In Louisiana, gun ownership is one of the most valued rights because many see it as the only means for self-defense. Though it is a right, if crime rate increases due to gun violence, should self-defense hamper with the enforcement of gun-control laws? Currently, gun related crime is at “18.9 [...] deaths for every 100,000 people [...]” (“States With The Most Gun Violence: 24/7 Wall St.”). This statistic places Louisiana in one of the top spots for gun related crime, thus reminding us that gun-control is necessary. Gun-control measures can include restricting weapons such as the AK-47; a gun designed for battle-like encounters. Why would ordinary citizens need AK-47's anyway?
Of the few restrictions that exist, laws such as “RS 14:95” defines the kind of weapons illegal to carry in the general public. Weapons such as the “switchblade knife and spring knife” are among the few considered illegal (“RS 14:95”). Not only is it confusing, but also disturbing because the law seemingly holds no restriction on lethal weapons.
The confusion continues with laws such as “RS 14:95.2,” which states where citizens can carry weapons. A portion of the law states that “[a]ny student carrying a firearm to or from a class […] requir[ing] the use of the firearm [...]” is legal. It is confusing because I know of not any class requiring the portability of guns. ROTC could be the exception, but guns are only required in activities such as field training, not the class itself. Consequently, current restrictions have not reduced gun-related crime in Louisiana; thus, reminding us that current gun laws are confusing and do not pertain to gun-control, which is a necessary element of all gun laws because it would help reduce crime rate.
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...nal Amendment Leaves Gun Laws in Disarray.” Theadvocate.com. Capital City Press, 3 Nov. 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
“Open Carry FAQ.” Laopencarry.org. Louisiana Open Carry Awareness League, 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
“RS 14:95.” Legis.la.gov. Louisiana State Legislature, 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
“RS 14:95.2.” Legis.la.gov. Louisiana State Legislature, 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Skorton, David, and Glenn Altschuler. “Do We Really Need More Guns On Campus?” Forbes.com. Forbes, 21 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.
“States With The Most Gun Violence: 24/7 Wall St.” Huffingtonpost.com. HuffPost Business, 16 April 2013. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.
Stewart, Robert. “Study: Louisiana Has Highest Rate of Gun Violence in U.S.” Theadvocate.com. Capital City Press, 4 April 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
Woodward, Alex. “Louisiana New Gun Laws.” Bestofneworleans.com. Gambit, 2 July 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
“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.” The right of all Americans to bear arms is a right the Founding Fathers held to equal importance as the Constitution itself. Gun control laws directly violate this right and therefore should not even be under consideration. Even if that issue is overlooked, gun control advocates state that in order to reduce firearm related violence, gun control laws must be implemented to remove the violence caused by firearms. Although this may seem reasonable, the consequences of such laws are ironically counterproductive; they exacerbate the problem instead of fixing it. Besides the fact that the American Constitution guarantees its citizens the right to bear arms, the idea of restricting gun ownership in order to reduce firearm-related violence would ultimately fail given the previous experiments of gun control in England and in numerous states.
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.
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.
The right to own a gun has evolved over the years. Owning a gun is not just about possessing it, it’s about knowing you can protect yourself. Every person has the right to protect themselves and feel safe, t...
Guns, Crime, and Freedom states that, no gun law which restricts the right of law-abiding citizens to own guns has been proven to reduce crime or homicides, not even the Brady Law and the “Clinton Crime Bill.” These two laws st...
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.
Gun rights and gun control have long been the topics of popular debate here in US. Strict gun control laws that ban guns/ make them difficult to obtain for law abiding citizens in New York City are not the solution to the problem of violent gun crime. These laws do more harm than good by infringing the rights of and criminalizing law abiding citizens. By not allowing law abiding citizens to defend themselves efficiently, these laws make them ideal targets for the outlaws (Journal of Business and Economic Research). Banning or restricting firearms has no correlation with the number of deaths or suicide (Harvard Journal Of Law and Public Policy). One of the main arguments for strict gun control is that violence should not be met by violence; doing so would only increase it (Civil Liberties Review). They also argue that strict gun control is something that the majority of the population wants hence it is beneficial (New Labor Forum of Murphy Institute). My paper is going to focus mainly on New York, with some discussion of other places.
John Lott once said, ”Some people use guns for horrible things, but some people use guns to prevent horrible things from happening”(Interview with John R. Lott Jr.,4). It is legal to use guns to prevent great bodily injury or death. The second amendment allows the individual to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation (Right-to-Carry, 1). The definition of resist is to, “withstand, strive against, or oppose.” Healthy American citizens have the right to do just that when it comes to any crime that can potentially cause them great bodily harm, or has the potential to kill them. Criminologist Gary Kleck concluded,” robbery and assault victims who used a gun to resist were less likely to be attacked or suffer an injury than those who did not use a gun or any other method to resist, or those who did not resist at all”(Right-to-Carry,1). Concealed handgun laws lower violent crimes for two reasons. First, criminals are afraid of potential victims that can defend themselves. Second, victims with guns are capable of protecting themselves (Interview with John R. Lott Jr., 1). Criminals who face higher penalties, like a gunshot wound, tend to not commit crimes. For every year a concealed weapon law is effective, murder r...
Illinois (specifically Chicago) is notorious for crime. The state is ranked number twelve out of fifty-one (the fifty-states and District of Columbia) as of 2008 for violent crimes and ranked number five out of fifty-one in armed robberies by the FBI (United States Dept. of Justice 3). In turn, the District of Columbia reported a forty percent increase in violent crimes for the year 2012 (Noble). Gun rights activists view concealed carry licenses as a crime deterrent based on the reasoning that criminals will not attack someone who may be armed (Concealed Guns 2). The Chicago Gazette published “Gun rights groups challenged the [Illinois] law banning concealed weapons” in 2009. Acitivist with funding fromthe National Rifle Association sued on behalf of an Illinois woman who had been attacked while volun...
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
For many years, America has witnessed mass shootings within it’s borders. In 2015 alone, there were 372 mass shootings (Oldham). The question most Americans are faced with is: do we need more gun control or is gun control the problem? With more gun control, it can be made mandatory that protective devices are used on firearms to prevent accidental harm. Gun control creates mandatory laws such as the requirement for an individual to pass a background check before he/she is permitted to purchase a firearm. Gun control has also been proven to prevent suicides due to the increased difficulty of obtaining a firearm. Those who believe that gun control is the problem claim that by removing one 's firearms, you are endangering them to threats that
There are a couple of states, Georgia and Maryland, that do not require any special training when obtaining your Concealed Weapons Permit, this can cause people’s accuracy to be dangerous for innocent bystanders in the area. This can become fatal which is why many argue that the shooting should be left to trained professionals such as the police man. This can cause the public to feel unsafe because they don’t know whose carrying and whether they are a felon or not. According to a survey done by the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, 75% carry a gun while committing a crime because "there 's always a chance my victim would be armed." This has caused states, such as California, to pass laws that don’t allow carrying a concealed weapon on a campus. They conclude that by banning guns on campuses it will stop shooting sprees on school property; however, a sign will not stop a criminal from killing. Rather than banning guns on a campus, California should promote concealed carry so that students can defend themselves if needed, rather than becoming helpless
It has been estimated that out of every one hundred Americans approximately 88 own a gun, and an estimated eleven thousands deaths involving a fire arm occurred in 2013. A recent study by Harvard Medical school and school of public health show that states with stricter gun control laws work in reducing gun related homicides and suicides. So here is where we ask the question if gun control laws are unconstitutional. Or are they put into action and enforced for our own safety. It has been proven to make change and to make it a safer place to live if gun control laws are passed. Over time we have encountered many laws that made it hard for people to possess guns, such as The national Fire Arms Act of 1938 which only allowed fully automatic weapons to be...
Will gun control stop harm or protect citizens? Today, the opinions of Americans vary on whether guns harm or protect citizens. However, gun control is not a new controversial issue. In 1924, U.S. Senator, 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.” This proves that gun control has been a concern to Americans since the mid- twentieth century, and possibly even earlier than that. Even with the U.S. laws limiting the access of guns, it has not stopped the misuse of guns. Thirteen school shootings have been recorded in the United States within the first six weeks of 2014. Gun control is an effort to stop crimes by limiting who can access guns. Guns are very powerful weapons that have a great impact on society. They can change a family’s life forever. The destruction they cause cannot be reversed or taken back, and one trigger could take a person’s life away. For these reasons, government interference is needed to restrict the harm guns can cause. The U.S. government should place more limitations on guns because of the carelessness and misuse of guns, which has led to an increasing number of crimes and violent actions against the innocent.
Every day some news related to gun violence are being heard all over the world. Shooting in driveway, public places, schools, homicide and suicide are some of different types of gun violence. Shooting on people and killing them is a big issue in the world and different comments are provided about that. One of the most important of them is about gun control laws. Stingl (2013) says “The term gun control as it is used in the United States refers to any action taken by the federal government or by state or local governments to regulate, through legislation, the sale, purchase, safety, and use of handguns and other types of firearms by individual citizens.” According to this idea gun control laws should be stricter and people should not be able to have access to guns easily. However, there are many other people who believe this idea is not a good solution and never help. This essay will demonstrate for and against views about the topic. People who agree with this idea consider: firstly, stricter laws will reduce violence and gun control means crime control. Secondly, some research shows people with gun are more at risks of getting shot. Thirdly, guns can always be misused by their owners and finally, stricter law is the best and the faster way to control crime and make community safe. While opponents say first of all, guns are necessary for people safety and protection. Secondly, guns are not the only tools for killing and violence; there are other weapons too and finally, gun ownership is human rights.