In the article “Gun Ownership in Early America: A Survey of Manuscript Militia Returns” by Robert Churchill, he discusses how gun ownership in the early 18th and 19th centuries was scarce and at times the armed militias were the only people who had guns at all. It was because of this that the government made gun ownership exceptional. This is different from today when gun ownership is everywhere. Due to the high concentration of guns sometimes it is hard to count how many are sold in the United States every year. To learn that guns, at one time, were almost non-existent is almost hard to believe. In the article, the author talks about Michael Bellesiles a historian who first wrote on gun ownership in America in 1996. Bellesiles was the first to find that gun ownership in early colonial times through the late 19th century was scarce. Up till this article many historians thought that gun were abundant. Bellesiles article to them was controversial. Most people, myself included, have always thought that guns were always of high abundance. This is what the media and history has always taught, to read this article and find that guns were “scarce” was unbelievable. America has always been about guns, you see it on TV, in movies, video games, everywhere one looks they see a gun. It makes one wonder what it would have been like to live back then to see what it was like to live in a world with few weapons. One would think that gun violence would have been non-existent unlike now when it is everywhere. The author also discusses how during the period of the revolution through the war of 1812, all state governments demanded that all militia members give detailed reports on their military readiness. These reports were know more accurately a... ... middle of paper ... ... what gun ownership in the 18th and 19th centuries was like. In some ways it was better than it is today, but on the other hand if one did not have the weapons we have today, they would have no way of protecting themselves from intruders and those who mean them harm. Gun ownership is a good thing, but it needs to be regulated so violent crimes like Sandy Hook don’t happen. It seems that a lot of what Bellesiles saw as gun scarcity was actually the absence of census data that was not accounted for when the militia men were assembled. If one were able to find all census data from those centuries it would likely show that guns were more prevalent than first thought. Works Cited Churchill, R. Gun Ownership in Early America: A Survey of Manuscript Militia Returns. 2003. The William and Mary Quarterly, Third Series, Vol. 60, No. 3. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
In the frequently lawless country that the United States had become, a quicker solution for combat was deemed necessary. It did not take long for such handguns as the 1873 Colt Peacemaker to emerge as the weapon of choice for gunfighter, cowboy, sheriff or civilian. Fighting men everywhere considered the peacemaker’s balance and durability superior to that of other revolvers of the day, and they expressed their appreciation by clamoring for a variety of versions – some decorative or modified for a fast draw, others were plain, but all were lethal (Trachtman et al 43). With a growing consideration of violence, many Americans rushed to buy them in large quantities, often through the mail.
"Battleground America," written by Jill Lepore, provides a strong history of guns and the way they have changed in the eyes of the American through the years. She proves her point with strong evidence throughout her article, sprinkling it with opinion and argument that is strongly supported. She presents her argument to convince her audience that the open availability of guns allows citizens to undeservingly purchase them by displaying the credibility in her sources, using negative connotations in her speech, and the strength and objectivity only a strong logos appeal can provide.
Kristof is sarcastically and quietly confident in his belief that America is the second most armed country in the World, with the first being terrorism-plagued Yemen in the midst of a “minor civil war”. In this anti-weaponry advisory, readers are informed of gun fatality statistics, the self-imposed dangers of owning a firearm and stand witness to Kristof’s somewhat comical discrediting of many exaggerated pro-gun claims. He recruits academic authority, Harvard professor and author David Hemenway, regarding his perspective of the prevalence and effects of the soaring numbers of gun ownerships in society vs popular opinion regarding personal safety afforded by said ownerships. Kristof neatly concludes his argument with a one handed clap to Congress’
According to the Journal of Economics there are more firearms in the United States than people. Furthermore, the majority of homicides are committed with a firearm (Levitt, 2004). This may indicate that the availability of firearms contributes to gun violence. Individuals acquire guns in a variety of ways, from inheritance, purchasing, or theft. Regardless of the means of attainment, the possession of firearms is widespread in the United States. Those who possess guns do so for many reasons such as for sport, protection, or illegal activities (Bilchik, 1999). Gun buyback programs receive weapons from all types of individuals, regardless of how they originally acquired their firearms or why.
Civilian ownership of firearms has for more than two hundred years been the very cornerstone upon which the liberty of the public has been supported. The very reason that Americans have never suffered a tyranny on the scale of Nazi-Germany has been due to the proliferation of firearms in the hands of the general public.
As McMahan points out, “When more citizens get guns, further problems arise: people who would have once got in a fistfight instead shoot the person who provoked them; people are shot by mistake or accident.” (McMahan, 1) One of McMahan’s premises wraps around the analogy of comparing private gun possession to the nuclear arms race. Throughout this article, McMahan shows that either everyone will have guns (criminals and private citizens), or nobody will have guns. He demonstrates that when guns are found in every household, gun control can do little to restrict access to guns from potential criminals.
Wintemute, Garen J. "Where the Guns Come from: The Gun Industry and Gun Commerce." Princeton University 2002: 54-71. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
The controversy over assault rifles is one of the most problematic issues related to the contributions of gangs, drug traffickers, and most criminal activity. More often than not, criminals have access to the weapons of their choice more easily than it should be. Getting them from licensed dealers, black markets, and family members’ homes, the availability of these militia weapons has become to effortless to obtain. The rise of criminal activity is part of the reason more than one-third of high school students have easy access to a weapon or gun. “Four out of five guns brought to school are actually brought from their own homes” (Page par 2). This is one of the biggest problems when faced with where criminals get their guns. They either steal them from relative’s homes, ask to borrow them, or steal them from licensed sellers. There are a lot of ways people can get guns. People who should not be able to purchase a firearm are allowed to, and illegal transactions are also a huge issue with criminals getting their guns. For all these reasons that is why Government should require restricted gun ownership to protect society, prevent crime, and allow for recreational use.
M. Doeden (2011) analyzes the gun control debate in contemporary society and points out the importance of building up a culture of gun use, which should be based on the historical and cultural background that is a characteristic of the United States. The author also follows the history of the Second Amendment and speculates about the possibilities of its contemporary interpretation. He also speaks about the history of the gun control movement and legislation, and explains why it is so important to renew such legislation and have it correspond to the developing realities (Doeden, 2011). Larry Gerber (2011) also speaks about the history of the Second Amendment and analyzes the common laws, customs, and traditions of gun use in America. The author makes some comments on the famous phrase from the Second Amendment, which speaks about the right “to keep and bear arms,” and gives its modern interpretation (Gerber, 2011).
On October 1st 2017, the United States experienced their deadliest mass shooting in history. Nevertheless, the debate about whether or not the United States should imply gun policies has been a popular topic in the 21st century. This country has made themselves best known for its military and gun policies. In “America Is a Gun” by Brian Bilston, the speaker demonstrates his thoughts that a gun would best represent America as an object. In this poem, the theme that the United State’s default is the lack of regulations of firearms is conveyed by repetition and contrast.
According to the small arms survey of 2003, Americans own between eighty-three and ninety-six guns per one hundred persons, or nearly one gun per person. (Kopel, “America's Fascination” par. 28) This statistic is even more interesting when compared to Norway, Finland, France, and Germany, the European countries with the most guns, which all range somewhere between thirty and thirty-nine guns per one hundred people. Meanwhile, the same survey shows that the number of guns per capita varies so greatly in each country that places such as the Netherlands, Hungary, and Romania have the least guns per capita with no more than two per one hundred
Who knew shootings would be the top subject on our citizens minds. The two articles, “Issue Overview: Guns in America”, By Bloomberg, ”Famous Speeches: "We call BS," Emma Gonzalez's speech to gun advocates”, By Emma Gonzalez it provides reasons for why we should have the right to own guns and why owning guns is not safe. Gun control is a big topic with all the shootings. Finally, Owning guns has similarities and differences but, in the end banning guns is not going to stop people from using them.
In “Unarmed and Unsafe,” Roberts confirms the saying “when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns”(Roberts 2) He begins his article with the effects of recent gun-control in Britain.
Historically, Americans have had the “right to bear arms” as part of the second amendment in its constitution. People have had a great use of weapons and violence in the past, but as American civilization has grown in the last few decades its problems with persistent gun-violence have done the same. Comparing the neighboring of Canada and Mexico, it comes to show with the incredible number of statistics and factual evidence of reported gun-violence that the US faces a sociocultural problem with the permissive and unregulated ownership of firearms. The amount of privately owned handguns gives rise to the number of crimes and lives claimed by gun violence. Southside Chicago is an exemplary territory that conveys the alarming significance of this
Americans have a long and a complex relationship with guns. A point of pride for some and a source of fear for others. Gun continue to shape sharp debates in United States of America. According to the book “Living with Guns” by Craig R. about four in ten Americans say they either won a gun themselves or live in a household with guns. Also, 48% say they grew up in a household with guns. Furthermore, at least two-thirds of adults say they’ve