Ali Elkin writes in her article, “the Problem With Using Chicago to Make the Case Against Gun Control, “Chicago's high rates of gun violence have been well-documented. In 2014, there were 2,587 shooting victims in the city, according to the Chicago Tribune. The New York City Police Department recorded 1,381 victims in the same time period, and New York has around three times as many people as the Windy City.” It is obvious that Illinois has gone wrong somewhere with their gun laws because guns are not easily accessible. Elkin says that a lot of guns are accessed from outside the state. In fact, 60 percent of recovered guns from arrests were from out of state and twenty-four percent of all guns were from Indiana. This shows that people, especially …show more content…
the criminals, will get guns regardless of the laws; therefore, having less restrictions can lead to less crime. The right to concealed carry should be more accessible in Chicago, Illinois. The right to concealed carry has a history that dates back to the 1600s in the English Bill of Rights. Authors Florenz Plassmann and John Whitney write in their journal article “Confirming ‘More Guns Less Crime’”, “The Second Amendment traces its origins to a provision of the English Bill of Rights that read: “[T]he subjects which are Protestants may have Arms for their Defense suitable to their Conditions and as allowed by Law.” At this time in history, there were a couple of kings that tried to change the Protestant country of England to the Catholic religion forcefully. Parliament created the English Bill of Rights in order for the Protestants to adequately protect themselves. After revisions to fit the dream the founders of America had, the country now has its own Bill of Rights. In the Bill of Rights there is the Second Amendment, which reads: “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 gives American citizens the freedom to own guns. Today, Illinois requires a license to own a gun. Once the license is obtained, one can apply for a concealed carry permit which allows them to have a gun on their person in public. People who want this card need to have a nearly spotless record form the last five years, making it difficult to act on this freedom. By declaring who can and cannot own guns and where is violating the Second Amendment because it is infringing the freedom this right gives. The gun rights have come a long way through history and are continuing to change over time. First, the right to concealed carry should be more accessible to the citizens of Chicago for protection.
In Elkin’s article, Richard Pearson says, “The gun laws in Chicago only restrict the law-abiding citizens and they’ve essentially made the citizens prey.” Unprotected citizens are essentially targets. John Lott says in his book More Guns Less Crime: Understanding Gun Control Laws, “One additional woman carrying a concealed handgun reduces the murder rate for women by about 3-4 times more than one additional man carrying a concealed handgun reduces the murder rate for men.” Men are able to defend themselves without a weapon more than women are. If guns were more accessible, than perhaps crime against women would go down and enhance safety for women and self-protection in …show more content…
general. If concealed carry is not easily accessible to citizens of Chicago, then society will not be able to teach their children to protect themselves. If we do not teach children, America will soon have a generation of defenseless adults. As said by Elkin, “Gun rights activists argue that Chicago's position, as an island of regulation, endangers its residents who are unwilling to secure a gun illegally.” People who want to obey the law find themselves unable to keep a gun on them and be ready to defend their children and show them how important it is to be armed and ready for anything. If children do not learn from their parents about self-protection, then they will not think to carry a knife on them when they get older or get a gun as an adult. It is so dangerous in some parts of Chicago that children live in fear that something could happen to them and their parents on a simple trip to school. More children should be able to rest in the fact that their parents are able to protect them and teach them how important self-protection is. Last, if more Chicago citizens are allowed to protect themselves it will lower crime rate due to the effects it has on criminals. Kelly Riddell says in “Chicago Crime Rate Drops as Concealed carry applications surge”, “Since Illinois started granting concealed carry permits this year, the number of robberies that have led to arrests in Chicago has declined 20 percent from last year, according to police department statistics. Reports of burglary and motor vehicle theft are down 20 percent and 26 percent, respectively. In the first quarter, the city’s homicide rate was at a 56-year low.” There is a negative correlation that the more guns that are allowed to be carried the less crime there is. This proves that the less gun control there is creates a better quality of life. Kelly also says, “Just the idea that the criminals don’t know who’s armed and who isn’t has a deterrence effect,” said Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association.” Criminals are less likely to commit a crime when they are assured that someone has a gun and can stop them. When citizens are able to protect themselves, it not only changes Criminals’ outlooks on crime, but can help the police. If more Chicago citizens are allowed to carry guns, citizens can help protect others before the police come.
This is especially true with Chicago’s large amounts of traffic that slow down police. Riddell talks about an older man who witnessed an armed robbery suspect running from the Chicago police. Due to the man having a concealed carry permit, he stopped the suspect so the police could get him. This is a prime example of how concealed carry is lowering crime. Some people say that if there are less gun laws then psychopaths and people under the influence will get guns. Although this is true, if more people have concealed carry there will be someone to stop that type of people. Elkin quotes from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, “ ‘In many of the places around this country where they have the toughest gun laws, they have the highest violent crime rates. … Violence in America that's happened on our streets in our cities, like Chicago, up 19 percent, the murder rate," Christie said. "And you have some of the most aggressive gun laws in cities like that.’” Criminals know the places that they can attack successfully. Places like schools, movie theaters, and not to mention all the museums around the city are the perfect because the citizens are not armed and able to defend themselves; therefore, crime rates continue to skyrocket. If guns were more accessible, crime would go
down. All these drastic facts prove that the right to concealed carry needs to be more accessible in Chicago, Illinois. Lott says, “For murder, states that ban the concealed carrying of guns have murder rates 127 percent higher than states with the most liberal concealed-carry laws.” It is so critical to look at the facts when making these laws and to look at population surveys of other big cities to find what works for them. This proves how necessary concealed carry is for self-protection and lowering crime rate.
In discussions of Gun Control, one controversial issue has been whether it reduced or increases crime. On the one hand, author Jeffrey Goldberg argues having stricter gun controls could reduce gun violence. On the other hand, author Alex Seitz-Wald thinks increasing civilian gun ownership will not reduce crime. My own view is that if we did have more restrictions to own a gun, we would be more safer and we would have fewer crimes around the world
Many Americans are now applying for a license to carry licensed concealed arms with them. The rate at which licenses are being approved is worrying. This development is concerning law enforcement authorities. Putting so many firearms at the disposal of the public is counterproductive to the gains that are being made on improving security and especially in the cities where incidences of gun crime and violence are on the rise.
Gun control is an important issue in the United States. The big issue with gun control is some people want stricter gun laws. On the other side of the argument people that supports the usage of a firearm thinks that it is an individual’s right under the Second Amendment and guns are needed for self-defense.
Many gun supporters will say that more guns bring down the crime rate. These same believers will give facts stating that the more guns in a state, the less likely gun owners will use them. “The chances of innocent people being the victims of violent crime, including murder, decrease—not increase—when access to guns is made easier” (Luik). Luik emphasizes that guns will not make any innocent people killers, it will make crime and death rates go down. They argue that the states with the lowest crime rates are the same states that have a higher gun ownership rate than any other state.
Frates, Chris. “The Gun Debate Isn’t Over Yet.” National Journal (2013): Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
McMahan, 3) So, McMahan’s main premises come into play, either everyone has guns, including criminals, or nobody has guns. “Gun advocates prefer for both rather than neither to have them” McMahan remarks, but ultimately that will just leave the country open to more violence and tragedies. “As more private individuals acquire guns, the power of the police declines, personal security becomes a matter of self help, and the unarmed have an incentive to get guns.” (McMahan, 2) Now everyone is armed, and everyone has the ability to kill anyone in an instant, making everyone less secure. Just as all the states would be safer if nobody were to possess the nuclear weapons, our country would be safer if guns were banned from private individuals and criminals.
John R. Lott, Jr., PhD, author of More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws, stated, "States with the largest increases in gun ownership also have the largest drops in violent crimes... The effect on 'shall-issue ' [concealed gun] laws on these crimes [where two or more people were killed] has been dramatic. When states passed these laws, the number of multiple-victim shootings declined by 84 percent. Deaths from these shootings plummeted on average by 90 percent and injuries by 82
Some people think that states that allow citizens to carry guns only raises the crime rate in that state. Studies have actually shown that states that allow citizens to carry guns actually have a lower crime rate. States that allow citizens to carry guns have actually shown to lower murder rates from 5.6 killings per 100,000 people to 4.2.
Taking into account of the recent shooting sprees, the gun control debate has started again. However, people have contemplated: “Why does America need gun laws” and “Why are so many states disagreeing about the restrictions that need to be put in place for civilians looking to purchase firearms.” The reasoning for such contemplation is that the fluxuating strictness of gun laws have led to several incidences within states that have strict gun laws due to the fact that the perpetrators of these incidences have purchased their firearms either from black markets, or states where the severity of gun control is at minimal levels.
“States that passed ‘shall-issue’ laws between 1977 and 2010 had a 2% or more increase in the murder rate, and at least 9% increases in rates of rapes, aggravated assault, robbery, auto theft, burglary and larceny…,” (Source 5). Although guns possibly could promote more crime if they are allowed to be publicly transported, most criminals do not buy weapons legally, which requires a background check of the buyer before the dealer can sell the gun. Smart culprits usually buy guns illegally or know as the “black market”, which cannot be prevented by any constitutional law. Buying guns illegally is just as easy as buying illegal drugs, therefore, tightening gun laws will not affect the crime rate in the
“A handgun ban is not realistically enforceable. Confiscating guns would require house-to-house searches and alienate the very individuals whose compliances is essential to the success of any regulation. If gun ownership were prohibited, organized crime would step in to provide the firearms that will continue to be procured with criminal intent” (Done Kates). Over the past decade, the media has reported an increase in the severity of violent crimes as individuals have killed and hurt many others, including kids. Since 2006 there have been over 200 mass murders in the United States. Between 2006 and 2011 alone, the FBI has counted over 172 cases of mass killings, not including those unreported from different police agencies to the FBI (“Murders
This is caused because the more guns there, are the less violence there is. Dangerous criminals will think twice about robbing someone that has a gun. A victim with a gun is no longer a victim because they can not fight back against the attacker. Therefore, they can save their lives and save lives of the public which need help at that moment. Lott states, “The estimated annual gain from 1992 from allowing concealed handguns was over $5.74 billion” (House Report). This states that when a decline in violence goes down the amount of money goes up. Concealed guns can only benefit everyone in multiple ways. Concealed weapons can help create the feeling of safety and reduce violence. No one wants to live in
Crime and guns. The two seem to go hand in hand with one another. But are the two really associated? Do guns necessarily lead to crime? And if so do laws placing restrictions on firearm ownership and use stop the crime or protect the citizens? These are the questions many citizens and lawmakers are asking themselves when setting about to create gun control laws. The debate over gun control, however, is nothing new. In 1924, Presidential Candidate, Robert La Follete said, “our choice is not merely to support or oppose gun control but to decide who can own which guns under what conditions.” Clearly this debate still goes on today and is the very reason for the formation of gun control laws.
Detroit and Chicago have some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the United States. Yet both of these cities have high crime and homicide rates. Criminals benefit from overly stringent gun control laws, because when the citizens are not armed, committing crimes without immediate punishment becomes significantly easier.
As of 2013, all 50 states allow concealed carry of handguns (Concealed Carry Reciprocity Maps), although a few states don’t require a permit and the standards for licensing vary greatly from state to state. In the U.S. most states are “Shall Issue” states. This means they will grant anybody a permit that meets certain guidelines such as being 21 or older and not having any felony convictions, a history of mental illness or domestic abuse. A handful of other states are “May Issue” states. In these other states, such as Maryland, a permit will only be issued if you can prove you need it. This can be a large obstacle and these states will usually only issue permits to people in the public eye, wealthy individuals that are well-connected or business owners frequently transporting large sums of cash (Concealed Carry Reciprocity Maps). Although the requirements and standards are different wherever you may live, one thing holds true- concealed carry permit holders are rapidly growing. The market for handgun training, concealed carry courses and smaller, more concealable handguns have opened up. When concealed carry was first gaining popularity there were two very different schools of thought. Some thought that violent crime would decrease, as criminals would fear the everyday person that just may happen to be armed. Others thought that having people carrying around concealed handguns in public would lead to an increase in violent crime with people losing their temper and shooting each other. When analyzing the data and crime trends, it is clear that with this influx of concealed carry permit holders there has not been a corresponding increase in violent crime.