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Gun Control and Crime Rates: A Comparative Study

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Gun Control and Crime Rates: A Comparative Study
Introduction Gun control has been an issue in the United States of America since it's founding in 1776. After all, the first shots that were fired in the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord were an effort by the American colonists to keep the British army from taking the guns from the colonial armory. Even after gaining freedom from British control, the American people were obviously still concerned about their rights to own guns. This can be seen in the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution which says “...the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Owning guns has been a staple of the conservative portion of America. More recently however, many have been clamoring for more restrictive gun laws. These calls for increased regulation on guns have been from those who perceive guns and gun-owners as potential threats to peace. The pro-gun crowd responds by emphatically stating that they have a right to own guns. With every mass shooting and tragedy that occurs both sides get louder and louder. The debate rages on and on. It is important to ask several questions in this debate. Does gun ownership deter crime or increase crime? Do states with a higher gun-ownership rate have a lower crime-rate or is it the opposite? Do gun control law have an affect on crime rates? If so, how long does it take a gun control law to affect the rate of crime? This article aims to answer those questions. The ultimate purpose of this article is to prove that states with looser gun control laws have a lower crime rate and violent crime rate than those with more restrictive gun control laws. A second purpose of this paper is to look at the theory of why this may be the case. The theory that is being proposed herein, is that states who make it easier for people to own guns legally are states with lower crime rates. To put it simply, the more law-abiding citizens with guns, the less crime that occurs.

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