The Issue of Gun Control - Admission/Application Essay Example

Gun Control The basic purpose of the invention of guns and ammunition was to serve as a source of protection. Furthermore, there was restricted to the minimum. As time has passed, the acceptance of guns has greatly increased in the United States and arms have become absorbed into the American culture. The media has played a significant role in this and guns are present in all forms of media including news channels, movies and even video games. With this increased portrayal and fame, the link between firearms and crime rates has started to become questioned. The issue of gun control has become an important argument amongst the masses and has led to debates. Guns are used in acts of crime ranging from thefts to rape, murder and kidnapping incidents. The death toll linked with murder is also on the rise and this is linked with the poor gun control laws. America poses to be one of the most civilized cultures and though gun ownership by civilians has been allowed; the government should impose laws and run thorough checks before this privilege is granted to an individual. Gun control has been a controversial subject in the United States as it has been linked to violence. Many individuals become pro-guns or anti guns on the basis of their personal experiences. The opinion with regard to the link between guns and violence is based upon the personal experiences of individuals and the media has also played a role by showing an association between guns and violence. Anti- gun groups believe that there is a positive association between gun ownership which serves as a cause and violence which is the result (Carter, 2006). Shootouts at public places have also been used as a reason by people who argue against gun ownership. These include the shooting incidents at a cinema in the state of Colorado and in a school at Connecticut in the year 2013. Another incident also took place in the same year when a mentally ill individual entered the Washington Navy Yard and opened fire which resulted in the loss of twelve precious lives (Linskey 2014). This stand has been strongly supported by Hilary Clinton who held the post of the Secretary of State. She favors the implementation of strong gun control laws. She opposes the views of the individuals who oppose gun control laws by saying, “We cannot let a minority of people, and that’s what it is, it is a minority of people, hold a viewpoint that terrorizes the majority of people.” She used the mass shootings to support her point and explained that for the safety of people, it was crucial that stricter checks should be run on people prior to them being allowed to own guns. This would make parents feel safe before sending their children to school as they would have no fear that any person would be able to break into the school and open fire on the children (Miller 2014). These evidences may be correct and the reservations held by the anti-gun groups might hold strength. But it has been observed that gun violence does not affect the entire American society but there are rather certain groups like young African Americans who are more prone to be involved in this form of violence. This indicates that a clear connection between increased rates of violence and guns may not be existent. Laws to check on the ownership of guns should be implemented rather than a complete ban on gun ownership (Carter, 2006). Recent surveys have revealed that gun ownership in the United States is far greater than in any other nation across the globe but this has not been linked with an increase in the crime rates in the country. This high rate is either a depiction of the fact that the Americans consider it their freedom to have weapons; or they have a high cultural obsession with the possession of arms. According to the American laws, all the states in the country have allowed the ownership of guns for the purpose of self defense. The laws on gun control have been relaxed over the years and the in the year 2009, President Obama signed a bill which made it permissible for the people to have weapons while visiting the national parks. These relaxations may be the reason why the gun ownership has greatly risen in the country. With the rise in the ownership of guns,surveys were conducted to examine the link between crime and gun ownership. These surveys revealed revealed that ever since the ban on the carrying of weapons was removed in the country, the rate of crime has drastically decreased revealing the fact that allowing gun ownership may assist in reduction of crime rates (Linskey 2014). A study that was conducted in 170 states in the country explained that a strong correlation between gun ownership and crimes like rape and murder does not exist. The study was vast and took into consideration the restrictions that were placed on guns both at the level of state and the city. The survey took into consideration the prevalence of guns in the state. The last factor which was also examined in the study was the levels of crime and violence in the cities. The crimes that were assessed were mainly those in which firearms are used. These included murders, suicidal cases, thefts, assaults and rape cases. The results and findings of the survey were eye-opening. They revealed that the increase in the gun ownership normally had no effect on the overall crime rate. It was also assessed that with increase in crimes like murders and rapes, the prevalence of guns increased subsequently. It was also seen that imposition of constraints on the ownership of guns did not have any influence on the rates of violence (Kleck and Patterson, 1993). Thus, this study tried to explain that a correlation does not exist between crime rate and the ownership of guns. Gun culture has become a part of the American society and the current focus should be upon stronger checks on people who are allowed to own guns rather than banning the ownership of guns. In the year 2009, it was assessed that the number of guns owned by the people in the United States was twice in comparison to the number of people living in the houses. The gun culture is not only indicated by these numbers but this can also be seen with the popularity of firearms in the media in the United States. Mass shootings are portrayed regularly in the news and the images of the bad guys killing the harmless people are also shown. Furthermore, video games with firearms are also available and young children are captivated by these games. Such images and portrayal makes individuals feel that gun ownership should be controlled. But an in-depth analysis in actuality reveals the fact that the rise of gun possession in the last ten years had led to a resulted reduction in the prevalence of crime. It has also been assessed that the states where crime reduction has been noted are those where the ownership of guns has substantially increased. This has been owing to the fact that gun ownership by the common man makes them able to defend themselves and overcome crime by being able to counteract to the actions of the criminals (Lott, 2010). Gun culture has become strongly embedded in America and gun ownership is no longer preventable. This should be allowed for the reduction in the crime rate in the country as the ownership has been seen to have positive effects on the reduction of crime rate. Previously, the prevalence of guns was not very high in the country but with time, the trend has changed and the idea of gun ownership has intrigued a large number of Americans. The current picture reveals that the number of guns owned by the citizens of the United States is more than any other country around the world. Along with these high figures, the media portrayal of firearms and guns has also increased in the American media. Even young children enjoy playing games which have guns. The social media and the entertainment industry have boosted the prevalence of guns in the country. With this current trend, proponents of gun control have argued against the legalization of gun ownership and they have argued that a rise in gun ownership has led to an increase in the crime rate. Mass shootings have been used by the gun control proponents to support their view and their stand has been supported by Hilary Clinton. But a thorough assessment of the issue with the assistance of research and surveys has revealed the positive impact of gun ownership on America. Surveys have revealed that the states in the country where gun ownership is the highest, the crime rate are the lowest. Thus, there is a positive association between gun ownership and reduced criminal activities. An important aspect which should not be ignored and implemented is that bills should be passed which make it compulsory for thorough checks to be run on people before they are allowed to own guns. This would ensure that weapons are not going in the wrong hands. References Carter, G. L. (2006). Gun control in the United States a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. Kleck, Gary, and E. Britt Patterson. (1993). “The Impact of Gun Control and Gun Ownership Levels On Violence Rates.” Journal of Quantitative Criminology 9.3 (1993): 249-287. Print. Linskey, Annie. (2014, June 11). Americans and Their Guns. Bloomberg. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/quicktake/americans-and-their-guns/ Lott, J. R. (2010). More guns, less crime: understanding crime and gun-control laws (3rd ed.). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Miller J. Zeke. (2014, June 17). Hillary Clinton Says Opponents Of Gun Control Laws ‘Terrorize’ Americans. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/2891821/hillary-clinton-2016-gun-control/ Read More