Should All Gun Sales Be Registered in National Database



Should All Gun Sales Be Registered in National Database

Three hundred million firearms are already in circulation in the United States. We need gun control solutions that deal with that reality. (Professor Garen Wintemute)

This was the statement said by Wintemute, he is a public health epidemiologist and world-renowned expert on the public health crisis of gun violence. He has been researching the consequences of guns and their violation in the country. Although, he published dozens of papers and has performed researches to understand what makes the widespread gun ownership throughout the country. He also went undercover with the hidden camera to know the reasons and understand that how people compromise law while purchasing and owning weapons.

With the passion for controlling the illegal spread of firearms in the United States, Wintemute has been biased for using such tactics where his own security was compromised. He further made argument that he is proud taking such an initiative in a time where most of the country is turning back to the issue, where stakes are so high that people are loosing their lives without having their own fault and he does not feel sorry for using such tactics to prevent such situation (Wadman, 2013).

As of last November 2012, FBI claimed that this year recorded the most gun purchases amounting 16,808,538, even without counting December. This year beats the last year's gun sales record by 350,000. With this growth we can expect further purchases of 2 million guns at the end of December 2012. The federally licensed firearms dealers exceed 129,817 in the United States as reported on first August. Out of these firearms dealers there are 51,438 retail gun stores, about 7,356 pawn shops and there are 61,562 collectors, which include the importers and manufacturers of firearms and destructive devices with the balance of license belonging to them.

As of figures of 2011, United States has 143,839 gas stations, there were about 36,569 grocery stores and there are about 14,098 McDonald's restaurant in the United States selling the consumables. Unlike these consumables, burgers, fuel and grocery items which are perishable, the firearms are not perishable they can not be consumed for once, rather a 100 years old gun showcasing in Holocaust museum can still be used as a murdering machine. So there are more stores in the United States selling guns than groceries(Date, et al, 2012).

According to Wintemute there is need to focus on epidemiology of firearm violence and identify the factors of risk and the things that reduce the risk. Beside, identifying risk creating factors we also need to understand that how these firearms become readily available on the streets and the criminal use of firearms. To prevent the gun violence there should be constant background checks on guns and keeping the record of the licensed and registered guns. Ensuring that the people who are prohibited from keeping guns do not own them and it will reduce the risk of violence by using firearms ...