Gun Control: Should it be harsher or not?

In the United States, gun control is questionable; should gun control laws be harsher or not? Some people believe that only the military and police should have the right or option to own and/or carry a gun. Others will argue that an individual should have an option to own and/or carry a gun or not. The gun control law known as “The Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA)” (Congressional Digest 2013), mandates and enforces who can buy, sell, or have possession of a hand gun, riffle, or any type of firearm. This Gun Control Act is led by the government and FBI. In the Gun Control Act it restricts what type of firearm and how much ammunition an individual can purchase.

The gun control laws have a positive side and a negative side about it. One positive is how it prevents a convicted felon from buying or owning and having possession of any type of firearm which helps to prevent any future crimes from that individual. This prevention is done by a background check known as “The Brady Background Check", which is the process of this background check that is completed by a (FFL) Federal Firearms Licensed person. This licensed individual must get specific information from the person wanting to purchase the firearm and put the information into a computer database known as the “National Instant Criminal Background Check System” (NICS). The following would be some of the information needed from the purchaser to complete the check: the purchasers full legal name, nickname, and date of birth, current address, past address, phone number, color of eyes, and color of hair, race, and gender. They would also need to fill out a form as to whether or not the firearm is being purchased for someone else or themselves. This database would crosscheck three datab...

... middle of paper ...

...). Today, the violent crime rate Kennesaw, Georgia is still 85% lower than Georgia’s or the national average (www.cityrating.com) & (FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement).

Works Cited

“FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement.” cityratings.com. City Ratings, 2014. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

“Gun Control Overview.” Congressional Digest 92.3 (2013): 3-7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

Kleck, Gary. “Crime Control Through the Private Use of Armed Force,” Social Problems, 35.1 (1988): 1-21. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

Murphy SL, Xu JQ, and Kochanek KD. “Deaths: Final data for 2010. National vital statistics reports.” 61.4 (2013): Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2013. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

Trotter, Gayle S. “Should Congress Pass Stronger Gun Laws?” Congressional Digest 92.3 (2013): 25-31. Academic Search Complete. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.