely misused. According to American historians: Clayton E. Cramer and Joseph Olsson, bear arms in the English language documents published round the time of the Constitution does show almost entirely military uses. Finally the scholars conclude, many Americans have taken the Amendment out of context by making it an individual right to bear arms (Cramer, Olsson).
America’s very foundations stand on liberty and freedom. Freedom and liberty seem to just be a figure of speech or often times used under certain circumstances. In order to maintain the code of ethics and constitutional rights of American citizens, politicians must honor the phrase, ‘to defend and protect the welfare of the people” and the Constitution must not be used for eased circumstances. By no means should Americans be stripped of their weapons but everything must be done in decency and order. Third, Americans are acquiring guns more now than ever before.
According to Ann Parrish, many people who keep guns in their homes for self-defense are 43 times more likely to kill a family member than a burglar. The author concludes, statistics reveal murders are more likely to happen with a gun in a home than one without a gun (Parrish). People are claiming to protect their property and family when in fact the individual owning a weapon in their accidence are most likely to assault their family member with a gun. The easy access in acquiring weapons with limited background checks has caused havoc across many homes nationwide.
Gun rights are habitually abused and excuses are constantly being made for individuals who are negligent with firearms. In addition to the problems of guns in homes most likely killing a family member, children are also put at a great risk. According to New York Daily News writer Sash Goldstein, a news study conducted in 2013 revealed there have been 120 kids accidentally killed by guns in homes. Goldstein goes on to say, a family in Moreno,Ohio had to suffer a horrible fate when their child was killed accidentally by a gun.
Dalton Taylor was 10 years old and was killed by a hunting gun that belonged to his father. The writer concludes, Dalton and some of his friends found the 1 2 gauge shotgun which caused his untimely demise. The tragedy which took place on the day in question could have been prevented if the weapon was stored properly or not kept in the home at all. Similar calls to 911 and trauma centers across America are accidental shootings involving children. Strict jail sentences should be given to citizen involved in an incident involving the death of a child by an improperly stored firearm.
The Brady Law and Ban On Assault Weapons laws needs reinstatement in order to ensure the safety of the American people. In conclusion there are a plethora of reasons why gun control needs to be taken more seriously. Innocent civilians are dying at an all-time high which statistics have proven. American citizens have taken the Second Amendment out Of context by making it an individual right to carry a weapon and. Perhaps the murder rates and gun related crimes would predominately reduce in number f the Brady Law and Ban on Assault Weapons law were reinstated.
The Second Amendment was intended for the rights of American militia to bear arms and defend themselves at the time it was written. Children are being killed due to negligence of irresponsible gun ownership by a parent or legal guardian. How much more bloodshed does the country to witness before more stern gun laws go in effect? Freedom, liberty, and justice are all reasons the American nation is defended and lives are sacrificed on the battlefield. How shameful it would be if the lives of many who gave their life for America were taken in vain.
