The publicized massacres at Columbine, Newtown, and Las Vegas have made Americans forcefully aware of the need for safer gun laws or at least the debate among gun owners and non-gun owners as relating to firearm policy. Moreover, the day-to-day fatal shootings in Chicago brings the issue of gun violence into the backyards of people living in the suburbs of this community. The Constitution protects the right to bear arms, which is where the argument starts. However, common sense dictates that a governmental intervention can reduce the death toll. Specifically, the increase in gun violence will be decreased by tightening legislation on gun distribution, by federal funding for research on gun violence, and by using police surveillance in areas that are crime-ridden, thereby derailing the gun-violence problem. …show more content…
The main problem contributing to gun violence is the ease of accessibility of guns and ammunition.
Barry (2018) and researchers recently conducted a national study that compared the support for 24 different firearm policies between gun owners and non-gun owners. The results indicate that both gun owners and non-gun owners are in favor of restricting gun ownership for 23 of the 24 policies examined. Regardless of gun ownership status, both parties agreed that “universal background checks, greater accountability for licensed gun dealers unable to account for their inventory, higher safety training standards for concealed carry permit holders, improved reporting of records related to mental illness for background checks, gun prohibitions for persons subject to temporary domestic violence restraining orders” are all ways to reduce gun violence in society (Barry et al., 2018, p. 878). Interestingly, gun and non-gun owners are not on a partisan divide as the media portrays. On the contrary, both sides agree that tightening gun laws at the state level is a necessary step in gun ownership for the sake of public
safety. In addition to the states protecting its citizens, the federal sector can assist in providing for the safety of the United States civilians by affording to fund for research on gun violence. In the last 20 years, over 500,000 Americans have died from guns, and 1.5 million survived gun-shot traumas (Rajan, Branas, Hargarten, & Allegrante. 2018). No doubt that the need to scientifically determine the causes of gun violence is paramount. Historically, Congress has prevented gun violence research by passing a stipulation known as the Dickey Amendment, which blocks federal funding for gun control (Rajan et al, 2018). To explain further, previously the federal government viewed the gun debate as a political issue, which limited the funding of money to the platform. However, presently many argue gun control is a public health issue due to the numerous lives lost and countless people wounded. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the federal agency that ensures the health of Americans. Therefore, supporters of public health research contend that the CDC is under obligation to halt the unnecessary cycle of deaths due to gun violence. To this end, after many school children died at Sandy Hook in 2012, former President Obama urged Congress to allow the CDC to research on the prevention of firearm injury (Rostron, 2018). Even the author of the Dickey Amendment “regrets for hindering what could have been life-saving science” (Rajan et al., 2018. P. 194). To sum up, many studies are waiting to test the causes of gun violence. However, the remnants of the Dickey Amendment still thwart research and data collection due to lack of funding; leaving the cause death due to guns amidst. An example of how research can benefit society is set forth by Xu and Griffiths (2017) in an original paper that studied the effect of shooting on the street and measuring the distance of various physical features on a street network. This study evaluated the connection between gun shootings and the spatial array of the city geography, like a grocery store, by using a cross K- function that compares the number of crimes nearby in space and time. Essentially, the cross K- function measures the shortest path distance, rather than the Euclidean distance or ordinary straight-line distance between two points, as in previous studies. Uniquely, Xu and Griffiths focused on a street in a specific location, known as a bounded distance, and measured which area has the most occurrence of gun violence in Newark, New Jersey during 2012. To date, other studies use methods that involved measuring unbounded distances, such as an entire city plane, which produced unreliable results since shootings usually occur at specific locations, like a grocery store. Xu’s and Griffiths’ research indicates that food stores, bus stops, liquor stores, and abandoned homes are shooting attractors. The closer people are to these locations, the more likely he or she will encounter a critical shooting. In other words, distance does matter since the further away from storefronts or residential foreclosures, the less likely a person will encounter an incident of gun violence (Xu & Griffiths, 2017). The new information obtained by Xu and Griffiths is significant, as it helps detect areas where a gun shooting is most likely to happen. Furthermore, the presence of deploying a police presence will safeguard the public. For example, it is unlikely a shooting or crime will occur with a police guard outside of a liquor store. Spending more of taxpayers’ money on monitoring crime in front of areas determined as dangerous is a benefit to citizens. It makes sense to have the police deter shootings beforehand rather than investigating after the fact. Indeed, the police department will spend more taxpayers’ money probing the occurrence, gathering DNA evidence, getting search warrants, and involving a plethora of other investigators to track the case. Not to mention, often a stipend is paid to the family of each person slain in the shooting, as in the Las Vegas tragedy. In the long run, humankind will benefit if society places into effect the solutions extrapolated from studying research and circumvent gunfire rather than dealing with the consequences of unnecessary gun violence. Works Cited Barry, C. L., Webster, D. W., Stone, E., Crifasi C. K., Vernick J. S., & McGinty, E. E. (2018, July). Public support for gun violence prevention policies among gun owners and non-gun owners in 2017. American Journal of Public Health, 108(7), 878-881. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304432 Rajan, S., Branas, C. C., Hargarten, S., & Allegrante, J. P. (2018, February). Funding for gun violence research is key to the health and safety of the nation. American Journal of Public Health, 108(2). 194-195. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.304235. Rostron, A. (2018, July). The Dickey Amendment on Federal Funding for Research on Gun Violence: A Legal Dissection. American Journal of Public Health. pp. 865-867. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304450 Xu, J., & Griffiths, E. (2017). Shooting on the Street: Measuring the Spatial Influence of Physical Features on Gun Violence in a Bounded Street Network. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 33(2), 237-253. doi:10.1007/s10940-016-9292-y
In Chicago, mere months after granting concealed carry weapon permits, “homicide rates improved to a 56 year low” (Istook). Placing the power of protection into the hands of responsible citizens has taken power away from criminals. The right to own a weapon, within legal statutes, is not only a right granted by the second amendment, but also a deterrent to crime, and is legislation that liberals and conservatives alike can support. However, Party lines and media sensationalism have separated public opinion on gun control issues, and made a sensible solution to escalating crime -allowing concealed carry weapon permits – difficult to
A growing number of publicized tragedies caused by gun violence have caused a great stir in the American community. Recently, President Barack Obama has made proposals to tighten the regulation of and the restrictions on the possession of weapons in America to lessen these tragedies. Should the legislative branch decide in favor of his proposals, all American citizens who do or wish to own the type of weapons in question or who use current loopholes in existing policy would be directly affected. His proposals, which are to “require background checks for all gun sales, strengthen the background check system for gun sales, pass a new, stronger ban on assault weapons, limit ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, finish the job of getting armor-piercing bullets off the streets, give law enforcement additional tools to prevent and prosecute gun crime, end the freeze on gun violence research, make our schools safer with new resource officers and counselors, better emergency response plans, and more nurturing school climates, [and] ensure quality coverage of mental health treatment, particularly for young people,” have been cause for a large amount of recent debate (whitehouse.gov).
Left, right, Liberal, Conservative, Democratic, Republican. There are a lot of synonyms for the sides of our nation divided. Divided on many things: religion, political views, morals, etc.. For a nation that prides ourselves on extraordinary security and unity, it is quite ironic that so many issues can cause such distress and uproar within communities. One such issue is gun control. As a white male in a middle-lower class family that has never owned a gun, I may be somewhat biased. Objectively as I can, I am going to report the facts and more importantly, try to find the core issues at play.
Violence in the United States is a major problem, but our politicians only want to focus on gun violence, and some of them believe the solution to ending gun violence is by preventing law abiding citizens from exercising their second amendment rights. Guns are easier to commit a crime with than other weapons, or without a weapon at all, but with an estimated 270 million guns the hands of citizens (11 facts), if they were the problem we would know it by now. It is undeniable that guns are responsible for a high amount of crime, but we already have tens of thousands of gun laws in the United States (How many gun laws are there?), that haven’t been able to curb gun violence. If the current laws were working, then maybe there would be a reasonable
Guns have the potential to inflict serious injuries, and intensify violence. Gun violence is a constant issue the United States has dealt with for many years. Gun violence is preventable. It can be prevented through a public health approach that keeps communities and families safe. Violence is an epidemic in this society. Preventing the spread of violence has to be a priority.
Guns, Crime, and Freedom states that, no gun law which restricts the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns has been proven to reduce crime or homicides, not even the Brady Law and the “Clinton Crime Bill.” These two laws st...
Firearms changed the landscape of the world. They brought a chilling reality to the easiness of death, and forever altered the way human civilization operated. Upgrading from swords and shields to firearms forever changed the battlefield, and our streets. A movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, Sandy Hooks Elementary School, a Sikh religious center, and even U.S. Military Installations have all been targeted by gun violence, showing us that guns are dangerous in all situations. Gun control has been an issue that plagues not only the United States as a nation, but rather affects the world as a whole. The violence that can be caused by a firearm is inevitable and extremely dissatisfying to many people around the world. Unless you’ve been living your past years without a Internet connection, newspapers, or television, you have probably heard everything when it comes to gun control. Jeffery Goldberg is one of the many who chimed in on the matter to try to add some opinion. After reviewing the works of Goldberg, “The Case for More Guns (and More Gun Control)” , we discovered some key fallacies including false analogy and hasty generalization. Although Goldberg is a reputable author, fallacies in his arguments made his work less credible, and made his argument weaker. However, before we can divulge into the article, we must first know why gun control is such an important issue in America, and why such a rampant debate rages on, even today.
Moderate amount of gun regulation is necessary. Federal back ground checks go a long way in making it difficult for criminals, violent offenders, or mentally disabled individuals from obtaining guns. There are currently almost 310 million guns in possession of civilians in the United States (Krouse, William J. 2012. ‘How Many Guns Are in the United States?’). Restricting lawful gun ownership as a solution to reduce gun crime is highly counter-productive. Criminals will get a gun regardless of the law, and simply restricting g...
The United States has become a Nation in which anyone can own a firearm. The Second Amendment, which constitutes the right for an individual to bear arms, has become controversial among the American people. Advocates have struggled to come up with a solution to the ongoing debate of how to reduce gun violence and how not to infringe on the Second Amendment Americans are guaranteed by their Constitution the right to bear arms with good reason; laws seeking to control guns have been ineffective to the point where every citizen in every state should have the right to carry a concealed weapon.
Gun control is one of the most controversial and one of the most talked about topics in the U.S. Some believe that if guns are taken away that there will be less violence and that the death rate may even go down. While others believe that they have a right to bare arms like it states in the constitution. One of the most talked about reasons on why gun control should be stricter is the obvious: guns are not safe. But what people don’t understand is that everytime a gun is purchased a criminal background check is done right away. What people are unaware if is that the majority of people who purchase guns have already bought one in the past. Another talked about issue is the Right to Bear Arms. The Right to Bear arms has been in the constitution for decades. The constitution is not just something you can edit and re-write everytime you see a problem with it or think its “outdated”
Children are our future but yet many have died as a result of gun violence. The debate on gun control, gun violence and the second amendment are of popular interest to the general American public. The country has suffered so many tragedies such as Columbine, Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook Elementary School. The commonality among all these incidents is that they involve school shootings and gun violence. In their everyday lives, Americans are constantly bombarded by the rhetoric concerning the advocates for gun control or opponents for gun rights and second amendment. The group, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots campaign of mothers promoting an end to the epidemic of gun violence that affects every neighborhood. The organization released a video on YouTube named “Gun Violence-Is this the #NewSchoolUniform?” that portrays a routine morning for a typical American family with Kindergarten-aged children with an interesting point: a little boy puts on his bulletproof vest before he goes to school. The overall idea is that this psa does an effective job in campaigning gun control and offers insight into American future if gun control laws are not enacted.
Many people side against the idea that guns make our society a safer place to live. Sarah Boseley, a health editor, wrote an article about a group of scientists who looked at many different countries to see if any correlation stood between guns and safety. She says that scientists have found that “... the US, with the most guns per head in the world, has the highest rate of deaths from firearms, while Japan, which has the lowest rate of gun ownership has the least. (Boseley)” This evidence shows that the scientists have found that more guns leads to a higher death rate making society a more dangerous place. A strength of this source is how the editor shows where she got her information, but a weakness is the fact that she uses a counterargument.
Listverse,. '10 Arguments For Gun Control - Listverse '. N.p., 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
The scene of news reporters at the site of another shooting that happened only hours before is all too familiar. Caution tape blocks the public from entering the crime scene and lights of cop cars and ambulances flash against the faces of the reporters, revealing their expressions of heartache and defeat. They try to stay strong as they announce the number of lives taken; the innocent lives of men and women, even children, who were attending a concert, browsing the shopping market, or studying in their classrooms. In the days that follow, thoughts and prayers from all around the country are offered to the families of the victims. The suffering is echoed throughout the nation. But it doesn’t stop. Time after time, mass shootings cause loss and
I have two ideas for essay or story ideas I would write about after reading Nobody. One option would be to write about gun control and gun violence. If you notice something all the deaths had in common, besides choke hold related death, guns are what kill people. I don’t understand why people have an obsession and need guns. I understand its an amendment and a right to bear arms, but this is a weapon that destroys lives. Guns lead to mistakes take can’t be undone.