Should everyone allow to own gun - Essay Example

Should everyone be allowed to own guns? First, let’s narrow the question to should non-felon adults be allowed to own any type of gun they choose with the possible exception of fully automatic weapons? Based on the evidence, the answer is yes and no. Gun control advocates generally want the weapon that kills the most people, handguns, to be illegal but are willing to compromise on rifles and shotguns. In this way, the right to bear arms is protected and so are the thousands that die from handguns every year.

Given the current strong emotions tied to the issue and the popularity of guns in this country, a compromise is the only solution. The Founders knew that by ensuring the right to own arms, citizens would have the ability to protect themselves from that which might endanger their life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. This could include bodily protection from persons and animals or from an oppressive government that threatened the freedoms outlined in the Constitution. “The Second Amendment reflects the founders’ belief that an armed citizenry, called the ‘general militia’ was a necessary precaution against tyranny by our own government and its army” (Krouse, 2002).

Most American’s agree that the Second Amendment does allow law-abiding citizens to own guns for protection and hunting. Gun ownership ranks high among these political ideologies and to attempt to ban all guns would make these feelings even stronger. To make the case for upholding the widely perceived ‘right’ to bear arms by allowing rifles and shotguns of a certain length while banning handguns seems the sensible solution and a fight that could be won. This tact has proven effective in other countries such as Britain and many other European nations.

Those countries that ban handgun use have a much lower homicide rate than does the U.S. (Reynolds, Caruth, 1992) In the year 2002, more than 3000 American children died as a result of guns, mostly handguns. Compare this with Britain where 19 children were killed by guns in 2005 and Japan where none were killed. Both if these countries have enacted strict gun control laws. The children of America are dying every day so that those who insist they have a right to own an arsenal of weapons and misconstrue the Constitution to justify this desire.

(“Statistics” 2005). Gun enthusiasts mimic the concept that more guns will lead to less violence, that if everyone were carrying a gun, criminals would be too scared to commit crimes. The more is less philosophy. This doesn’t square with reasonable logic or the facts. Nearly two thirds of all homicides taking place in the United States involve a firearm. Guns in the home are more likely to kill or injure an unintended victim than they are an intruder. (Wright & Rossi, 1994). The suggestion that more guns in the community would reduce gun violence, that if everyone, evidently including high school students, carried handguns, everyone else would be afraid to use theirs.

This is such a twisted and dangerous manipulation of logic and common sense, it is not worthy of rebuttal. Concealed weapons laws have been shown to have a positive effect on crime rates, that is, they contribute to an escalation in crime. (Loftin, McDowall, Weirsema and Cottey, 1991). Statistics have proven what simple logic tells us, more guns lead to more violence and fewer guns, as in Japan and Britain, lead to far fewer instances of gun violence. When read in total and in proper context, the Constitution does not allow anyone individual to own a gun.

In fact the word ‘gun’ cannot be found in the Constitution. It refers to arms. Does that mean we have the right to bear nuclear or chemical armaments? Most would say no, the others should get back on their medications and strapped into bed. A line must be drawn somewhere and other countries have shown us where it should be. Works CitedKrouse, William. “Gun Control.” Congressional Research Service. (October 3, 2002). February 22, 2008 Loftin, Colin, David McDowall, Brian Wiersema and Talbert Cottey.

“Effects ofRestrictive Licensing of Handguns on Homicide and Suicide in the District of Columbia.” New England Journal of Medicine. 325:23, (1991). pp. 1615– 620.Reynolds, Morgan O. and  Caruth, W. W. III. “Myths about Gun Control.” Policy Report. National Center for Policy Analysis. No. 176. (December 1992). February 22, 2008 “Statistics: Gun Violence in Our Communities” National Health Administration Health Information Network (2005). February 22, 2008 < http://www.neahin.

org/programs/schoolsafety/gunsafety/statistics.htm> Wright, James D., and Peter H. Rossi. Armed and Considered Dangerous: A Survey of Felons and Their Firearms. Aldine de Gruyter. (1994).