Russell 1 Lucy Russell Mrs. Scott English Composition 27 October 2014 Out of Control In 2010 alone, the lives of over 30,000 Americans were taken as a result of gun violence (“Gun”). Despite my familiarity with the machinery, my opinion of the powerful weapons is quite negative. Growing up in a Southern family, prone to taking weekend trips to our Virginia hunting grounds, I was accustomed to the usage of guns. My Uncle Ward, an avid hunter, would pride himself in showing me his newly­shot game. His favorite pastime was teasing me about the chunks of frozen deer meat being unsuspectedly stored in our freezer. This exposure to guns at a young age allowed me to have a very strong opinion on the topic of gun control, which left me with unwavering thoughts the topic. The debate about gun control and the degree of its presence in American society is one that fluctuates. With the occurrence of tragedies such as school mass shootings, the issue becomes prevalent. However, it tends to take a back seat to other pressing issues when there are no recent tragedies. This does not downplay the significant change that needs to occur within the realm of gun control. The growing weapon­oriented gun culture that defines America needs to be tamed. In order to drastically reduce the frequency of tragedies involving abusive gun use, gun control needs to be strengthened by instating background checks on all gun purchases and reducing the current gun circulation. There is a significant discrepancy among American citizens on how to address gun control. Because of the wide array of opinions regarding this controversial issue, legislature has Russell 2 been difficult to pass. State laws vary significantly, and there is no one solid viewpoint in America on gun control. Some states tend to have a harsher approach, enacting laws that make it more difficult to purchase guns. Others, however, emphasize their citizens’ right to bear arms and have more lenient legislature. In southern states, there is greater support for gun rights, and accordingly so, the laws are not as severe as in northern states. The difficulty in the United States right now is how to satisfy all of the individual states’ opinions on gun rights while still maintaining safety for all citizens (“Current”). Currently, the majority of laws are benign towards gun control, which is a great weakness of American legislature. Those who strongly oppose gun control are strong advocates for gun rights. The main defense of gun rights is the Constitution’s Second Amendment (Wilson). The Second Amendment states “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” (“Second”). Gun rights activists believe that obeying the Constitution word for word and providing every citizen with artillery to arm himself is the only appropriate interpretation of the constitution. Gun rights activists are often avid hunters or gun collectors, and are usually harmless in terms of their agenda. However, their argument can be manipulated and exploited by people who intend to use guns for harmful reasons. The defense of the protection of the Second Amendment is not only overused by gun advocates, but it is anachronistic for this modern era. In a time of such innovation and forward­thinking, people need to accept the changing times where arguments such as the Second Amendment are no longer relevant. Our Founding Fathers could not predict the existence of the deadly assault rifle when they wrote the Constitution two hundred years ago. Russell 3 One of the problems facing America is the overwhelming gun circulation in today’s economy. It is common sense: the more guns, the more likely people are to use them as weapons in crimes. Accordingly so, there needs to be fewer guns available for purchase. The current gun circulation rate is extremely high in proportion to the population of the United States (Ballaro). Regions and states with higher rates of gun ownership have significantly higher rates of homicide than states with lower rates of gun ownership. Where guns are prevalent, there are significantly more homicides, particularly gun homicides (“Gun”). This leads to the conclusion that the fewer guns available in the market, the fewer homicides and gun­related crimes will occur. This would dramatically improve the crime rates in the United States. There needs to be a push for comprehensive, uniform gun laws that will restrict access to firearms. The current requirements for purchasing guns are appalling. Right now 40 percent of all firearm acquisitions, and at least 80 percent of those made with criminal intent, are purchased by private parties. No identification need be shown, no background check conducted, no record kept (Mantel). This gives gun buyers with criminal intent great leeway to get away with their crimes. There are no regulations to restrict the access to these weapons with the ability to take lives. Guns are lethal weapons. With no verification of who are buying this volatile technology, the country is at a disadvantage. Simple steps such as ensuring that guns are placed in sane, responsible hands can save countless lives. The institution of universal background checks for all people attempting to purchase guns is crucial. Background checks have been proven to be very effective, reducing the risk of the buyer committing new firearm­related or violent crimes by approximately 25 percent (Mantel). By implementing thorough background checks, the ability of Russell 4 people afflicted with mental illnesses to access guns would be restricted. This is an issue that needs to be addressed in legislature. Some people may ask: why take all of these precautions? Only positive change can occur as a result of stricter gun control laws. Some may deem these steps too time­consuming and too much of an inconvenience. However, imagine the countless lives that will be saved. The mothers who will not have to face the news of their beloved children being victims of gun violence. Of the husbands and wives who won’t have to hear of their loved ones being shot in a senseless tragedy. Imagine the people who will still be able to wake up in the morning and impact the world; all because their lives won’t be ruthlessly taken from them by gun crimes. Imagine never having to turn on the news and listen to the account of a gunman murdering dozens of elementary school children. Tragedies such as the one that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School will be in the past. Now is the time to act. Preventative measures may be more time­consuming, but the individual dreams and destinies that they will save is invaluable. Stricter gun control legislation needs to be implemented into our national government. By requiring background checks and reducing the current gun circulation, the number of gun­related crimes will decrease. This will allow hunters, like my Uncle Ward, to enjoy their sport and utilize their Second Amendment right. At the same time, it will prevent access to guns by those who are planning to abuse the weapons. Before it’s too late and before another national tragedy occurs, action needs to be taken to prevent any more gun­related massacres. For the sake of the country and our children. Russell 5 Works Cited Ballaro, Beverly, and Laura Finley. "Counterpoint: Gun Control Saves Lives." ​
Points Of View: Gun Control​
(2014): 3.​
Points of View Reference Center​
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http://connection.ebscohost.com/us/gun­control/current­gun­control­legislation "Gun Violence Statistics." ​
Smart Gun Laws​
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http://smartgunlaws.org/gun­law­statistics­and­research/ Mantel, Barbara. "Gun Control." CQ Researcher 8 Mar. 2013: 233­56. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2013030800 "Second Amendment." ​
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https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/second_amendment Wilson, Brian. "Point: The Unrealistic Goals Of Gun Control." ​
Points Of View: Gun Control​
(2014): 5. ​
Points of View Reference Center​
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