Why America Needs Stricter Gun Control Laws

921 Words2 Pages

According to dosomethingnow.org, “close to 33,000 Americans were victims of gun-related deaths in 2011”(11 Facts About Guns). When used properly, guns can be beneficial to society. They are used by police officers and military officials to save lives. Guns are also used for hunting purposes. However, when in the wrong hands, guns can be used to do terrible things. America needs stricter rules and regulations regarding those who have access to guns. These harsher laws will help create a safer environment, decrease the number of homicides, and reduce the number of suicides.
America would be a safer place if there were harsher gun control laws. According a study done by the Violence Policy Center, 456 people were hurt as a result of drive-by shootings in the six months between July 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006, in addition to the 156 people that were killed during that time (Drive-By America). One innocent victim of a drive-by shooting was Peyton Benson, a five year old girl that was shot and killed eating breakfast in her home in Omaha, Nebraska on January 14, 2014 (Skelton). If there was stricter laws on who has access to guns, there would be a dramatic reduction in the number of drive by shootings, and innocent people such as Peyton would be saved. Another situation that could have been avoided if there was more gun control is the Michael Dunn trial, in which Michael Dunn shot and killed 17 year old Jordan Davis because of an argument over loud music at a gas station in Jacksonville, FL on November 23, 2012. Michael claims to have seen Jordan with a gun and to have shot him as an act of self defense, although his intention was only to scare Jordan, not to kill him (Botelho, Almasy, and Hostin). Whatever the truth may be, it is o...

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...lmasy Reported, Wrote from Atlanta. Tom Watkins, Elliott McLaughlin, AnneClaire Stapleton, and John Couwels. "Dunn Convicted of Attempted Murder; Hung Jury on Murder in 'loud Music' Trial." CNN. Cable News Network, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
"A Case for Gun Control." A Case for Gun Control. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Center, Violence Policy. Drive-By America. N.p.: VPC, 2007. Print.
Cornell, Dewey G. School Violence: Fears vs Facts. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006. Print.
"The Newtown Massacre and Anthropology's Public Response." - Lende. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Peters, Rebecca. "When Will the US Learn from Australia? Stricter Gun Control Laws save Lives." Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 14 Dec. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
"Stothert, Schmaderer Vow to Find Killer of 5-year-old Girl - Omaha.com." Omaha.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.

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