Why You Should Own a Gun - Essay Example

There are also "never issue" laws such as in Hawaii where the issuance of permits is seized completely by the officials. Two states, Vermont and Alaska actually permit a non-felon aged 16 or 21 respectively access to handguns without even a permit. Some states conduct training classes for the applicants, prior to issuing permits, to instruct them about the mechanics, terminology, and safety measures related to weapon ownership. Through the licenses issued, records of all gun owners are kept. (Kopel, 1999)Sense of Security People in favor of it believes it to provide them with a sense of security from any form of harm and those who are physically weaker or beaten believe in gun ownership as giving them equal power compared to the other citizens.

It makes them feel safe and secure and nothing is more important than the safety and security of life.DeterrentStatistical data has proven that people with handgun permits are the most law-abiding citizens. John Lott, a professor at the University of Chicago studied 18 years' worth of data regarding this. From the data, he drew the conclusion that a state that follows "shall issue" laws, murder falls by 10%, rape by 3%, and aggravated assault by 6%. Killers naturally resist committing crimes where they know people own guns.

(Kopel, 1999)If only possession of a gun dissuades criminals and decreases crime rates, any and every individual should own one, because it is not about owning a gun, it's about owning the security. Second Amendment - Right to bear arms The Second Amendment says "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State." It goes on to say that it is the right of every individual to keep and bear arms and that the government does not have the right to hold back the issuance of licenses without reasonable justification.

In an attempt to reduce felons from buying guns, the second amendment also required that on all handgun purchases, the buyers would have to wait for 5 days. (123HelpMe.com. 20 Mar 2008)Conclusion As of November 1997, there were an estimated 129 million privately owned firearms in the United States. The tragedy of 11th September 2001, followed by a whole sequence of terrorist activities, caused a lot of people to go and buy guns as a form of security. Along with security against evil, guns also prove to give the suppressed minority some authority and a sense of equality.

Therefore, responsible gun ownership is positively a good idea.