Advantages and disadvantages of Owning a Gun - Essay Example

Advantages and disadvantages of Owning a Gun Introduction According to Younge (2013, p. 29), over 85 lives are lost and double that figure injured everyday by guns in the US every day. This means the number of people killed every year by guns is more than the number of people killed in the 9/11 terror attack. Although there are laws on gun accessibility, ownership and control, there are many cases of gun misuse that are often fatal. When the rate of gun ownership is high, there may be benefits in the community such as deterring crime and enhancing self protection (Cook & Ludwig 2006, p. 379). However, when one analyzes this critically, it can be seen that there are also disadvantages such as the guns being accessed by dangerous persons who will use them for criminal purposes. This raises questions about gun control laws and especially regarding access and use. Hence, this paper will answer the question “should gun control laws be made stricter in order to reduce ownership?” This will be done by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of having a large number of gun owners in the community with the aim of showing the number of gun owners should not increase. Advantages of Owning a Gun The key benefit of owning a gun is security and mainly self protection against violence (Peters 2013, p. 1). This could mean that when a potential attacker becomes aware that a potential victim has a gun, they might be deterred from committing the intended crime. Therefore, owning a gun contributes towards thwarting crime as they protect people against armed attackers. It may be argued that high gun prevalence contributes to decreasing burglaries and makes individuals more independent rather than depending on the support of the government. When homes do not own guns, it implies that an increased population will be powerless against criminal activities directed towards them and strictly rely on federal, state or local authorities. When a population is disarmed, there is increased responsibility placed on the authorities to ensure the people are free from oppression. On the other hand, common knowledge shows that when more guns are given to law-abiding citizens who are trained in safe use and storage, the community would be less vulnerable to violent crime. Basically, the use or misuse of guns will be determined by the personal responsibility and individual choice of those who own guns (Collier 2013, p. 83). Further, it is also evident that the guns that are owned privately and legally in any community cannot cause more harm than the criminal attacks aimed at masses of people. Therefore, this essay opines that when the citizens have legally authorized guns, they can protect themselves against such attacks. Responsible citizens must also be responsible for their own safety and, therefore, responsibly owned guns will only serve the intended purpose. Disadvantages of Owning a Gun On the other hand, this essay also acknowledges that guns have great disadvantages too. In 2012, there was mass murder by gun in Newtown Connecticut and around 20 years ago, dozens of innocent people were shot dead in Australia by a disturbed youth (Peters 2013, p. 1). In this essay, it is opined that such incidents are the negative effects of certain people accessing guns. It is agreed here that although people have the right to defend themselves and their homes, the guns they own are also used in violence and crime. It is true that owning a gun provides a sense of security and the fear of getting shot deters criminals from breaking into certain homes. However, it can also be shown that the disadvantages of having a gun in the home include accidents, violence, intimidation, homicides and suicides. Cases of domestic violence involving guns that usually result in physical injury to family members are increasing in the US (Sprinkle 2007, p. 134). Therefore, from such cases, this essay opines that living in a home that owns a gun, whether legally or not, is potentially dangerous to the family members. In the US alone, over two thirds of the reported homicides are committed with guns and mostly involve children between the age of 5 to 14 years and the youth between 15 to 24 years. Therefore, it can also be said that assaults, disputes and quarrels become more deadly when a gun is present in the home. For example, a large number of murders are carried out in moments of rage and homicides are usually committed during arguments over issues such as money and love and people also use guns to bully and threaten others. The presence of guns in the community also contributes to violent acts of murder. For example, a neighborhood vigilante group killed a black teenager who was unarmed and a student killed 12 people in a theatre, and guns were used in both incidents (Collier 2013, p. 81). Therefore, the presence of and access to guns escalates the level of crime and often result in the loss of life. The prevalence of guns increases the rate of assault and criminal violence. Conclusion By looking at the disadvantages of having many guns in the society, it is recommended that gun control laws be made stricter. Guns do not commit crime on their own, but when they get in the wrong hands, they become dangerous. In fact, guns have been shown to deter crime but new laws should include how guns are stored and used in homes. It should be the responsibility of parents to ensure that children do not get access to guns stored in the home. Further, it is opine here that people do not have to protect themselves using guns. Rather, if the law enforcement is enhanced and the value of moral and straight lives taught to communities, people would not have to own guns to protect themselves. Rather than focusing on self protection, the people should learn to obey laws. Buying guns should also be made more difficult by making sure potential buyers are screened thoroughly. Background checks should be conducted on everyone who intends to buy a gun because the process of screening blocks irresponsible and dangerous persons from accessing guns. When one considers whether gun control laws should be made stricter in order to reduce ownership, it is apparent that the laws need to be revised. This does not mean banning private gun ownership. Rather, it means ensuring only responsible people who can account for the usage of their guns are granted access and ownership. References Collier, C 2013, Gun control in America: an autopsy report, University of Pennsylvania Press, Pennsylvania. Cook, P & Ludwig, J 2006, ‘The social costs of gun ownership’, Journal of Public Economics, vol. 90, pp. 379-391. Peters, R 2013, When will the US learn from Australia? Stricter gun control laws save lives, viewed 5 April 2013 http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/14/america-mass-murder-australia-gun-control-saves-lives Sprinkle, J 2007, ‘Domestic violence, gun ownership and parental educational attainment: how do they affect the aggressive beliefs and behaviors of children’, Child and Adolescent Work Journal, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 133-151. Younge, G 2013, ‘The greatest threat to US citizens is mass gun ownership’, CCPA Monitor, July/August 2013, pp. 29. Read More