Gun Control Laws



Gun Control Laws

Introduction

Gun control, gun violence is one of the most debated issues in America. Bearing weapons is not a new practice in America because; it is protected by the Second Amendment of the American constitution. Most violent crimes are committed with non-registered guns by people without permits. As of 1998, only one instance of a shooting has been reported where a permit holder shot someone following an accident, the permit holder was not charged, as it was ruled to be self-defense. Through the use of background checks and registration of legal weapons, we are able to regulate the legally obtained weapons, but you still have no way to stop illegally obtained weapons. Registered gun owners are not responsible for police deaths or injuries. As of 1998, a registered permit holder of a fire arm has never shot a police officer. The right to carry laws mandate that law enforcement agencies to issue permits to only individuals that meet these qualifications. They must be of legal age, have no criminal background and that they have completed a gun safety course.  

Discussion

A survey took of imprisoned criminals found that 34% of them had been, shot at, scared off, captured or wounded by an armed victim. The fact that criminals fear gun toting victims is one of the most convincing factors to protect gun rights (Kleck, 2006). The fact that criminals have to consider whether or not a victim is armed or not, can and I believe does in some cases, deter crime in some cases. If guns are not allowed for private ownership, the only thing the criminal has to consider is, how fast will the police get there?  Guns were great for hunting back when it was trivial for food. On the other hand, the frontier was where men fought side by side with their trusty guns and at some point was a sign of masculinity. Besides hunting being most importantly used for sustenance, it was also used for sport, as it does today. Aside from hunting, sporting, and the mandatory militia use, it later was used for personal protection.

Giving people the opportunity to have these weapons opens more opportunities for crime and self destruction. Counting gun deaths per 100,000 in the United States population, homicide was 3.98 and suicide was 5.92. That survey was taken in 2001 and it was the highest in the list in ...