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Savannah Gray

McLaughlin

Senior Capstone

25 February 2021

More guns - more violence

Gun control is one of the most controversial and emotional issues in many countries. The

United States remains an outlier when it comes to gun control. For example lets compare other

countries to the U.S. Australia witnessed a mass shooting in 1996, they immediately enacted

stricter gun-control. The U.S has hundreds of mass shootings and still hasnt went on full

restriction with gun ownership. This is the problem that we are facing today. Gun control is

defined by the attempt, usually by a government, to restrain or stop people from owning or using

guns. Stricter gun control laws should be enacted and implemented if the United States is to

solve the problem of mass shootings and reduce crime within borders. Not only should there be a

standard background check, but a national registry.

Gun control was drafted in 1934 with the other 10 commandments. The gun control plan

in 1934 was to make a national registry system to keep track of gun sales and who possess it.

During that time, guns were common in the american colonies. First hunting and general

self-protection and later as weapons in the revolutionary war. It would make no sense to let our

citizens to have access to guns if they were our only line of defense against invasions before we

had a national guard. The real difference between now and the time which the amendment was

drafted, our country was still weak and could barley ward off attacks. Now we have a

weaponized national guard who protects us from other invading county. Our modern day Gun
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Control is a lot safer and restricted than past centuries. It has yet to be in full restriction like other

countires. Take japan for example, Japan with its strict firearms control laws and its almost

nonexistent national homicides rates. Jill Filipovic states that “Guns are the cause of a majority

of homicides in the United States.” (Filipovic). Jills statement concludes that owned guns in the

U.S are used for unlawful killing of one person by another. Gun control agendas today are to

make sure legal guns are in the right ownership. If you really desire that AK-47 then going

through those reasonable measures and laws should be an easy process. According to Kathleen

Schuster, “Gun dealers must obtain Federal Firearms license (FFL).” (Schuster). One of the

many loopholes for gun ownership are gun-shows. A gun show by definition is an event where

promoters generally rent large public venues and then rent tables for display areas for dealers of

guns and related items, and charge admission for buyers. The gun-show loophole does not

required for a background check of the buyer. A background check is a Federal law that prohibits

certain people from owning firearms;those with certain kinds of criminal records. Normally

when going to a gun dealer you’re required to have it on hand. Aimee Huff, a writer from the

conversation, states that “Firearms industry consultants estimate July 2020 sales alone where 2.0

million units.” (Huff). The summer of 2020 was very abnormal and americans feel buying a gun

is a way of asserting and maintaining independence of some sort. By taking firearms from

potential killer citizens, the death rates would decrease significantly.

Some pro-gun supporters believe that gun control will take their second amendment

rights away. This is not the case at all. According to Jeff Cohen, the writer of fair.org, “The

Second Amendment states “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free

state the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” (Jeff). However, it’s
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an amendment. Meaning it can be amended; it can be changed. It’s not necessarily permanent. It

does not mention as individual right to a gun for self-defense at all. The court, in general, should

change the second amendments confusing language to clarify. There are also arguments with the

pro-gun lobby that “what if the government turns on us?”. The American government of 2021,

which has access to unlimited resources and weaponry would choose to break down its own

citizens? Highly unlikely. If the government wanted you specifically to be ceased from existence,

you’d be dead. There is no way you with your single pistol or set of assault rifles can take down

SWAT teams or National Guard itself. Affinity states that “Out of every country in the world, the

U.S. has the highest number of guns per capita (almost half of all civilian-owned guns

worldwide), with 89 guns on average per 100 people.”(Affinity). This states that with more guns

the more danger we put ourselves in. The U.S. is also home to the largest amount of mass

shooters in the world and has had 90 mass shootings from 1966-2018. Gun homicides rates for

the U.S. are 25 times higher than other high-income countries. This proves that guns should be

regulated by the court and maybe even banned. Some criminals have been questioned that if they

feared of the person they’re going assault that is armed, they wouldn’t do it. Statistics show that

while people feel being armed will help to protect them through self defense in the event of

robbery or an assault. Most of these people never used their firearms.

The majority of mass shootings start because of a domestic violence incident. It typically

starts at home with families or solitary. Guns placed at home should be held in a safe/child proof

area where its not out in the open. There have been many cases where gun owners do not place

their guns in the safest/hardest area to access in homes and it results in those mass

shootings/homicides. According to KaylaaLovee, the writer for teenink.com, “Guns in homes are
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22 times more likely to be involved in accidental shootings, etc. (Kaylaalove). This statistic

shows that guns improperly placed in a household could lead a curious child to see what

potential the gun has. Guns do not make individuals, their families, or homes safer. They result in

far more deaths to loved ones than to an intruder. If minors can’t buy alcohol because of drug

abuse, its the same thing that we need to regulate guns. A gun in the home is a substantial risk

factor for suicide. If guns had more restrictions, those sufferings from mental illness would no

longer have access to their parents/friends guns. Jonathan Levinson states that “The United

States passed an ominous milestone in 2018. A record 24,432 people died by firearm suicide in

2018” (Levinson). That was three years ago and the death rates keep going up when firearms are

easily accessible. A gun is not defined as a tool. You can’t say its a tool if you don’t use it every

so often. Unless you’re a hunter of course in which its to human to animal, not homicide. The

NRA sees guns as tools, the NRA stands for National Rifle Association. The RNA was founded

in New York state in 1871 as a governing body for the sport of shooting with rifles and pistols.

They lead their path into a political lobby which began in 1934, same year as gun control was

made, when it started rumors about upcoming firearm bills. Some of the members consists of

target shooters, hunters, gun collectors, gunsmiths, police, and other gun enthusiasts. Gun control

does not only have one reason to higher their standards for ownership. But to protect innocent

citizens from criminals, accidental homicides, murder, self-harm, mass shooting sprees, and

illegal ownership.

There are many things that we can do to keep our country safer than ever. One of the

ways are the three types of restrictions that are most effective to keep criminals from owning

guns. Universal background, checks, bans on violent offenders purchasing guns and the
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“may-issue” law. The “may-issue” law define as one that requires a permit to carry a concealed

handgun. Another way that we can keep gun control in full demand is get congress to fix the

loopholes and systems that lets legal guns reach the hands of these shooters, Dedicate Federal

Funding for firearms research, ban assault weapons and armor-piercing bullets, and finally

regulate firearm safety design. According to Thomas gift he states that, “According to a july

2019 Gallup Poll only 1% of americans rank gun control as the most important problem in this

country.”(Gift) The key to reducing firearms death in the U.S is to understand and reduce

exposure to the cause.

Reducing firearm ownership is not decreasing civil liberties. Its more of a filter for

responsible gun owners and hostile criminals. Guns are not always a danger to society. Guns can

be useful and can actually be helpful in self-defense situations. For example lets say that you are

a hunter and hunting or sport shooting, the ability to harvest food for oneself or their family

would be stripped from them. People who want to attempt murder can find other ways but those

other ways often are knives, hardware, and vehicles are lethal weapons. It does not just have to

be guns that a serial killer can work with.

In conclusion, gun control is necessary for a safe country for all citizens. Without gun

control, a gun can get in the improper ownership. Overall, having it to were mostly anyone can

get a gun is unsafe for everyone. Supporters believe that there should be stricter laws on gun

control while opposers believe that there are enough gun restrictions in place already and that

they should be looser. The key to reducing firearms death in the U.S is to understand and reduce

exposure to the cause. Only with stricter gun control laws the United states can solve the mass

shootings and reduce homicide.

Works Cited

Affinity. “Perfect Rebuttals For Every Major Pro-Gun Argument”. affinitymagazine.us, Affinity,

8 July 2018,

affinitymagazine.us/2018/07/08/perfect-rebuttals-for-every-major-pro-gun-argument/.

Accessed 18 Feb. 2021.

Cohen, Jeff. “Gun control, the NRA and the second amendment.” fair.org, fair, 1 Feb. 2000,

fair.org/article/gun-control-the-nra-and-the-second-amendment/. Accessed 18 Feb 2021.

Filipovic, jill. “Fewer guns mean fewer killings, and we all know it.” cnn.com, cnnopinion, 1

June 2019,

cnn.com/2019/06/01/opinions/virgina-beach-mass-shootings-gun-control-filipovic/index.

html. Accessed 7 feb 2021.

Gift, Thomas. “Americans prefer gun control, but few prioritize it.” The conversation, The

conversation, 5 Sept. 2019,

theconversation.com/americans-prefer-gun-control-but-few-prioritize-it-122753.

Accessed 2 Feb 2021.

Huff, Aimee. “Why Americans are buying more guns than ever”. The conversation, The

conversation, 27 Aug. 2020,

theconversation.com/why-americans-are-buying-more-guns-than-ever-143522. Accessed

2 Feb 2021.
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KaylaaLovee. “Why I am pro-gun control” teenink.com, ByTeensForTeens. 3 Jan 2014,

teenink.com/opinion/social_issues_civics/article/606275/Why-I-am-pro-gun-control/.

Accessed 7 Feb 2021.

Levinson, Jonathan. “US Firearm Suicide Rate Hits Record High, According To Latest CDC

Numbers.” opb.org, opb, 10 Feb. 2020,

opb.org/news/article/us-firearm-suicide-rate-record-high-cdc-numbers/. Accessed 7 Feb

2021.

Schuster, Kathleen. “8 facts about gun control in the U.S.” DW.COM, DW.COM, 20 Jan. 2020,

dw.com/en/8-facts-about-gun-control-in-the-us/a40816418. Accessed 2 Feb 2021