Pros And Cons Of Stricter Gun Control Laws
Paper 5
Researchers believe that stricter gun control laws can help curb the increasing violence in the United States. They argue that tighter control on hand gun sales and the banning of assault rifle would be beneficial to our society. Can new gun laws put an end to gun violence in the U.S., or do they infringe upon constitutional rights provided by the Second Amendment, and serve no purpose other than to take away guns from law abiding citizens?
Pros
"The U.S. has the highest rate of gun ownership and of gun homicide in the developed world, per a 1999 Harvard School of Public Health study" (White 1). Many surveys have also concluded that people feel less safe when members of their own community start to carry guns.
Some people …show more content…
believe that the laws currently in place on gun control are too relaxed. "We don't have strict enough standards for who should possess a gun, and can legally possess a gun. But maybe more importantly, we really don't have systems that hold gun sellers accountable to make sure that they are only transferring guns to truly law-abiding people who are mentally competent" (Webster).
Gun laws that went into effect in 1993, which include the ban on assault rifles have shown a decrease in gun related deaths in the United States.
"Deaths from firearms in the United States dropped sharply, from almost 40,000 in 1993 to 29,700 in 2002" (Adams).
Cons
Law abiding citizens who have the right to carry guns and do so, are less likely to be the victim of a crime, proving that defensive gun use is effective. Guns are used in self defense situations almost 2 million times a year. "Victims who use guns during crimes are less likely to be injured or lose property than those who use other resistance strategies or do not resist at all — and almost always without wounding or killing the criminal. Victim gun use does not provoke offenders into greater violence, nor does it result in offenders taking guns from victims and using them against the victims" (Kleck).
Gun control has done nothing to keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals, it only serves to make it more difficult for law abiding citizens to purchase guns. If a criminal wants a gun he will find a way to get one. The banning of guns for citizens only takes away their right to protect themselves and their …show more content…
families.
"The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it would decide whether state and local gun control laws may be challenged under the Second Amendment" (Liptak).
Bans on the sale of guns to people who are legally eligible to own one would be going against our own Constitution that are forefathers wrote.
I'm not totally against gun control, as I do believe there should be laws in place to restrict the sales of guns to criminals and those who have mental issues. Gun control statistics and perceptions though, are skewed by the media as they seldom report on anyone who successfully defends themselves with a gun. I do believe that the total banning of guns or restrictions put in place to keep those who are legally entitled to carry guns, are ridiculous. Every American should have the right to defend themselves if the need arise and by taking away their right to own guns you are leaving them
defenseless.
Adams, Bob. "Do gun bans violate Americans' Second Amendment rights?"
CQ Researcher 14.40 12 Nov. 2004 Web. 28 Oct. 2009 http://library.cqpress.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2004111200 Kleck, Gary. "Should restrictions on firearms be relaxed?"
CQ Researcher 18.38 31 Oct. 2008 Web. 28 Oct. 2009 http://library.cqpress.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2008103100 Liptak, Adam. "Justices Will Weigh Challenges to Gun Laws" NY Times, 30 Sept. 2009 Web. 28 Oct. 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/us/01scotus.html?_r=1 Webster, Daniel. "Gun Control Debate Revisited on Anniversary of Virginia Tech Shooting"
PBS Online News hour 16 April, 2009 Web. 28 Oct. 2009 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/jan-june09/gunlaws_04-16.html White, Deborah. "Pros and Cons of Gun Ownership and Use Laws for Individuals"
About.com: Us Politics n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2009
http://usliberals.about.com/od/patriotactcivilrights/i/ProConGunLaws.htm
Researchers believe that stricter gun control laws can help curb the increasing violence in the United States. They argue that tighter control on hand gun sales and the banning of assault rifle would be beneficial to our society. Can new gun laws put an end to gun violence in the U.S., or do they infringe upon constitutional rights provided by the Second Amendment, and serve no purpose other than to take away guns from law abiding citizens?
Pros
"The U.S. has the highest rate of gun ownership and of gun homicide in the developed world, per a 1999 Harvard School of Public Health study" (White 1). Many surveys have also concluded that people feel less safe when members of their own community start to carry guns.
Some people …show more content…
believe that the laws currently in place on gun control are too relaxed. "We don't have strict enough standards for who should possess a gun, and can legally possess a gun. But maybe more importantly, we really don't have systems that hold gun sellers accountable to make sure that they are only transferring guns to truly law-abiding people who are mentally competent" (Webster).
Gun laws that went into effect in 1993, which include the ban on assault rifles have shown a decrease in gun related deaths in the United States.
"Deaths from firearms in the United States dropped sharply, from almost 40,000 in 1993 to 29,700 in 2002" (Adams).
Cons
Law abiding citizens who have the right to carry guns and do so, are less likely to be the victim of a crime, proving that defensive gun use is effective. Guns are used in self defense situations almost 2 million times a year. "Victims who use guns during crimes are less likely to be injured or lose property than those who use other resistance strategies or do not resist at all — and almost always without wounding or killing the criminal. Victim gun use does not provoke offenders into greater violence, nor does it result in offenders taking guns from victims and using them against the victims" (Kleck).
Gun control has done nothing to keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals, it only serves to make it more difficult for law abiding citizens to purchase guns. If a criminal wants a gun he will find a way to get one. The banning of guns for citizens only takes away their right to protect themselves and their …show more content…
families.
"The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it would decide whether state and local gun control laws may be challenged under the Second Amendment" (Liptak).
Bans on the sale of guns to people who are legally eligible to own one would be going against our own Constitution that are forefathers wrote.
I'm not totally against gun control, as I do believe there should be laws in place to restrict the sales of guns to criminals and those who have mental issues. Gun control statistics and perceptions though, are skewed by the media as they seldom report on anyone who successfully defends themselves with a gun. I do believe that the total banning of guns or restrictions put in place to keep those who are legally entitled to carry guns, are ridiculous. Every American should have the right to defend themselves if the need arise and by taking away their right to own guns you are leaving them
defenseless.
Adams, Bob. "Do gun bans violate Americans' Second Amendment rights?"
CQ Researcher 14.40 12 Nov. 2004 Web. 28 Oct. 2009 http://library.cqpress.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2004111200 Kleck, Gary. "Should restrictions on firearms be relaxed?"
CQ Researcher 18.38 31 Oct. 2008 Web. 28 Oct. 2009 http://library.cqpress.com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2008103100 Liptak, Adam. "Justices Will Weigh Challenges to Gun Laws" NY Times, 30 Sept. 2009 Web. 28 Oct. 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/us/01scotus.html?_r=1 Webster, Daniel. "Gun Control Debate Revisited on Anniversary of Virginia Tech Shooting"
PBS Online News hour 16 April, 2009 Web. 28 Oct. 2009 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/jan-june09/gunlaws_04-16.html White, Deborah. "Pros and Cons of Gun Ownership and Use Laws for Individuals"
About.com: Us Politics n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2009
http://usliberals.about.com/od/patriotactcivilrights/i/ProConGunLaws.htm