Gun Control Law and Providing Guns for Self-Protection - Essay Example

Gun Control Like many other topics, gun control is also a controversial topic in America at present. Even though heated public debates are going on, politicians, sociologists and ordinary people so far failed to reach a consensus on this issue. Supporters of gun control argue that more comprehensive measures are required to restrict the gun use only at unavoidable circumstances. In their opinion, America is suffering a lot because of the liberal rules with respect to gun possession and use. They also point out that liberal laws allow even minors to use guns, which is the major reason for the increased gun violence in school compounds. On the other hand, critics of gun control argue that the government has failed to ensure the safety and security of public life and therefore use of guns for self-defense is a human right. In their opinion, nobody can return a life once it is taken by another person. Under such circumstances, the right of a person to protect his life is a natural one and gun control laws would prevent people from executing their natural rights with respect to self-defense. In my opinion, gun control laws should be strengthened as much as possible since the incidents relating to misuse of gun are increasing day by day. This paper argues in favor of stiffer gun control laws. Different politicians have different views about gun control. Obama is taking a cautious approach while dealing with topics related to gun control. In his opinion, “the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but he also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures” (O’connor). In other words, Obama has neither advocated nor criticized the gun control laws. He respects the right of people to bear arms; at the same time he expresses his concern about the misuse of guns, especially by children. Obama should make his points clearer. It is difficult for a passenger to travel safely through a river if he keeps his legs in two different boats. Being the president of America, Obama should take a firm stand in favor of gun control rather than playing politics. Obama should realize that banning handguns only would save lives of thousands of people since gun attacks are more severe than all other kinds of attacks. A person who possesses a gun will try to use it whenever he gets agitated by the activities of others. Even for silly things, he may take out his guns and he will realize the consequences of his action only after some days. The confession of Plaxico Burress seems to be relevant here. A week after he walked out of Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York having served a 21-month sentence for attempted criminal possession of a weapon, former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress said; "I've paid a tremendous price for a bad decision. Just be a voice, get out and serve a greater purpose in life and assist the youth along the way," The father of two accidentally shot himself at a midtown nightclub Nov. 29, 2008, only nine months after he caught the winning pass in Super Bowl XLII, when the Giants stunned the Patriots (Red) The above confession clearly suggests that most of the people pay heavy prices for the momentary lapse of concentration or control and may regret in future. It should be noted that a gun spoiled the entire career of Plaxico Burress. In short guns can, not only destroy the lives of other people, but also it can spoil the life of the culprit. Sen. John McCain seems to be a strong critic of gun control. In his opinion, “residents across America should be able to exercise their constitutional right to have access to firearms to protect themselves"(Marimmow). McCain seems to be more aggressive in his stands against gun control. Being a former military personnel, McCain can always argue against gun control. It should be noted that McCain spent a major period of his life in military. Military life is entirely different from social life. Military always teaches aggression whereas society always teaches means of peace. McCain may not have proper understanding about the differences between military life and social life. It is difficult for a society to develop properly, if its members engage in violent activities. In short, McCain’s arguments should be taken as the outbursts of a brave military personnel and in social life such arguments are meaningless. Apart from McCain, some of the prominent scholars also expressed their views against gun control. In the past few decades, more and more legal experts have supported the position that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to have guns. Although they remain in the minority, proponents include some noted liberal scholars, including Harvard University law Prof. Laurence Tribe and Yale University law Prof. Akhil Reed Amar. At the core, their reasoning is simple: Most other freedoms granted by the Bill of Rights, such as free speech, have been widely interpreted as protecting an individual right; therefore, the Second Amendment should be treated no differently (Schwartz). The above views seem to be illogical. Granting permission to possess guns is equivalent to giving permission to kill others. Guns are designed to kill, injure and frighten and it is difficult to use it for other purposes. It is difficult to use guns in a controlled manner when the user was in an agitated mood. In other words, he cannot adjust the guns so that it may cause little damages, moderate damages or severe damages. Under such circumstances, the arguments which support gun use for defense purpose seem to be illogical. People misinterpret Bill of rights and Second Amendment in order to gain support against gun control. It should be noted that freedom of speech is allowed since it may not cause any physical damage to others. On the other hand, freedom to possess gun cannot be considered as a basic right since possession of guns may create threats to the lives of others. The opinions of Long Island Democratic Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was killed and son wounded in the 1993 Long Island Rail Road rampage by gunman Colin Ferguson, seems to be relevant here. In her opinion "We're not talking about taking away the rights of anyone owning a gun, but "basically, we need to get rid of large-capacity clips" (Sisk) After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities and states must respect the right of individuals to own handguns for self-defense, Mayor Richard M. Daley declared the justices to be divorced from reality. "They don't seem to appreciate the full scope of gun violence in America," he charged (Chapman). It is not necessary that the court’s verdicts always provide justice. Courts always give its verdicts based on evidences. It should be noted that the members of the jury are humans and they can commit mistakes because of misinterpretation of facts. Courts might have upheld the arguments against gun control citing the rights of a person with respect to self-defense. Courts have forgotten to remember that no rational adults would make use of guns for their self-protection. To conclude, the value of life is immense and it should be preserved under any circumstances. Providing guns for self-protection is not an act which is suitable for a civilized society like ours. There are only few incidents in which people killed others using their gun for self-defense purpose. On the other hand, there are many incidents in people killed others using their guns for silly things because of the momentary lapse of control over emotions. Under such circumstances, gun control is necessary for a civilized society. Works Cited 1. Chapman, Steve. "Chicago Gun Control: The Sequel." Chicago Tribune 01 July 2010. Chicagotribune.com. Web. 25 July 2011. 2. Marimow, Ann E. "Bills Take New Aim at D.C. Gun Control." Washington Post 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 25 July 2011. 3. O’connor, Anahad. "Gun-Control Supporters Show Outrage - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 03 July 2011. Web. 25 July 2011. 4. Red, Christian. "Plaxico Burress Teams up with National Urban League to Inform Kids about Dangers of Gun Ownership." Nydailynews. 13 June 2011. Web. 25 July 2011. 5. Sisk, Richard. "Long Island Rep. Carolyn McCarthy Can't Get GOP Support for Gun- control Bill." Ivy Tech. New York Daily News, 19 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 July 2011. 6. Schwartz, Emma. "A Key Case on Gun Control." Ivy Tech. U.S. News, 6 Mar. 2008. Web. 25 July 2011. Read More