Lucas Ayala

ELA

5/19/16
801

Gun Ban in the USA

More like 30,000 people killed by guns in the United States every year. And 283,000,000
guns in civilian hands. That is a lot of firepower. And for what reason? There are many reasons
why civilians should not be allowed to have guns at all, unless they are emergency personnel.
First of all, according to humansandnature.org, only six percent of the American population
hunts. The site says that the inventions of agriculture, government, and technology have made
hunting for food generally unnecessary for nearly every single person. Also, the crime rate in
the United States in consistently dropping. According to the FBI, There were an estimated 367.9
violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013, a rate that declined 5.1 percent when compared
with the 2012 estimated rate. Why would you need guns to defend yourself if the crime rate is
going down? Also, it would be harder for criminals to acquire guns if they arent sold
everywhere across the US! Lastly, guns in society are clearly having a negative effect on
children, who play shooting games with friends and dont know what that actually means.
Guns need to be banned in the USA.
America is a modernized country. Nearly every area has easily accessible places to get
food and necessary supplies. There are over 4,500 Walmarts in the USA, and that is just one store
chain. Many companies, restaurants, and stores, are all over the United States. So who
realistically depends on hunting to survive? Only six percent of American citizens hunt. That is
19,134, 000 people out of almost three hundred and twenty million people. There are many
places where buying large amounts of food is much cheaper than a gun. A good semiautomatic

rifle can cost up to seven hundred dollars. With seven hundred dollars, you could buy 175 Big
Macs. You could buy large amounts of food without having to work for it, which would make it
easier to provide for your family. Hunting for food is dangerous, costly, and unnecessary in
modern United States. And if you dont hunt, you dont need a gun.
Another example of why a gun ban should be put on the United States is that the crime
rate in the United States has been consistently dropping. According to brennancenter.org,In
2013 the violent crime rate was the lowest since 1970. And this holds true for unreported crimes
as well. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey ,since 1993 the rate of violent
crime has declined from 79.8 to 23.2 victimizations per 1,000 people. Also, the National
Institute of Justice states that Homicides committed with firearms peaked in 1993 at 17,075,
after which the figure steadily fell, reaching a low of 10,117 in 1999. Gun-related homicides
increased slightly after that, to a high of 11,547 in 2006, before falling again to 10,869 in 2008.
Clearly, the violent crime rate is dropping steadily. At this rate, why would you need a gun to
defend yourself? If guns were banned from the United States, it would be much harder for
criminals to acquire them. According to PBS, Stolen guns account for only about 10% to 15%
of guns used in crimes. If gun stores were forced to close down, criminals would have much
less guns. If criminals dont have guns, it makes them less dangerous, meaning that you wouldnt
need to own a gun either. It is a lot easier to defend yourself against a bat than a gun. This
evidence shows the need for a gun ban in the United States.
It is common for children these days to have gun violence in their play. They often play
cops and robbers or Army soldier. But what is access to guns and being around them doing to
their minds? According to futureofchildren.org, Exposure to gun violence can traumatize
children and youth not just physically, but emotionally as well. Studies have documented that

young people exposed to gun violence experience lasting emotional scars. Some children may
develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can affect brain development. This trauma
may cause children to believe that they must arm themselves for protection. The idea of once innocent children with weapons is one that certainly frightens many parents. Those who
witnessed at least one incidence of gun violence reported significantly greater exposure to other
types of violence, higher levels of aggression, and less parental monitoring than their peers.
Exposure to gun violence also can desensitize youth to the effects of violence and increase the
likelihood that they will use violence as a means of resolving problems or expressing emotions.
If a child is exposed to gun violence, studies prove that the violence make children believe that
the violence might be okay and have no consequences, creating a future generation of shooters.
If guns are banned in the United States, our children and our childrens children wont grow up
in fear of gun violence.
Some people believe that guns should not be banned and might want loosened gun rules.
Actually, according to National Hunting and Fishing Day, more people hunt than play baseball.
That sounds like a lot of people. It also sounds like a lot of firearms that could wind up in the
wrong hands. Some people might also argue that gun control wont fix violent crimes, and that
you would need car control or knife control. However, according to punchnels.com, The
purpose of a gunif were being honestis to kill something. Its a tool that has enough power,
when used properly (and very often improperly) to kill. Handgunsif were being honestare for
killing people. Thats the purpose behind their designthey are portable, concealable, easy-to-use
tools for killing a person. You may feel protected when you carry a gun, but guns are not for
protection: They are for killing. Knives and cars have other purposes, such as cooking and
transportation, respectively. Also, people say that crimes are still committed by people without

guns, and that is true. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 467,321 persons
were victims of a crime committed with a firearm in 2011. In the same year, data collected by the
FBI show that firearms were used in 68 percent of murders, 41 percent of robbery offenses and
21 percent of aggravated assaults nationwide. Most homicides in the United States are committed
with firearms, especially handguns. If guns are banned, they would be harder to access, meaning
that criminals would be less dangerous.
Guns are made for killing. They have become unnecessary in modern America. The
People for Ethical Treatment of Animals say that in this day and age, meat, fur, and leather are
not a necessary part of survival for the vast majority of us. This means that most people dont
need to hunt, meaning that they dont need guns. Violent crime rates are dropping, which means
you dont need guns to protect yourself. A gun ban in the USA would make it harder for
criminals to acquire weapons. Guns around children can cause irreparable emotional damage. So
argue against pro gun lawsYou dont want to be one of the 30,000, do you?

Reflection
This essay felt very easy to write and I really enjoyed writing it.
When you are writing about a topic that you feel strongly about,
it comes naturally to you. I believe that although movies and
video games with guns are fun, they are unnecessary and should
be banned.