America Does NOT Need Gun Control

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Over the years, a great amount of effort and money has been spent on legislation regarding gun control. Gun control advocates maintained that increased gun control could reduce the soaring crime rates found in cities across America. However, most of the arguments used for gun control are the result of careful manipulation of data and emotional appeal. These “myths” are twisted by our liberal media until they are seen as the truth. However, despite the claims of gun control activists, gun control does not reduce crime, it only leaves law abiding citizens increasingly vulnerable to violent crime.

One common claim of gun control advocates is that gun control in foreign countries,

notably Great Britain, is responsible for their lower crime rates. They present statistics showing that Britain has lower murder rates than America, but skip some other interesting information.

First, the gun control methods used in Britain include searches and other checks found unconstitutional in America. Also, the British are far more successful than Americans in prosecuting criminals. For instance, 20% of robberies reported in London end in conviction, compared to only 5% in New York City (Ten Myths 5).

In a broader sense, consider that despite the fact that in a typical year about 8.1 million violent crimes will be committed in America, only 724 thousand will be arrested. Of those, only 150 thousand will receive prison sentences, and over 36 thousand will serve less than one year terms. The biggest problem in America is our revolving door justice system (Ten Myths 3).

Despite the efficiency of British investigative procedures, the British armed robbery rate

has never been less than twice the highest recorded before the gun control laws took effect in

1920. In fact, over the last twelve years, the British armed robbery rate has increased an

astonishing 300% while the American rate has dropped (Ten Myths 5). Also, from 1930 to 1975,

the British murder rate has increased 50% while the American murder rate rose 30%. Another

foreign nation, Jamaica, totally prohibited gun ownership in 1974. By 1980, Jamaica’s gun

murder rate was six times that of Washington D.C., which has the highest rate of any American

city. However, Switzerland, Israel, Denmark and Finland, all of whom have a higher gun

ownership rate than America, all have lower crim...

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...educe crime.

I. Introduction

II. “Myths of Gun Control

A. Foreign gun control works

B. Gun control reduces “crimes of passion”

C. Criminals do not fear armed citizens

D. Guns contribute to crime

E. Criminals are constitutionally exempt from gun control

F. American favor gun control

G. Police support gun control

H. Registry is a harmless aspect of gun control

I. Gun control reduces crime

III. Conclusion

A. Solutions

B. Final analysis and personal observations

WORKS CITED

Bender, David ed. Would Gun Control Reduce Crime? St. Paul: Greenhaven Press, 1984.

Matza, Michael. “Do more guns mean less crime? No point blank answers” Philadelphia

Enquirer 31 May, 2007.

NCPA Crime Summary. Available (Online) http://www.arcrafts.com/think/Essays/NCPA

Crime.html. 4 April 2007.

Pratt, Larry. “Concealed guns save lives.” USA Today. 26 April, 2007. natl. ed.

Rogers, Bill. “Gun Locks Go Faster Than Police Can Hand Them Out.” Naples Daily News. 27

March, 2006, natl. ed.

Ten Myths About “Gun Control.” Available (Online)

http://www.arcrafts.com/think/Essays/Ten.html. 4 April 2007.

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