Firearms: A Deep Dive into American Tragedies

1794 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Gun laws in the usa essay

Gun control is one of the biggest debates that America is currently facing today. The reason why this topic concerns many Americans is because of the crime that is related from it. FBI data shows approximately 70,975 homicides were committed in America from 2006 to 2010 from various different types of firearms (Wenzel, 2012). That 's 14,195 on average per year homicides from firearms. Only 9,075 came from knives and other sharp objects, which equate to about 1815 homicide a year. Firearms are the number one tool being used in America for homicides. But even bigger than this, suicide rates reached over 19,000 casualties in 2010 from firearms. Firearms have a 90 percent success rate compared to poison, which is only 30 percent (Center for Disease …show more content…

The people have a right to demand more gun restrictions for people who buy and sell them on the market. By the people of America voicing their concerns over more security precautions with gun handling, which is giving more power to the people. The people should be able to feel comfortable about going to school to get an education without constant worry if someone who is unqualified to carry firearms is carrying one. A citizen should feel comfortable to go to a movie theater without fear of rather someone would come in with a gun or not. The government works for the people, and the people who have a responsibility to put the government to work in effectively monitoring precautions of homicidal …show more content…

One of these major incidents occurred in the past few years was the Sandy Hook School Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. 20 year old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 kids and six adults school faculty members and ultimately committed suicide by shooting himself (Flegenheimer, 2013). Another shooting occurred in a Colorado movie theater, where James Holmes shot 70 people that led to 12 deaths in July 2012 (CNN Library, July 2014). On February 26, 2012 an incident occurred between a Floridian resident and neighborhood watch coordinator, George Zimmerman, who reportedly shot and killed a sixteen year old boy, Trayvon Martin in self- defense (CNN Library, February 2014). However, many people feel that the shooting was uncalled for because Martin was unarmed and he was walking in the same gated community he was currently living with his father. These stories are just a few that calls to attention the importance of personnel gun restrictions needed in this country. After reviewing these incidents, now the real question is, "Could these incidents and other countless of gun related criminal acts have been avoided if there was just an increase of firearm restrictions

Show More
Related

  • Gun Control Is Unconstitutional

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    Guns are not the trouble, people are. The United States is #1 in world gun ownership, and yet is only 28th in the world in gun murders per 100,000 people. The number of unintentional fatalities due to firearms declined by 58 percent between 1991 and 2011 Based on these facts, one can see the guns not the causes of gun violence. moreover, civilians who get permits take gun safety courses and have criminal background...

    Read More

  • Revisiting the Second Amendment: A Proposition for Stricter Gun Control

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    The second amendment grants all Americans the right to bear arms. The ability to hold a firearm at any time as long as the firearm is registered. In the United states, all it takes to hold a firearm is a background check and a safety class. In a short reading from the “American Now” book a short article By Christina Tenuta called Responsible gun ownership saves lives she asks “do Americans really need guns?”, but are the guns really the problem? Although the second amendment requires some decent documents , the qualifications to obtain a firearm needs to be revised to a mental check, a family history check , and also to make it a priority for reinforcement to check on the registered firearm every six to twelve months.

    Read More

  • Guns are Destroying America

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Violence related to guns is a prominent issue in America. Guns are a means to an end; meaning guns have played a strong role in suicides, murders, and injuries. In the past decade there has been an average of 400-500 thousand incidents of firearms per year (Gun Violence). The number of injured people from firearm incidents in the United States per year for the past decade is 400-600 thousand people (Gun Violence). These statistics are absolutely shocking to anyone. The amount of violence and crime that comes from guns is enormous. It is imperative that proper gun control is put into place by means of background checks and proper training. It can almost be certain that the number of incidents of accidental discharges from children and the number of victims affected by gun crimes in general can be highly reduced.

    Read More

  • Gun Violence in America

    1787 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gun violence has been and continues to be one of the major problems in American. The U.S. has the highest rate of gun ownership in the world and consequently the highest rate of gun violence and fatalities compared to other developed countries. In a study by the University of Sydney it is estimated that there are 270,000,000 to 310,000,000 guns in the United States. According to the same study in 2010 there were 31,672 fatalities caused by firearms and on the following year the number went up to 32,163. Homicides resulting from guns are high in the United States and they are claiming more than eleven thousand lives every year (Guns in the United States: Firearms, Armed Violence and Gun Law). According to Vision for Humanity, an initiative for the Economics and Peace, the United States is ranked 99 out of 162 countries in the 2013 global peace index, homicide rates and violent crimes are among the various criteria used to determine the ranking (Vision of Humanity). Mass shootings at work places, schools, shopping malls and places of worship are happening in an a...

    Read More

  • Should Guns be Allowed on College Campuses?

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    School shootings have altered American history greatly over the past two decades. From 1997 to 2007, there have been more than 40 school shootings, resulting in over 70 deaths and many more injuries. School shoot-outs have been increasing in number dramatically in the past 20 years. There are no boundaries as to how old the child would be, or how many people they may kill or injure. At Mount Morris Township, Michigan, on February 29th, 2000, there was a 6 year old boy who shot and killed another 6 year old girl at the Buell Elementary School with a .32 caliber pistol. And although many shootings have occurred at High Schools or Middle Schools, having more guns on those campuses would not be a good environment for children to grow up in. However, on a college campus, the pupils attending are not children anymore; the age range is from 17 to mid 20’s. Therefore they understand the consequences associated to the use of weapons and have gained more maturity. In April 16th, 2007, at Blacksburg, Virginia, there was a shooting rampage enacted by Sung-Hui Cho (23 years, from Centreville, VA) who fired over 170 rounds, killing 32 victims, before taking his own life at the Virginia Tech campus. Colleges and Universities would be a much safer place, for student and teacher, if guns were permitted on campus for self-defense purposes.

    Read More

  • Gun Control and School Shootings

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today in the United States many people argue over the fact of guns being legal or illegal. There are people using guns for personal safety and there are others who use them for crimes, as well as for other situations. Firearm deaths in the United States have slowly been decreasing from year to year with all these bills getting passed to promote a safer country than ever before. Guns are the main weapon for youth suicide, school shootings, and for committing murder. In 2010 there were 2,711 infants, child, and teenage firearm deaths. As in school shootings and in committing murder, studies show shooters often had multiple, non-automatic guns, shootings were planned, most youth tell before shooting, shooters have a history of being bullied or threatened, shooters have mental issues, and shooters have done suicidal gestures before (Gun Control with School Shootings). Although there are people who use guns for murdering, there are also those who oppose guns being used without the proper requirements. 85% of all respondents to the survey supporting requiring states to report people to national background-checks systems who are prohibited from owning gu...

    Read More

  • Right To Bear Arms Essay

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    Written on December 15, 1791 was the second amendment of the constitution. It states 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."(Cite)? United States citizens have used guns for various reasons that include protection, hunting, and sporting reasons. The topic on gun control is a very complex topic that is discussed daily. It is such a big issue that it has both the democrats and republicans firmly established in their positions. One of the main reasons this has been such an important topic in recent years is because of all the murders and massacres that have happened recently in the United States. As our newly nominated president, Donald

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Gun Control

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    The second Amendment states, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right to bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This is one of the amendments that uplifted our amazing country. The right to bear arms is an American quality that is strong to build dour nation. Why try to take this away? Gun control policies are an arising problem that the united states face. Taking away guns is not going to prevent major mass shooting, guns are needed for personal safety, and sport shooting is a major industry and community that united states citizens do for a living.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Gun Control

    1146 Words  | 3 Pages

    "The world is filled with violence because criminals have guns , we good citizens should also have guns. Otherwise they would win and the decent people lose . "

    Read More

  • Rethinking Gun Control: A Social Necessity

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    “How many have to die before we will give up these dangerous toys?” (Stephen King). Firearms have been out of control over the past decade and has been the cause of most deaths in massacre shootings. The controversy about gun control has escalated throughout the years. Gun control laws will affect people for the better. I will be giving you a different understanding that has the potential to change the tone of the national debate. The government should pass gun laws because guns do not provide protection, they only harm people. Guns are harmful to society overall.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Second Amendment

    1665 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1968 Congress passed the Gun Control Act. This act regulates interstate commerce in firearms, making it so that you must be a licensed manufacturer, dealer, or importer. The Gun Control Act was the first attempt at restricting easy access to a firearm. In 1976 the District of Columbia City Council prohibited it’s residents from owning a handgun. Dick Anthony Heller sued the district in 2007 for denying him the right to keep his handgun in his home on Capitol Hill. In June 2008, the Supreme Court ruled the District of Columbia’s handgun ban was unconstitutional. The people of this country believe in their reserved rights, Mr. Heller’s fought for his second amendment right and won, showing the spirit of democracy. Since the Columbine High School shootings in 1999, 27 separate mass shootings have left five or more people dead each time. These randoms acts of violence have taken place in schools (Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech), the workplace (Fort Hood), movie theaters(Aurora, CO) , and even in the church (Charleston, S.C.). Everyday seems to bring new tragedy involving guns, but is it the gun that is killing people or the operator? As with anything, there are pro and cons to the right of own a firearm. With a firearm in your possession, you can protect yourself and your family from just about any threat. Having a gun gives you power over your own life, but this power also extends over someone else life

    Read More

  • Advocating for Stricter Gun Control Laws

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    Let me be clear, I do not support gun ownership or the right to walk around carrying firearms. I feel that there should be extensive laws for gun enthusiasts. There should be a set number on how many weapons; a firearm owner should have in his or her home, especially if there are children involved. Also, United States Government needs to thoroughly check every person’s background extensively, following as far back as teenage behavior. People with even the slightest hint of a mental problem shouldn’t be allowed a gun. There should also be some kind of test individuals should have to take in order to obtain a gun in any state. It should be exceptionally hard to obtain a gun in the United States.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Gun Control

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    Within the past decade, gun control has become a major topic of discussion in the United States because of all the devastating mass shootings. They have come in multiple different settings, such as churches, schools, governmental buildings, and even movie theatres. Due to these shootings, many people’s response is that we need to crack down on gun control in order to take the weapons out of the killer’s hands, but the fact of the matter is that in some of the cases where many people are killed in shootings, the guy who killed them obtained the gun they used illegally. So us citizens need to realize that no matter what laws are passed or what efforts we make, the “bad” guys are going to get guns regardless, so we might as well allow our own

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Gun Control

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States makes up for 5% of the world’s population, but accounted for 31% of mass shootings around the globe between the years of 1966 and 2012 (Christensen). In 2015 alone, there were 372 mass shootings in the United States, incidents in which four or more people were injured or killed. The number of gun murders per capita in the United States was 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2012, a rate nearly 30 times that of the United Kingdom (BBC). These kinds of statistics have escalated the debate of gun control – if it is the government’s duty to more strictly regulate firearms – throughout American politics. The United States Congress in 1994, in response to a school shooting that killed 5 children and injured dozens via AK-47 assault rifle,

    Read More

  • National Rifle Association: Pros And Cons

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    A study in 1986 “concluded that a gun in the home is 43 times more likely to be involved in the death of a household member than it is to slay an attacker” (Lott, 2000). So, a counter argument often used to bury this particular argument is that the Second Amendment is practiced as defense. However, in the majority of the cases, a firearm in case of an intruder or assault, it is only fired once and is rarely fatal. Most of the time, the firearm is used to scare assailants and not to kill. Particularly in the United States, states in the south have more accidental death casualties, with numbers going as high as a thousand casualties. In the period of 2005 to 2013, there was an approximate total of 3,800 victims, and more than half, were under the age of 25. It is safe to conclude that accidental injuries are common where guns are kept as safe control (Dueling Over Gun Control, 1998). So more gun-control laws should be made to prevent the deaths of children and young adults. A negligent person with a firearm is a danger to even those he or she

    Read More

More about Firearms: A Deep Dive into American Tragedies

Open Document