Gun Control - Aspirations and Reality - Essay Example

? Gun Control- Aspirations and Reality USA government Department of Homeland Security Dear Minister, I have the utmost pleasure of submitting a report on gun control issue that has been the subject of debate as per the killings witnessed presently in America. Ideally, the prevention of the occurrences of public places shooting should start from the sensitization aspect until the legislative stage in the transformation process. In comparison to other countries, America has the most strict gun control policies, but this has not been a hindrance to the high rates of crimes witnessed through gun violence. Mostly, those involved in gun violence may not be gun owners, but might be individuals that have illegal access to guns. Generally, gun ownership tends to be strict upon civilians as many at times individuals with the intention of committing crimes acquire guns with relative ease through illegal means. Therefore, it is import that the government sensitizes the public on matters related to gun ownership before the actual implementation of gun control policies at the legislative stage of governance. Further, this report will give the various statics surrounding the reported numbers of gun related crimes within the urban setups as compared to those in rural areas. Ideally, the number of gun related violence in urban states where there are strict regulations on gun acquisition are higher than the rates in rural areas where gun acquisition is easy (Joe, 2012). Subsequently, the report will be in tandem with the practical approaches applicable in the minimization of gun related crimes at the lowest level of governance to ensure that civilians also play a role in developing safer living environments. The report would also to address the impact of the castle doctrine laws in some states as possible contributors to gun violence. This is in line wit the Institute of Legislative Action under the National Rifle Association as per the provision of the Second amendment in the US Constitution (Davies, 2013). Your sincerely, May 20th 2013 Table of Contents Table of Contents 4 Executive Summary 5 Introduction 5 Problem statement 7 Method 7 Findings 8 Analysis 10 Conclusion 10 References 12 Joe, W., B. (2012). The reality of the Gun Control Debate. Retrieved from http://wjoeb.hubpages.com/hub/The-reality-of-the-Gun-Control-Debate 12 Webster, D. W. et al. (2012). The Case for Gun Policy Reforms in America. John Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research Press. Retrieved on 20th May 2013 from http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gun-policy-and-research/publications/WhitePaper102512_CGPR.pdf 12 Appendix 13 Executive Summary Presently, at least thirty thousand people that are part of the American population die because of gun inflicted wounds in which the greatest proportion of this number is young people. Ideally, this aspect has made gun violence be the greatest contributor to the premature demise of the young population of America. On the other hand, the statistics on the number of reported non-fatal gun related crimes amount to close to three hundred and forty seven thousand cases with a minimal number of this people seeking treatment at hospital departments. In essence, the rate of homicide in America is seven times higher than that of other developed economies making it a worrying trend for a good performing economy (Sowell, 2012). Fundamentally, the lack of proper gun laws is the prime reason as to why there is a higher prevalence of gun ownership and higher cases of gun related violent crimes. Further, gun violence also impacts the economy as the US population loses a significant number of the work force to violent deaths while the rest incurs expenses in seeking treatment for the injuries caused by gun violence. The traumatic effect caused by gun violence tends to have an impact on the increase of poverty levels as it tends to influence psychological imbalance for those affected by this tragic event. According to statistics, the average direct or indirect expenditure on gun related violence amounts to at least one thousand three hundred dollars to many fractions of the population. Moreover, gun violence decreases the value of property in areas prone to the vice, which tends to reduce the tax revenues that a locality may generate hence making a locality to struggle financially. Introduction Over time, the subject of debate has been on whether guns make the US safer or unsafe for the population hence bringing about the heavy subject of gun ownership into the picture. In many states of America, the federal laws are not strict in terms of gun ownership regulations such as the non-disarmament of law-abiding citizens that are above the legal age of twenty-one. In the past, use of firearms by law enforcers, military personnel, paramilitary, and individuals charged with the responsibility of protecting state organs had no restrictions, but that has changed because of the high rates of reported insecurity that has led people to acquire firearms privately. This has generated the rise of gun politics that influences the use of guns either in criminal or non-criminal ways. Therefore, the sole and sure way of ensuring that the gun policy would be effective relies in communicating to individuals on the gun control through awareness programs. In most countries like Switzerland and Germany, the rate of gun ownership is three times the number of legal gun ownership in America making gun related violence a matter of motive rather than ownership (Sowell, 2012). Therefore, this aspect negates the fact that gun ownership legislation would be the only way of ensuring a reduction on gun violence. In essence, the use of military personnel in the awareness process in leaning institutions would be effective in that it would ensure that students get first hand information. This will be essential in changing the divergent views surrounding the gun violence issue that would change the ideologies on gun use at a tender age. On the other hand, the awareness program through civil societies and war veterans would also be a practical approach to resolving the surrounding gun violence. However, many are of the view that war veterans are probable contributors’ to gun violence because of their involvement with guns at battlefields over sees. These individuals feel the urge to own or carry arms because of their accustomed relations with war as they feel unsafe without them. In essence, this has elicited intense debates over the infringement of the second amendment on these war veterans (Joe, 2012).The achievement of this would be through communicating the constitutional rights of every individual to ensure that there is no infringement of the same rights by individuals or by society. By having people on the ground, the process of adopting appropriate legislation would be successful as the concerns of the society would get to the policy makers making their contribution relevant. Problem statement According to federal laws, certain categories of people need not own or be in possession of firearms legally or illegally. These clusters include felons, fugitives, persons with priors on domestic violence, those with restraining orders, individuals with mental incompetency, and illegal aliens (Webster et al., 2012). Moreover, federal laws also state that the legal age at which a US citizen can get a firearm from a dealer who has a license is twenty-one years while eighteen is the minimum legal age for gun possession and transfer of the same. Arguably, individuals with prior criminal activities have a higher likelihood to commit gun violence as compared to individuals that have no reported crime priors. On the contrary, gun violence draws influence from certain aspects that include over indulgence in video games that have gun violence as the predominant themes to teenagers and media programming. Therefore, the focus should be on conduction of research on the best probable ways of minimizing gun violence by encompassing views from the public among those from stakeholders. Method The acquisition of data for this particular area of research involved the collection of data from criminal delinquents and war veterans that gave an incisive look into the issue of gun violence. Further, the available legislation available for gun control also formed a basis for determining the actual state of affairs for the issue. The police also gave significant input towards the figures of reported gun related violence and the areas adversely affected by the gun violence menace. On the other hand, mental institutions also gave their statistics regarding the number of those injured due to gun violence either through legally acquired guns or through those illegally owned. The data also presented on the gravity of the situation was also through online polling because of its convenience and ability to reach wider public. Findings As per the findings, there is no legislation that prohibits gun acquisition to individuals with prior criminal records or those who have had any instances of mental instability. The reality of this matter is that those that had prior cases of misdemeanors have an equal potential of committing crime just like any other individual with a criminal past (Webster et al., 2012). Therefore, there was a higher likelihood that these individuals would acquire guns with ease through the legal system. This means that by overlooking that the fact that have criminal traits in them would lead them into committing intense violent crimes. Another finding was that, individuals convicted of lesser crimes experience freedom with ease as a result f plea bargains and agreements that make their sentence period shorter. Subsequently, gun violence from these individuals was likely to be higher by times more as compared to those that acquire guns legally for the first time. Therefore, this enhances the interest in which legislators should adopt practical and realistic approaches to gun control as per the existing situations. On the contrary, federal laws prohibit substance abusers from being in possession of any firearm, but the laws have a narrow definition on the period of time that has to elapse before the law acknowledges deemed for gun possession. According to research, the prohibition of firearm possession should also include those that are alcoholics rather than focusing on drugs on only. This would be essential in reducing the number of reported gun reported violence as alcohol addiction tends to have a close link with violence (Webster et al., 2012). Therefore, federal governments and the state should ensure that they streamline the policies that regulate drug use and gun acquisition in order for the gun control aspect to be effective from this angle. Presently, only sixteen states have streamlined statues that prohibit intense alcohol abusers from acquiring any firearm legally. Other findings established that the rates of homicide offenses form young fractions of the population were higher as the federal laws do not have a clear age limit for gun ownership and acquisition. Currently, the legal age limit for acquiring firearms ranges from eighteen and twenty. In the same manner as the legal age for drinking, federal governments and the state should adopt the policy that set the legal age for obtaining a licensed be at twenty-one. This is because the number of delinquents involved in gun violence between the ages of eighteen to twenty making this age group the highest contributor to gun related violence. In essence, this age group tends to spend most of their time engaging themselves in a lot of past time activities like video games that have intense violence. On the contrary, these young adults tend to experience immense cyber bullying that would make them want to eliminate their peers because of this aspect. Presently, forty-five states in America allow for those between eighteen and twenty years to obtain firearms according to their desires. This means that there is a higher likelihood that gun violence in these states would be higher. In this regard, the adoption that would regulate the initial acquisition of firearms would be the most suitable approach to gun control across America. Analysis As per the Brady law on the conduction of background checks on those, intending to purchase firearms is a necessity but has proven to be ineffective. Prior to the Brady law, those involved in the trade of arms had to fill out information about their conduct without having anyone to vet them as suitable candidates for gun ownership. However, the changes brought by the law influenced a significant decrease in the number of those that were suitable for gun ownership as the vetting rendered many unfit. Never the less, this fact did not hinder those with criminal records from acquiring firearms making this another dimension of the problem within gun control. Further, traders in arms have opted to make illegal sales as many of them do so illegally, which creates a loophole in gun control (Webster et al, 2012). Within the airline industry, the challenge of gun violence is equally the same as it is mandatory for individuals to undergo security screening before boarding airlines (Davis, 2013). In this regard, policy makers should adopt policies that would guarantee the safety of passengers by not making security screening for gun possession to be a matter of choice, but a matter of policy. Substantively, the Brad law should only serve as a basis for policies on gun control, but should not give comfort that the American society would be free gun related homicides and suicide rates. Conclusion Arguably, gun control is not entirely a matter of policy implementation, but is a collective approach by all the relevant stakeholders in order for the quest to be practical. Presently, the laws that govern the acquisition of guns by individual federal states tend to vary making one end of the country be lawful while the other has intense characteristics of gun violence. Principally, the laws should change concerning the legal age for gun acquisition to the period time of time that should elapse before one becomes fit to acquire a registered firearm. There should be intense data collection on matters pertaining to gun violence in order for the policy implementation process of gun control to be significant (Davies, 2013). Moreover, the law also has to be strict on those found to have had prior interaction with crime as they have a higher likelihood to engage in gun violence than any other lot. With these factors in place, the achievement of a lesser gun violent society would be a reality through the adoption of suggestions by the American society. References Davis, J. R. In Gun Control debate, logic goes out of the window. CNN.com. Retrieved on 20th May 2013 from http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/25/opinion/davis-gun-control-logic Joe, W., B. (2012). The reality of the Gun Control Debate. Retrieved from http://wjoeb.hubpages.com/hub/The-reality-of-the-Gun-Control-Debate Sowell, T. (2012). The great gun control fallacy. The Guardian Press. Retrieved on 20th May 2013 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/18/great-gun-control-fallacy-thomas-sowell Webster, D. W. et al. (2012). The Case for Gun Policy Reforms in America. John Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research Press. Retrieved on 20th May 2013 from http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gun-policy-and-research/publications/WhitePaper102512_CGPR.pdf Appendix Homicide rates due to guns in American cities as compared to other worldly nations Gun Violence in U.S Cities Compared to Deadliest Nations in the world. Retrieved on May 20, 2013 from http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/01/gun-violence-us-cities-compared-deadliest-nations-world/4412/ Read More