Guns and Gangs

660 Words2 Pages

One person is killed by a gun every 17 minutes, 87 people are killed during an average day, and 609 are killed every week. Every day in the U.S., an average of 289 people are shot. Eighty-six of them die, 30 are murdered, 53 kill themselves, two die accidentally, and one is a police officer being shot in the situation of closing in on the gun holder . This is a average that is really ridiculous, if they inflicted these laws that they say are established then rates should be decreasing quickly. Most guns are generally classified into three types: handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Rifles and shotguns are both considered long guns. A semi-automatic gun shoots exactly one bullet each time the trigger is pulled, it then removes the shell of the bullet, and automatically replaces it with another bullet for the next shot. The fully-automatic gun also known by many people as a machine gun shoots numerous bullets with only one pull of the trigger. The Washington D.C. City Council made a law on September 24, 1976 generally banning residents from having handguns and making sure that all guns in private homes be kept unloaded and for the time being inoperable or must contain some sort of trigger lock. In 1920, Britain made a rule that everybody must have a certificate from their district police chief in order to buy or have any guns except a shotgun. To get the certificate, the person had to pay a fee, and the chief of police had to be satisfied that the person had a good reason for getting the certificate and did not bring danger to the public safety or to the peace. The certificate had to specify the types and amount of guns and ammo that the person could purchase. Gun violence is associated with a confluence of individual, family, ... ... middle of paper ... ... people would even want to join gangs. People join gangs for various reasons. If we understand why people are joining gangs we can do more to help stop them. Many people who've a hard and struggling life with no money often join gangs because they can make money illegally through theft and drug dealing. Others are brought into the gang by other gang members and are pressured to the point where they have no choice but to join. Kids who live in boredom with nothing to do or are careless about the things in life join gangs because they have nothing else to do with their lives. Many who live in deep depression with the thought in their head that they will never find a better life or good job join because they feel that, that is where they belong. Kids with a high lack of family attention or love join because gangs provide them with a family and a sense of belonging.

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