Gun-Use and the Need for Gun Control - Essay Example

?Gun control: Introduction: The invention of gun powder at first and later the invention of gun gave way for many radical changes. The possession of gun was considered to be a dignity for the whites. The advent of newer and newer guns paved way for the huge destructions in the world. At first it was with the hands of the army and later the spread of guns to the civilians made it aggressive. In America, the private ownership of the guns has led for domestic violence and crime. If an analysis on the present conditions of the gun use is considered, it can be understood that the number of firearms in the custody of the people is equal to the number of grownups in the country. As the Second Amendment of the US Constitution states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” (Gardner and Anderson, 232) Therefore, the constitution itself gives the citizens the right to own and carry firearms with them. The size and effectiveness of the weapon must have caused for its spread in the land. The excessive use of gun is a developing tendency among the people in America. The easy availability of gun in America, at present, causes for the increasing homicides, suicides, and other violence and crime in this state. This has led many to think on the gun control policies in America. But still a hot debate on gun rights and gun control is going on in the country. This essay tries to make a study on the disasters that happened in the society by the gun use and further, a research is done on the need for controlling the use of guns by the civilians. The thesis statement is, ‘The increasing disasters in the American Society caused by gun-use and the need for gun control’. It is very clear that there are a number of problems that are arising day by day by the use of guns. Still it can be seen the government is reluctant to ban the use of guns, and it makes a person puzzled. The history of private ownership of guns in America stresses the need for guns. Both sides of gun control and gun rights are strong in America. The increasing mass killing at various schools and colleges using guns lead government to make new amendments in the constitution in order to control the use of guns by the civilians. Background and Historical Material /Definitions (Literature Review): America is considered to be the strongest nation in the world. It may be the only nation that has not made any control for the private use of guns. Gun was a need for every Americans to defend themselves from the natives of the land. “Despite their firearms, the survival of the English colonies often appears highly improbable.” Further the possession of firearms by the settlers enabled “to arm their enemies with theoretically advanced European weaponry.” (Bellesiles, 112) After the threats were over by the natives in America gun was a mandatory to protect their land. The American government envisaged the need for private ownership of firearms by the civilians. This has led the possession of guns as a constitutional right for the people. It is very easy to purchase a gun in America. The Office of the Attorney General in California gives the procedure to possess a gun in the State as a simple procedure. The person must be 18 years of age to buy a rifle or shotgun. To buy a handgun a person must be 21 years of age and he or she should ‘possess an HSC plus successfully complete a safety demonstration with the handgun being purchased or should qualify for an HSC exemption.’ (Frequently Asked Questions) The spread of guns in America turned from self defense to mass destruction. If an analysis is done, it can be understood that ever since from the widespread of this deadly weapon, many causalities are being occurred day by day in America. The incident that happened in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, on April 16, 2007 showed the ferocious face of it. A student named Seung- Hui Cho murdered 32 people and attempted to murder 29 others before killing himself. (Regoli and Hewitt, 7) The series of gun crimes and homicides in the American campuses and in the society made people think seriously about the control of gun-use by the civilians. The book, American Government &Politics Today states that in a research conducted by the National School Safety Centre found out that more than 300 students were killed in different school shootings in the past 15 years. (Schmidt, et al, 276) Further the book says that 1 million gun incidents are happening in each year. National Institute of Justice says that in 2006 firearms were used in 68 percent of murderers, 42 percent of robbery and 22 percent of aggravated assaults nationwide. The data given in appendix1 shows the number of homicide by weapon type in America from 1976 to 2005. (Gun Violence) According to the data the number of homicides is given in weapon type analysis. In this hand guns caused for the death of more than 10,000 people in America in almost all years, whereas the rate of other weapons including other guns are below the level of 5,000. In 1990 to 1995 the death rate by hand guns was at the peak. Even though towards the year 2005 the death rate of hand guns had come down to 7,500 the supremacy of hand guns over other weapons remains. This data gives the astonishing reality of the homicides in America with the use of hand guns. At present days too, hand guns cause for the causalities of many people in America. Supporting Arguments: In taking into consideration of the disasters caused by guns in America, it has become a major thought among the people that the use of gun should be cut down. America has the largest number of homicides in the world. (Appendix 2).The bar diagram takes into the account of the major homicide countries in the world and America positions to the first in it with 5.69.Canada that positions the second only has 1.86 per 100,000 of murders. The high rate of homicides in America mainly owe to the use of guns (as in appendix1). Some of the arguments for the gun control state that ‘The United states is the only modern democracy that does not impose strict gun controls.” Further the country “suffers a much higher crime rate than those democracies that impose strict gun controls.”( Gischler, 7) Accordingly, if the gun control is made effective as in the case of other democracies, the rate of crime and violence with the use of gun can be brought down as in the case of other nations. It is sure that only through gun control measures, the American society will free the clutches of aggressive mass killing and other violation. The writer Gregg Lee Carter says “The more firearms circulating in a society, and the weaker the regulations governing their possession and use, the greater the likelihood of the occurrence of violent crime, suicide, and accidental firearm- related death.” (Carter, 3) So it is the responsibility of the government to reduce violence and crime from the society and safeguard the lives of the people. In order to achieve it the government has to implement laws for gun control and thus protect the people. If the incidents in America are analysed it is the immature emotional status of the errands who caused for the death of many. The incidents at different schools in America tell that the students are using the guns of their parents without their notice and fire at their fellow mates for no cause. As all these factors are prevailing in America it is high time to prevent the use of guns by the civilians. Opposing arguments: In America, the rights of gun is prevailing in midst of the gun causalities. It leads a person to look into the major arguments for gun rights in America. Among the major arguments that oppose the ban of guns in the American society are concentrated on the need for self defence. The National Rifle Association in America is against the gun control strategies of the government. They say that the people have a constitutional right to own guns and it is not fare to make policies against the Constitution. They say that, “If guns are outlawed; only outlaws will have guns. Further they say that guns are not the problem; criminals are the problem” (Gardner and Anderson, 233) The opponents for gun control in America state that guns are not doing the crime only people are doing and so it is not just to ban the use of guns from the society. It is the one to defend oneself from the threats like burglary and other harms in a developed society like America. It has become a need in a country like America where self defence has been given an important position in the law. The Second Amendment of the American Constitution made the private possession and ownership a constitutional right. Every citizen has the right to preserve his or her life. In this aspect they say that the law to have private ownership of gun should not be changed. Conclusions: America is the country that is respected by all in the world. It is the country that can make decisions and policies on other countries too. As a nation of promoting democracy and global peace it is a need that the government should promote laws against the use of guns among the civilians in the state. Recently as many states in America have come up with the laws in gun control. The American president Barrack Obama too, has shown his consideration for the gun reform laws. CBS News states, ‘President Obama on Sunday called for "agreement" on the divisive issue of gun reform laws, and urged the implementation of "sound and effective steps" that would minimize gun violence in the United States.’ (Madison) A country like America has witnessed the bad effects of private ownership of guns through a series of merciless crimes by using these weapons. The reasons to control the use of guns are pretty high in against the ones that oppose it. As a government that is looking at the wellbeing of the people, it has come up as a responsibility to make the reform in the gun control. This change of law, of course, will pave a new way for America to lead the other nations of the world where gun crime and violence will be reduced to the lowest level. Appendix1 (Gun Violence) Appendix-2 (Juvenile Homicide) Works Cited Bellesiles, Michael A. Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Soft Skull Press. 2003. Carter, Gregg Lee. Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. 2006. P 3. “Frequently Asked Questions.” State of California: Department of Justice. 31 March 2011. . Gardner, Thomas J. and Terry M. Anderson Criminal Law. Cengage Learning. 2005. P 232. Gischler, Katrin. Why Has Gun Control Become Such a Contentious Issue in American Politics? GRIN Verlag. 2007. P 7. “Gun Violence.” Office of Justice Programs. National Institute of Justice. 31 March 2011. . “Juvenile Homicide.” Youth Violence Project. 31 March 2011. . Madison, Lucy. Obama Calls for Agreement on Gun Reform Laws. CBS News. 31 March 2011. . Regoli, Robert M. and John D. Hewitt. Exploring Criminal Justice: The Essentials. London: Jones & Bartlett Learning. 2009. P 7. Schmidt, Steffen W. et al. American Government and Politics Today - Texas Edition, 2009-2010. Boston: Cengage Learning. 2009. P 276. Read More