Gun Control is Not the Answer to High Murder Rates

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Recommended: gun control will not reduce gun violence

Gun control is one of the most hotly debated topics in the United States, with a Gallup poll showing that people are divided approximately in half over the issue. The poll done in January of 2013, shortly after the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, showed that 38% of Americans wanted stricter gun laws, while 43% were satisfied with the current laws. Only a mere 5% of people were of the opinion that the gun laws should be looser. Although American lawmakers propose tighter gun regulations with every occurrence of a major shooting, such an action would not reduce the number of homicides in the United States. Many media sources in the US speak of guns as if it is the fault of the gun that people are killed with it that it is used to kill. "But," said Wayne LaPiere, Executive Vice President of the NRA, in a December 2012 press conference, "since when did “gun” automatically become a bad word? A gun in the hands of a Secret Service agent protecting our president isn’t a bad word. A gun in the hands of a soldier protecting the United States of America isn’t a bad word. And when you hear your glass breaking at three a.m. and you call 911, you won’t be able to pray hard enough for a gun in the hands of a good guy to get there fast enough to protect you. Worse," he says in reference to the media, "they perpetuate the dangerous notion that one more gun ban or one more law imposed on peaceable, lawful people will protect us where 20,000 other laws have failed.” While LaPiere’s statements may sound a little extreme, he does make a good point in that the media champions the perspective that guns in the hands of civilians are automatically bad, and unquestioningly states that we need tighter restrictio... ... middle of paper ... ...-shooting-delivered-on-dec-21-2012-transcript/2012/12/21/bd1841fe-4b88-11e2-a6a6-aabac85e8036_story.html>. Saad, Lydia. "In U.S., 38% Dissatisfied and Want Stricter Gun Laws." Gallup.com. Gallup, 14 Jan. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. . United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. "UNODC Homicide Statistics by Country, 2013." UNODC.org. United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013 . Volsky, Igor. "Senator Defends Assault Weapons, Claims Criminals Don’t Use Them To Kill People." ThinkProgress.org. Think Progress, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .

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