Guns, Southernness, and Gun Control - Research Paper Example

Gun Control Introduction The issue of gun control has become one of the touchiest subjects in the US. Gun control policies vary significantly across the globe. However, the issue of gun control has gained a lot of momentum as a result of the growing incidences of gun-related crimes. In the US, for instance, gun-related crimes are presently quite common with gunmen targeting highly populated areas such as schools and movie theaters. This has resulted in high rates of gun-related deaths and physical injury. The growing incidences of gun-related crimes fueled my interest in the topic of gun control, pushing me to conduct research into the pertinent modern day topic. While working on this exploratory paper on gun control, the first thing I did was to search for a proper definition of the term gun control in order to provide a viable basis on which I could center the rest of the paper. The search both on the Internet and in relevant books and journals was successful because it resulted in the discovery of the definition of gun control as all policies, laws, proposals and practices designed in a manner that restricts or deters the ownership, production, sale, shipment and use of guns by, among other people, private citizens (Langbein and Lotwis 416). There are presently a wide variety of gun control policies around the globe. Various countries such as the UK possess extremely strict limitations on the possession of guns while other countries, for instance, the US, are characterized by relatively moderate limits on gun possession and use by private citizens. In certain countries, such as the US, the topic of gun control continues to elicit intense debate with opponents arguing for individual rights to self-protection and personal liberties and proponents arguing the detriments of widespread gun ownership and use. The next step in the development this paper was the analysis of what the opponents and proponents of gun control think regarding the topic. This analysis derived from the question of which are the different views regarding the topic of gun control. Many proponents of gun control deem the issue of self-defense as the most fundament and undeniable human right. These individuals and advocacy groups consider firearms as vital tools in the exercise and attainment this fundamental right. These groups deem the prohibition of guns as an unethical prohibition of a viable self-defense mechanism. On the other hand, proponents of gun control argue that there is a vast array of evidence linking people’s access and use of guns to high injury, as well as mortality rates witnessed across the country. For instance, studies focusing on domestic violence point to the availability of guns as one of the primary enforcers of domestic violence across the US (Gasdow, Lizotte and McDowall 290). In reiteration to public suggestions by opponents of gun control for home and self defense, advocates of such control argue that homeowners are also at high risk of injury or death from home invasions. Since both spectrums of the gun control argument provide compelling stances that buttress their views, it is pertinent to examine the politics that govern gun control in the US. This is in pursuance of an answer to the question of the origin and progress of gun control in the US. The politics of gun control has long been a controversial issue in American politics. Over the last few decades, the debate concerning both the availability and restriction of guns in the US has been typified by a notable stalemate (Langbein and Lotwis 421). This stalemate is between the responsibility and capacity of government to deter the occurrence of crimes and individuals’ rights to possess guns as enshrined in the US Constitution. The central principle of the American identity has played a substantive role in influencing either side of the divide with regard to the gun control debate. The American identity speaks to the right of all Americans to own guns for the purposes of defending themselves and their homes. This is particularly the case in the South and West of the US, which denote the country’s frontier history. The possession of guns was an integral part of US life in the past where settlers utilized guns to protect themselves from enemies such as animals, Native Americans and foreign armies. Furthermore, the significance of guns in the lives of Americans draws from the function of hunting, which is a mainstay in American culture. Hunting is still a popular sport among Americans today, thereby necessitating the bearing of guns. The root of the gun control debate stemmed from urban and industrialized regions of the country where cultural traditions of associating gun possession with “redneck” stereotypes and conflating violence has played an integral role in enhancing the support of gun control. This begs the question of the origin of the gun control controversy in the US. This question paves the way for the next step of this exploratory analysis since it leads to a discovery of the root of the current controversy. The root of the American controversy over ownership and possession of guns traces back to the American Revolutionary War and ethos such as sporting and hunting and the frontier and militia ethos, which derive from the country’s rich history and the rights of freemen under English Common Law to the present day provisions of the Constitution (Cornell 141). One may ask why Americans should be deterred from owning or bearing guns, which they appear to love rather immensely. One of the primary reasons for gun control is the violence associated with gun use and possession in America. This topic is exceptionally touchy today following the many instances witnessed across the US that deal with gun-related violence. The analysis of various factors linked to gun violence is the basis for gun control. The prevalence of gun possession is a key focus of recent research into the risks posed by gun violence (Cooper and Sussman 1). A vast majority of studies conducted to examine this topic point to a rather significant link between the availability of guns among the populace and gun violence in the US. For instance, the 2004 review conducted by the National Research Council affirmed that high rates of gun ownership among American households is linked to high occurrences of gun suicide, unlawful diversions from legitimate business conducts. These are some of the most prominent sources of gun related crimes in the US, which necessitate the implementation of gun controls in the country. Furthermore, there is a distinct correlation between the availability of guns and the degree of homicide crimes committed across high income and extremely industrialized countries such as the US. In essence, wherever there are many guns, there are also higher rates of homicide and other crimes than other areas. This results in the realization that gun control may be a strategic policy step towards the deterrence of crimes related to the ownership of guns. The establishment, as well as implementation, of gun control rules has been quite difficult in the US. Based on the knowledge that the existence of guns in an area typically results in high crime rates in that area, it is, therefore, pertinent to establish the reason why some individuals still stick to their opinions regarding deterring gun control (Gasdow, Lizotte and McDowall 294). In the next step of compiling this essay, I examined the question of why people, despite knowing the detriments inherent in gun possession, continue to denounce gun control. The main reason for this is primarily because guns have long been considered as a symbol of masculinity and power within the American society. This conception further hampers the achievement of gun control in the country. Throughout the 19th century, imageries such as cowboys and the WildWest plagued the collective imagination of most Americans. The link between gun ownership and popular culture has played a critical role in encouraging opponents of gun control in the US. The ownership of guns has long been associated with coolness. For instance, Annie Oakley, the first ever American female superstar, was a professional sharp shooter who travalled through the country in the late 19th century performing in shows such as Buffalo Bill’s Wild West (Wilcox and Bruce 3). This led to the growth of the cowboy archetype in the US, describing individualist heroes, encouraged in many stories and novels. The notion of cowboys as gun-wielding heroes continued to be popularized in 20th century cinema, thereby imparting in the minds of Americans that guns are a necessary evil, or in some instances, just a necessity. Guns have accompanied descriptions and visions of villains and heroes since the introduction of sound into film and television. However, after the Second World War, Hollywood adopted morale boosting movies incorporating, among others patriotic rallying cries, which affirmed the prevailing sense of national purpose. The image of the gun-wielding lone cowboy was immediately replaced in stories that upheld group efforts and the need for individual sacrifices for the greater cause. These traditions, conceptions and media influences have played a remarkable role in deterring people’s acceptance towards gun control. To date, many people consider having possession of guns as the true mark of individuality, nationalism and patriotism. These view, in turn, damage efforts to control the sale, possession and use of guns in the US. Political arguments regarding gun control continue to split the political elite into two; first, a group opposed to gun control and another in favor of such control (Gasdow, Lizotte and McDowall 301). Disagreements, which emerge regarding gun control, include, among others, the constitutionality of gun possession on the one hand, and the deterrence of crimes and deaths on the other hand. The ethical position of the government hangs in the balance as it struggles with finding a proper balance between Americans’ rights of self defense and the maintenance of public safety through gun control. However, despite the position adopted by the government or opponents or proponents of the gun control debate, one thing remains evident; the issue of gun control is a touchy subject within the American society. Works Cited Cooper, M., and Sussman, D.  "Massacre at School Sways Public in Way Earlier Shootings Didn’t". The New York Times. 17 January. 2013. Web. 2 February. 2013. Cornell, S. A Well-Regulated Militia–The Founding Fathers and the Origins of Gun Control in America. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print. Gasdow, B. P., Lizotte, A. J., and McDowall, D. "Guns, Southernness, and Gun Control." Journal of Quantitative Criminology 9.3 (1993): 289–307. Print. Langbein, L. I., and Lotwis, M. A. "Political Efficacy of Lobbying and Money: Gun Control in the U.S. House, 1986." Legislative Studies Quarterly 15 (1990): 413–40. Print. Wilcox, C., and Bruce, J. W. The Changing Politics of Gun Control. Baltimore: Rowman & Littlefield, 1998. Print. Read More