Why it is unlawful to take guns from private Americans

Introduction

Each year, the world is estimated at more than 200,000 homicides, suicides or accidents related to the use of arms. Until recently, and for more than a decade, the number of armed violence was down in the United States. Even during this period of "calm", the use of firearms killed many Americans and many more were wounded by gunfire. In 2004, there were 11,344 murders committed with firearms, 164,998 assaults with firearms and 162,938 robberies (Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S.). Similar trends are observed in United States where, after a steady decline in violence over a decade, homicide rates have started to rise (Barrett, p56).

The proportion of homicides committed with firearms is up, becoming alternately with knives, guns used most often. While in United States, the rate of homicides committed with firearms is much lower than that observed in the United States, there is concern that the current gap is shrinking. After a resurgence of highly publicized murders committed with firearms by rival gangs in Toronto was been innocent victims, the Mayor of Toronto, David Miller, a link with the armed violence in the United States United by stating that "the United States export their problems with violence in the streets of Toronto." To prevent gun violence in United States takes proportions similar to those observed in our southern neighbors, Canadian policy makers would do well to learn from policies are successful or not - set up decades in the United States to curb gang violence and gun violence. This synthesis report aims to document the prevalence and nature of armed violence in United States. The report also includes an overview of policies and interventions to reduce armed violence. It pays particular attention to the problems associated with gangs, drug trade and accessibility of firearms, which have an impact on the prevalence and structure of armed violence, as well as the types of interventions developed for the brake (Greenwood, p89).

All levels of government should be the development and implementation of effective programs to reduce gun violence a priority. National policies are particularly useful when it comes to addressing issues related to accessibility of firearms, since they reduce the access of citizens to firearms and curb the flow of arms illegal firearms across the border. Federal governments must also provide resources (social services, criminal justice agencies, and possibly data) and funding to implement at the local, specific initiatives to fight against armed violence. Local governments must also establish such services and especially to ensure, in collaboration with local leaders, policies and interventions implemented are appropriate to the nature and causes of armed violence in their region (Greenwood, p89).

The report, that largely based on work in the United States (especially in California), insists on initiatives to fight against gun violence, based on the approach of "problem solving". This approach corresponds to the direction advocated in the UN Guidelines on the Prevention of Crime (2002). Instead of promoting a single, standardized approach in the ...