America Needs Gun Control Laws

America has the highest amount of gun related deaths each year in the world. “In Germany 381, in France 255, in Canada 165 in the United Kingdom 68, in Australia 65, in Japan 39 and in the United States, 11,127” (Moore Michael, 51:15-51:48). Since the United States has the highest number of deaths, it is important to have gun-control laws that restrict people from owning dangerous firearms like machine guns. Gun-control laws should support both sides of the debate. Of course, both sides will not be completely happy with the laws created, but America should have a balance. In 2008, a poll was taken stating: “Adult poll respondents’ views on the meaning of the Second Amendment; An individual’s right to bear arms: Republican 51% and Democrats 41%” (The History of the Right to Bear Arms). Today, the United States is more divided on gun-control than it has ever been. 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”(Milestones in Federal Gun Control Legislation). Unless the Second Amendment is changed, we cannot take the right from others to own guns. However, the government should regulate the types of gun Americans can own and who can own a gun because times have changed and American’s mental health system is broken.

Decades ago, the United States was once a country where a gun was considered to survive and protect. “As Americans civilized the wilderness, they would eventually be able to rely not just on their own skills at individual self-defense for protection, but on laws and civil authorities and the other institutions of government they were building ” ( Whitney, Pg. 103). The United States did not have the civil authorities we do today. Americans had to rely on guns to protect themselves as laws evolved. Times were different in America and that is why the Second Amendment was ideal. Guns, like the AK-47, did not exist, firearms at the time were too slow to load and that is one of the reasons gun control was not a serious issue. Gun control became necessary throughout history as different types of guns emerged and people became interested not only for civic duty but for entertainment or violence.

The National Firearms Act, enacted in 1934, “All gun sales and gun manufactures were slapped with a $200 tax on each firearm, and all buyers were required to fill out paperwork subject to Treasury Dept.