Need of Better Gun Control - Essay Example

?Running Head: GUN CONTROL Do we need better gun control? Introduction The question whether there should bebetter gun control laws is a matter of debate in the American society. This is because violence is a deeply embedded problem in this society. Therefore the emphasis must be on who should be allowed to own guns. The reasons behind extreme violence are multifaceted ranging from poverty, teenage pregnancies, drug abuse, racial unrest to emotional stresses like anxiety, depression and so on. Violence cannot belong to a single genre nor can it have a single solution. Because violence can be attributed to many unsavory and unavoidable causes, therefore common people prefer to put the blame on guns and drugs, objects that seemingly take people away from their miseries. Therefore, guns are a “consequence of the violent strain in culture, as well as a contributory cause” (Jacobs, 2002, p.214). Need of better gun control: the pros On moral grounds violence can never be advocated under any situations. Even in cases of racial unrest or mugging, the morally acceptable way of protests is non-violent resistance. Although defense for self is necessary it is however not wise to use guns. When a criminal is armed with a gun while attacking a person, it is dangerous for that person to pull out a gun as this may result in “greatly increasing the chance that one or more parties will be injured or killed”. Since it is the responsibility of the police to protect the private citizens, therefore it is their right to be armed so that they are able to fight with armed criminals (Sather, 1999, pp.264-265). There is also the issue of concerned risks among the older population who has ownership of guns. In countries like America and Canada ownership of guns is increasingly becoming popular among the older adults, many of whom acquired their licence to use guns at their young age. Since this section of population is aging, cases of dementia is not uncommon which rises the risk of holding and using guns or any kind of firearms. Unlike other activities like driving a car, there are fewer regulations to guide the proper use of guns among the older people. The matter is of grave concern particular for those older adults who have declining faculties but are yet not declared incompetent by a court of law. Although there are certain classes of people who are considered ineligible to hold ownership of guns, there is no restrictions on upper age limit (Greene et al., 2007, pp.406-407). Of late, many people who are crazy and homicidal possess guns and the result is that there are numerous killings of innocent people. In such cases, it is inevitable that there should be stringent gun control measures. (Stein, 2012) After conducting a survey in America, the data was analysed to determine the level of risks associated with keeping guns at home. People who keep guns at home are likely to die from homicide or commit suicide than those people who do not have possession of guns. This is because “guns are highly lethal, require little preparation, and may be chosen over less lethal methods to commit suicide, particularly when the suicide is impulsive” (Dahlberg et al., 2004, p.935). There have been many occurrences of tragic massacres in countries like England, America and Scotland which are indirect results of legal ownership of handguns. In 1998 there was one shooting incident in a school in Jonesboro, where one of the young boys involved was trained to use handguns by his family from a very early age. If ownership of handguns is outlawed then such incidents will almost certainly decline even if they are not altogether eliminated. With lesser circulation of guns, the young boys will have fewer opportunities to use guns (Sather, 1999, p.265). Need of better gun control: the cons In this modern world the number of criminals is on the rise and this makes the regular law-abiding citizens more vulnerable. Gun-related crimes are increasing at an alarming rate especially in the United States and Europe. This makes it even more a necessity for citizens to legally own and carry handguns. Even though violence is detested in every country, gun ownership is practical so that every person can defend himself. As long as the government and the police fail to curb the growing number of criminals and their possession of firearms, it is not morally right to expel the rights of individuals to carry guns and remain defenseless (Sather, 1999, p.264). The need of better gun control laws is an argument that is flawed in its basic conception. Since better gun control laws, like any other laws are abided only by law abiding citizens, therefore such laws cannot be much effective in reducing violence among criminals. According to NRA (National Rifle Association) President Sandra Froman “criminals will always break the law and obtain firearms illegally” (Henigan, 2009, p.41). There is this Massachusetts Bartley-Fox Law which takes the approach of imprisoning any person who owns a handgun without proper permission. Since the implication of this law it has been seen that in Boston the use of handguns in robberies has decreased by 35 percent and in murders by 55 percent. However, this positive finding is mitigated by two other statistical findings – occurrence of similar crimes has decreased in other cities with no gun control law, and in Boston the use of weapons like knives have increased among criminals (Siegel, 2007, p.49). Another argument that favors ownership of guns is the safety of women. Studies have proved that most of the violent crimes have been committed without the use of firearms. According to a Federal study “about 6 percent to 9 percent of all violent victimizations were committed with firearms” (Trotter, 2013, p.27). This is because most criminals do not threaten women by brandishing a gun; they use their gender advantage which means their larger physical presence and strength are enough to threaten a woman. Thus, guns can give a woman power to face criminals. With guns, the role of power can be reversed and a woman will not need superior physical strength to protect her children and other family members, thus making them less vulnerable in the face of an attack (Trotter, 2013, p.27). In America, on a study based on one hundred talk shows on radio, it has been concluded that just by carrying guns many people have been able to save their own lives. There is an example of a woman residing in New Jersey who told on radio that just by brandishing her gun she succeeded in making two men flee who tried to attack her (Lott, 2000, p.2). Although there are undeniable benefits of possessing and carrying guns, there should be regulations regarding usage of guns without overt government intervention. There is an option of making owners of handguns and also other kinds of guns strictly liable for any kind of injury (whether fatal or otherwise) caused by their use of guns. Thus, if someone is injured by a gun belonging to a particular person, then the owner of the gun is liable to compensation even if the gun was not held by him. This kind of approach is morally justifiable because it will make people more conscious of the risks arising from carrying a gun and will compel them to take responsibilities. This will lead to a certain level of gun control without direct intervention of the government (LaFollette, 2000, pp.280-281). Conclusion The topic question do we need better gun control has always been a matter of controversy. Although there has been opinions for and against gun control measures, it has however been seen that the general perspective favors the right-to-carry gun laws. Polls from American citizens have provided data that most Americans believe that crime rates can be reduced if the citizens have the rights of licensing their guns. On the other hand, there is a paradoxical fact that gun control laws contribute towards more crime and violence than actual possession of firearms. In the United States of America, crime and violence take severe form when stringent laws are passed to control ownership of guns. References Dahlberg, L.L., Ikeda, R.M. & M. Kresnow (2004). Guns in the Home and Risk of a Violent Death in the Home: Findings from a National Study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 160(10), 929-936 Greene, E., Bornstein, B.H. & D. Hannah (2007). Granny, (don’t) get your gun: competency issues in gun ownership by older adults. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 25(3), 405-423 Henigan, D.A. (2009) Lethal Logic: Exploding the Myths That Paralyze American Gun Policy, Virginia: Potomac Books Jacobs, J.B. (2002) Can Gun Control Work? Oxford Univ. Press LaFollette, H. (2000). Gun Control. Ethics, 110, pp.263-281 Lott, J.R. (2000) More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws: 2nd ed. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press Sather, T. (1999) Pros & Cons: A Debater’s Handbook: 18th ed. London: Routledge Siegel, L.J. (2007) Criminology: Theories, Patterns, and Typologies, CA: Thomson Wadsworth Stein, B. (2012), Stricter gun laws won’t cut shootings, CBSNEWS, retrieved on September 2, 2012 from: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57491081/ben-stein-stricter-gun-laws-wont-cut-shootings/ Trotter, G.S. (2013). Should Congress Pass Stronger Gun Laws? Congressional Digest, 92(3), 25-31 Read More