Do You Favor Gun Control? Make Your Decision After Reviewing Both Sides of The Debate
Gun control laws in the US are as old as the US itself, mainly due to its colonial and revolutionary legacy. Trends in owning guns and ammunition are deeply ingrained in US society. Hunting, self-protection, and the American revolutionary war are the historical factors behind the gun culture. Gun transfer to the Catholics, slaves, and Native Americans were banned during the colonial era. However, gun control is a highly polarized debate in the US. Gun control discourse is also limited due to deeply ingrained religious and moral beliefs. Gun violence is a big problem for many US residents. With the 2nd amendment in the US constitution, they got the right to bear arms. Nevertheless, there is ample support in favor of gun control. People support gun control and related restrictions due to the increasing mass shootings and crime in society. Reduced guns in society would reduce deaths and related crimes like mass murders. Moreover, they also state that guns are rarely used in self-defense. Supporters of gun control laws argue that women can be protected against domestic abuse and killing by controlling the guns in society. Furthermore, licensed guns are often stolen and are used in crime. Most of the people support the control of high-assault weapons. Although gun control is opposed by many people, gun control mechanisms and law action are necessary due to the above-stated reasons.
People favor unrestricted ownership and free use of weapons on various assumptions. The second amendment in the US constitution has given the right of gun ownership. The underlying force of the law was self-defense that which is a sacred right given to people by God and due to their cultural and historical legacy with weapons. They also argue that gun control doesn’t deter crime, but gun ownership does. Furthermore, a ban on high assault weapons would restrict hunting and sports. They argue that criminals can still obtain weapons illegally, and this would not deter crime. Also, gun control laws will give too much power to the government, and it could lead to governmental tyranny. Even the background check, they say, is an assault on individual rights and privacy.
With the increase in population and with the increase in the struggle to earn livelihood, violence, and crime in society has grown up. Among other factors, the primary reason for the growing violence is easy access to weapons and guns. Guns and ammunition are not easy to handle. An intolerant and haughty person can use a gun to carry out his ambition. Those actions are more common and are easy to perform. Therefore, if weapons are easy to access, their use, whether rightful or not, would become more common. Amnesty International reported more than 1.4 million firearm-related deaths globally between 2012-2016. Therefore, it is clear that gun control mechanisms are necessary to reduce violence and crime in society.
People believe that violent killers hardly give any chance of self-defense to the victim. An offender with the intention to kill someone has already prepared himself to commit the crime. Therefore, many victims got the chance of self-defense even though they owned weapons. Modern-day artillery and weapons are so developed that it is difficult -almost impossible- for a victim to answer back with a gun pointed at his head. Research shows that of 84,495,500 property-related crimes from 2007 to 2011, 0.12% of them were able to protect themselves from the assaulter. The pretext of self-defense to own arms is far away from reality when viewed in facts and figures. Hence, it is quite clear that the threat to security is better handled by the state agencies rather than the civilians.
Although the second amendment has given the right to own a gun, the Gun Control Act of 1968 has forbidden dangerous people from owning a gun. The reason for this enaction was growing violence in society in general and domestic abuse against women in particular. Gun and domestic abuse are lethal partners. Women are more susceptible to this danger than are men. Research has shown that women are five times more vulnerable to be abused or killed by an abusive partner when he has access to a gun. About one-third of the homicidal deaths are related to domestic abuse in the US. Therefore, gun control laws can reduce domestic violence and abuse.
Stolen guns are often used by criminals to commit violence. Criminals are sharp enough not to use their own weapons when they are committing a crime. This practice is common around the globe. Habitual criminals never use a weapon licensed in their name. Instead, they use a stolen or missing gun. Burglary and theft are mostly carried through a concealed or stolen weapon. Around 1.4 million guns were stolen in different incidents, including property and car theft, between 2005 and 2010 in US only. These weapons are sold at a higher price than their initial tag. They are also trafficked by smugglers. Ultimately, these stolen weapons are used for planned crimes and violence. Therefore, it is quite clear that not all civilians are capable of securing their weapons which in turn leads to a higher ratio of crime and assaults.
In 2014, a shooter entered The Sandy Hook Elementary School in the US and killed around 26 innocent children. The shooter had an assault weapon and a 30-round magazine gun. In less than 5 minutes, he managed to shoot more than 154 bullets. The high assault gun and high-capacity magazines caused this scale of violence. Sports and hunting are far less important than many innocent people shot at the same time for no reason. Therefore, the significance of controlling high-assault weapons and artillery is high than the preservation of sports and hunting. Moreover, hunting and sports can be carried out under controlled circumstances by governmental agencies.
In conclusion, the need to control gun infusion in society is significant. Massive crime and extensive violence are not possible without the availability of guns and ammunition. With the development of an organized state and government, humans have given many rights to the government and enjoy many privileges in return. In the same way, gun-own rights should be given to the state in return for security. In the light of the arguments given, one can reach the conclusion that gun control is necessary and should be taken into careful consideration without any delay.
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