Argumentative Essay: Gun Control In The United States

United States Vs. Gun Control
The gun control debate may be one of the most important issues in our society. Gun control is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Stricter gun control laws are needed since gun control makes weapons less accessible to criminals and the mentally ill, it can reduce the number of homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings in our country. Shootings in the United States has become a very costly affair. From the cost of medical care, disability for some, investigations, and in many cases death. The estimated cost is in the billions each year. There has been an increase in robberies in many neighborhoods, school shootings, and suicides that involve the use of guns. The current laws and regulations in place appear too weak. With gun control laws we can restrict or limit the possession and use of guns.
First, stricter gun control laws in the United States are needed since the second amendment od the constitution does not give all Americans the right to possess weapons. Many American citizens feel that owning a gun is their constitutional right and that they should be able to use the gun as they

please. However, the second amendment states "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right or people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." This amendment was written for military units and explained that those people who are protecting the security of our country have the right to possess weapons. Therefore, only military officials who are protecting the security of the United States have the constitutional right to bear firearms.
Second, guns can be used from long range, kill a crowd of people effectively, and almost guarantee death to a victim. If stricter gun controls were enacted, the United States would not have "The highest levels of gun ownership than any other developed nation, and highest homicide rate to match." With stricter gun control laws mandatory background checks to possess a firearm helps to ensure criminals, mentally ill individuals, or terrorists will not obtain and misuse a firearm. Although criminals have been known to illegally obtain guns through the black market checks for purchasing and privately transferring guns helps to prevent crimes from acquiring weapons. Thus, tougher gun control laws, including mandatory background checks laws, would prevent these individuals from being able to obtain and misuse a firearm.
Third, stricter gun control laws are needed since they can reduce the number of homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings.

In a single year, 2007, "guns took the lives of 31,224 Americans in suicides, accidental shootings, and homicides." These shocking statistics not only prove that violence from the misuse and abused of gun privileges are a leading cause of death in this country, but they also show that stronger gun laws are needed to prevent innocent children, women, and men from this. Murders can happen accidentally with a firearm if the weapon is loaded with ammunition and not locked in a safe. Nevertheless, if 30,000 Americans died from a firearm in a single year, action is needed to enforce stronger gun control laws to avoid this many

deaths.
In addition, many people argue that gun control laws do not deter criminals from possessing firearms, whether there's a law restricting gun use or not. Criminals will always find a way to get a gun such as the black market. An unnamed felon said "There are guns everywhere. If you got the money, you can get a gun. "What if you don’t have "the money?" Obviously, if a criminal wants to buy a gun off the black market they would need a lot of money because everyone knows buying a gun off the black market is not cheap. Many criminals rob and kill in order to get money. Without money, they wouldn’t be able to buy guns, and without guns, there would be fewer robberies and murders.
Furthermore, another argument in defense of guns is that they are needed by the average citizen for protection against burglars. However, a gun is rarely an effective means of protecting a home. Keeping a gun in your house only offers thieves one more item to steal. Privately owned firearms are stolen in America with alarming frequency "between 300,000 and 600,000 every year", according to a new survey of gun ownership. At the high end, that’s more than 1,600 guns stolen every day, more than one every minute. That’s enough firearms to provide a weapon for every instance of gun violence in the country each year – several times over. These weapons, which are handguns, moving directly from legal to illegal possessors. In other words, owners who carry firearms for self-protection are arming the very people they fear.
In conclusion, 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, in the wrong hands, guns can be used to do terrible things to innocent people. The number of people killed by guns is large and we should not let that number rise. Law enforcement should be able to have weapons because they are putting their life in danger for others. America needs stricter rules and regulations regarding those who have access to guns. These harsher laws will help create a safer environment and decrease the number of homicides and suicides.