Gun Ownership Pros And Cons

“You can have all the gun control laws in the country, but if you don't enforce them, people are going to find a way to protect themselves. We need to recognize that bad people are doing bad things with these weapons. It's not the law-abiding citizens, it's not the person who uses it as a hobby.” (Gun Control). Every weekend possible, my dad and I enjoy shooting clay pigeons with our shotguns. With his busy schedule, this is one of the only times we get to spend time just the two of us. The United States is the leading country in guns per resident, with "88 for every 100 people” (Reuters). There are going to be pros and cons as a result of this fact. Pros for gun ownership include a large population to use them for recreation, and guns can be used for defense to deter crime. “…Most gun owners use their guns for each of these three purposes: crime protection (67%), target shooting (66%), and hunting (58%). (Carroll). A majority of guns are used for these
When they get into the wrong hands, there can harmful or fatal results. About one third of citizens arrested for violent crimes will be arrested for committing another violent crime within five years of being released from jail (Slifer). It is illegal for convicted criminals to be in possession of a firearm, but that doesn’t stop them from finding away. Prior criminals get their firearms from purchase, sharing with a non-criminal, or from theft. Firearms can also get into the hands of a minor who are not responsible and have not been taught the firearm safety. A tragedy occurred in Detroit, when a convicted criminal illegally possessed a shotgun, and kept it loaded in his closet. His 11-year-old daughter found it and while playing with it, accidentally shot and killed her nine-year-old brother (Burns). This is a combination of both of the problems that I stated, and in both cases are illegal, but poorly