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Gun Control

DeShawn Virgil

The University of Arizona Global Campus

GEN 103

Vivian Bynoe

7 Aug 2023

The Importance of Gun Control in the United States

Research indicates that America tops the list of the countries with the highest gun purchases every year. Research indicates that gun purchases have tripled in a span of 15 years. What is noticeable is the increase in the acts of violence in society as millions of guns are being bought every year. According to Andres and Hempstead (2011), children are being killed in schools, family members are killing each other, suicide cases are high, and other horrible acts accomplished through guns. There is need for strict gun control laws or the government should just abolish gun ownership by citizens altogether. There is more evidence showing the harmful effects of guns in the American society than just the statistics provided in literature. We witness cases of gun violence daily on the news and other media outlets. Stories of parents who have remained childless or children who have remained fatherless and mother less are enough to justify a call to action on gun control.

How do we decided who can and cannot have a gun in the United States?

The federal Gun Control Act of 1968 provides clear guidelines of who can own and who cannot own a gun in the U.S. The law provides that all U.S citizens and all other people who have acquired permanent nationality can legally purchase and own guns freely. However, Morall (2018) indicates that there must be background checks, and there are local, state, and federal regulations that apply in the purchase and use of the guns. Individuals from other countries who are not lawful permanent residents of the U.S cannot purchase guns, but they can borrow or rent from someone who has a registered one. This indicates that it is so easy for someone, whether a Native American or an alien to own a gun and use it freely in the U.S. There are not enough laws for gun control except those prohibiting gun ownership by ex-convicts and criminals.

Once citizens purchase guns freely, non-residents and criminals can easily access them by borrowing or stealing. Even minors are accessing guns and using them to harm themselves and their peers. Guns now kill more children and young adults than motor vehicle accidents and car clashes. This calls for stricter laws that will control gun ownership and use.

What does the constitution say about guns?

The constitution’s standing on gun ownership has always raised heated debates among Americans. The second amendment of the constitution indicates that citizens of the right age have a right to own guns and the right should not be violated. It states, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” (Congress.gov). Experts have indicated that the constitution is among the factors that have contributed to increased gun violence in the United States. The right of the people to have and keep guns means that legislative bodies cannot prevent or regulate the use of firearms by individual people because it is their right. In short, the amendment makes it unconstitutional to prohibit people from using guns or controlling their use. Americans and other law experts have not understood the meaning of this clause. In many of the court cases presented before judges, the government has always insisted on its power to control gun use. In 2008, a Washington D.C law prohibited the possession of handguns which saw lawsuits such as District of Columbia v. Heller. Therefore, there is no clarity between what the constitution says about guns and the role of the government in regulating their purchase, possession, and use.

References

Andrés, A. R., & Hempstead, K. (2011). Gun control and suicide: The impact of state firearm regulations in the United States, 1995–2004.  Health Policy,  101(1), 95-103.

Congress.gov. Constitution of the United States. Analysis and Interpretation of the U.S Constitution. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-2/

Morrall, A. (2018). The science of gun policy: a critical synthesis of research evidence on the effects of gun policies in the United States.  Rand health quarterly,  8(1).