Gun control in the United States has been a controversial topic for American’s for a great number of years. The first gun laws date back to the Revolutionary War and have continued to evolve into the widely debated proposals of present day. (Wikipedia, 2013) There are a number of pros and cons where gun control in concerned. Most rational American’s do not believe that just anyone should be allowed to walk around, wherever they please carrying a gun. It would not be safe; therefore it is necessary for there to be some gun control laws established. The largely debated question is how far is too far?
There are many reasons why we need some sort of laws regarding gun control. Most violent crimes are committed with guns; thus, restricting gun ownership will likely reduce the number of such crimes, Suicides and crimes of passion are higher with gun availability, as it's much easier to act immediately on your impulses when a gun is available, and Legalized gun ownership means guns have a greater chance of falling into the hands of kids, potentially resulting in deadly accidents. If stricter gun laws were put into place, the numbers associated with theses crimes and tragedies could significantly decrease. However there are several arguments against gun control that make valid points. Criminals will always find a way to obtain their guns, if laws become too strict, this could leave law-abiding citizens without any weapons to use to defend themselves, women and weaker individuals may have no means of self-defense from rape or other crimes, especially in the inner city, and banning guns will create another potentially large source of organized criminal revenue, as a black market for guns will most likely develop.