Essay On Why Guns Are Bad

Gun Control: Why Guns Lead to Problems and Not Solutions Guns are a rather contentious topic to discuss. Chances are---if you haven’t been living under a rock---you’ve recently heard some form of televised debate on their legality at some point. One of the major topics being discussed in the 2016 Presidential campaign is the right to own a gun and how the legality relates to the Constitution. The very concept of gun ownership has come to be a symbol of masculinity, rebelliousness, and freedom from government regulations. We are at a point where people from other countries don’t understand Americans’ obsession with guns. While people may think one handgun can protect them or their family, guns really aren’t as useful as most Americans think they are. Guns cause more problems for Americans than other methods of self-defense, and are used in many homicides and suicides around the country. Although gun rights activists say banning guns does not change anything, banning or regulating the sale of certain guns will greatly benefit the United States in terms of living conditions and safety by means of reducing
Even though approximately 108,000 guns are used in self-defense each year (“The History” 1-2), statistics show that a handgun in someone’s home is more likely to accidentally injure someone else than to be successfully used in self-defense (Donohue 2). Many gun users are inexperienced, and are likely to accidentally misuse a gun it due to being in a high-pressure situation. In fact, the person invading your home is twice as likely to take your gun for themselves (“The History” 1-2). In a study conducted from 2007-2011, in 99.2% of nonfatal crimes involving victims with a gun, didn’t actually use it to defend themselves (Donohue 2). The point is, guns may not always be the best choice when it comes to self-defense, and in some cases, they may worsen the