Gun control in the USA - Essay Example

Several instances of extreme brutality via the instrument of the gun have spurred lawmakers and the Democratic controlled Senate to attempt to revive the debate and attempt to gain some traction where none has previously been possible. Specifically, the events of the Aurora, Colorado Theater shooting alongside the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre have galvanized public opinion on both sides of the issue. As such, this brief analysis will seek to consider the debate from both perspectives of the gun control issue.

In such a way, it will be the express goal of this author to relate to the reader some of the most powerful arguments in favor of further gun control and some of the most salient issues against it. As such, it is the author’s hope that the reader will gain a more nuanced and complete understanding of the main arguments that exist on both sides of this issue. Firstly, those that advocate stricter gun laws are of the opinion that by reducing the overall level of guns in society this will have a direct correlation to the overall number of crimes that will be committed.

Advocates for this position point to the fact that nations such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and others have already strict gun laws in effect and only a very small fraction of violent crimes are committed with guns within these nations; which just so happen to be on aggregate much safer as far as violent crime is concerned than the United States (Saenz 1). The second argument that individuals who promote stricter gun laws will reference is the seeming increasing frequency of mass shooting incidents.

There have always been cases of extreme violence, even massacres, within American society; however, the fact of the matter is that almost all of these hideous crimes have a single factor in common - the widespread and pervasive use of semi-automatic weapons, readily obtained by individuals who can easily be described as unstable, as well as the implementation and usage of high capacity magazines (Shear 1). Whether or not guns should be allowed is not the central issue that is up for debate; rather, the issue at hand is the ease and availability that is unilaterally shared by almost all of the purveyors of these massacres.

As such, a correct level of gun control could at least attempt to lessen the availability of certain aspects of these instruments of destruction (Zigmond 12). Naturally, the issue that is up for discussion hinges not upon whether these deaths may have occurred regardless; but rather upon the question of to what level the bloodletting would have happened if proper societal and governmental constraints were in place to restrict the availability of certain aspects of weapons, high capacity magazines, and the means by which they could be procured.

Conversely, it must be understood that those in favor of stricter gun laws see a direct level of comparison to the overall number of guns “on the streets” and the overall number of crimes being perpetrated. However, the fact of the matter is that the criminal aspect of gun violence is oftentimes not deterred by whatever laws might exist at any given time (Trotter 27). This is of course due to the fact that individuals who are intent on perpetrating crime will purchase their guns legally or have any level of concern for the legal process as it relates to gun laws.

If an individual is willing to commit a crime in the first place with a firearm, it is highly unlikely that they will stop the consider the added ramification that the instrument that they intend on committing the crime with is itself already illegal (Olson 1). Noted one apologist for the Second Amendment, “Do countries with strong gun control laws have lower murder rates? Only if you cherry-pick the data” (Sowell 1). Whereas completely outlawing guns will likely cause a great deal of political upheaval as well as other societal pressures, the shareholders within the political system as well as those within society must consider whether or not the momentary pressures that restrictions might impose upon society will ultimately be worth the benefit that can be gained over time.

As a means of speaking to the needs of the current era and helping to make society a safer place for all stakeholders, stricter gun laws should most certainly be put in place. Although this necessarily trespasses upon the 2nd Amendment, the student is not arguing that guns should be banned outright; rather, effective and strict gun laws that can help to maximize societal safety while at the same time respecting the Bill of Rights would be a win-win situation for both sides of the argument. Works Cited Olson, Alexander.

"Gun Control Advocates Showing How Much They Like Guns." The Huffington Post. N.p., 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2013. Saenz, Arlette. "Gun Control Fight in Focus for President Obama." ABC News. ABC News, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2013. Shear, Michael. "White House Pressures G.O.P. on Gun Control - NYTimes.com." The Caucus. N.p., 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2013. Sowell, Thomas. "News Versus Propaganda by Thomas Sowell on Creators.com - A Syndicate Of Talent." Creators. N.p., 14 May 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. Trotter, Gayle S.

"Should Congress Pass Stronger Gun Laws?." Congressional Digest 92.3 (2013): 25-31. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. Zigmond, Jessica. "'We're Not Doing Enough' Advocates Want More From Gun Control Plan." Modern Healthcare 43.3 (2013): 8-13. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.