Cause Of Gun Control Debate

In this day and age, gun control is a major topic of debate in the United States. Many people believe that gun control is the solution to ending violent crimes in the United States while others believe that gun control will only make the situation worse. There are three main causes of the gun control debate that spark public interest in the subject: school shootings, political attention, and gun control laws. The first cause of the gun control debate is school shootings. School shootings have always been a huge factor in the gun control debate because they spark public interest in the subject. According to one source, “In the fourteen months since [December 2012-February 2014] the mass shooting in Newton, CT, there have been at least 44 school

One important factor to look at with school shootings is where the shooter gets his weapon from. According to an article of school shootings and their relationships to gun violence, “Among shootings at K-12 Schools in which the shooter’s age was known, 70 percent (14 of 20 incidents) were perpetrated by minors” (54). This is a shocking fact because in the United States an individual must be 18 years old or older to purchase a firearm. This would mean that the minors illegally obtained their weapons from a source such as their own homes. “In the eight incidents where the source of the gun was known, three-quarters of the shooters used a gun they obtained from home” (54). This is one of the reasons why school shootings are a key topic in the gun control debate. It causes the public to form divided opinions over the subject of gun control. Many people believe that in order to prevent more of these shootings from happening we must take extreme measures to

Rather, it involves politics. Gun control is an issue that divides public opinion. Anytime there is an issue that divides public opinion, politicians and their respective parties will take sides. Some politicians choose the side that takes pride in weapon ownership and are part of the “American gun culture” (Spitzer 8). Political science professor Robert Spitzer describes the American gun culture, “This phrase usefully summarizes the long-term sentimental attachment of many Americans to the gun, founded on the presence and proliferation of guns since the earliest days of the country” (8). Many politicians use the idea of American gun culture to appeal to the general public. They rely on feelings of patriotism and support. Other Politicians say that civilians owning firearms threatens the safety of civilians. Politicians use this to their advantage because they can appeal to different demographics by choosing sides in the debate. It is these politicians that are a leading cause of the debate over gun control. If politicians didn’t take notice or mention anything about gun laws and gun control, the public wouldn’t care about it as much when they go to vote for president, senators, etc. These politicians are a catalyst in the debate because they want to gain support for themselves in as many demographics as possible. By using the topic of gun control they can sway people to vote for