Gun Control And Mass Shootings

The United States is the most armed nation where there are more firearms than people. In 2013, there were roughly 357 million firearms in the United States, 40 million more guns than people (The Washington Post). The main reason Americans own so many guns is because of the Second Amendment of the constitution which 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.” This amendment guarantees a citizen the right to own a firearm. Since the amendment is somewhat ambiguous, it is often used by gun activists to argue for lenient gun laws. Thus, in the wake of times like these where mass shootings are commonplace gun control is a frequently discussed

Because of its vagueness, the interpretation of the Second Amendment splits the gun control advocates from their opposition. The founding fathers of this nation believed that, “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” (U.S. Constitution). This complex sentence from the Bill of Rights brings many arguments to light with its simple wording. It is very open to interpretation, which is what causes both sides of the debate to have legal footing on the matter. The National Rifle Association (NRA), which is a gun advocacy organization, is led by the philosophy that it, “defend(s) and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans”(NRA). What gun rights activists like the NRA fail to understand are the conscionable limits to the Second Amendment. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia stated in the majority opinion of the District of Columbia V. Heller decision, “like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited”(Supreme Court). These sanctions are legal evidence that the Second Amendment allows for the government to regulate the distribution, ownership, and use of weapons. Moreover, Justice Antonin Scalia, is regarded as the most conservative justice, and clearly highlights that gun control is useful and

On November 30, 1993, the imperative Brady Laws were enacted. These laws required a 5-day waiting period on all gun sales so that in-depth background checks could be completed. Also, whenever multiple handgun purchases were to occur, they were now allowed to be reported to the police. People who were deemed mentally ill by the courts were not allowed to purchase weapons and American leaders emphasized that the laws may have in fact prevented gun violence from spreading. The Gun Control Debate, an academic journal that was released after the expiration of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 2004, Bob Adams states that, “deaths from firearms in the United States dropped sharply, from almost 40,000 in 1993 to 29,700 in 2002. And the number of licensed gun dealers dropped from 285,000 to 104,000 in three years.” Further analysis of these statistics show decreasing death rates from guns and decreasing gun supply after the enactment of the Brady Law and the Assault Weapons Ban, Adams sheds light on the positive effect these laws and regulations had on the overall well-being of this nation. The reinstatement of these regulations is essential and must be incorporated into future gun control propositions.

Evidence ascertains that gun control laws are effective in reducing gun-related violence and deaths. However, we live in a time where these