Gun Control Essay, Research Paper

Will Gun Control Reduce Crime

Yes

Handguns exact an inordinate toll on American lives, isn’t it time that we ban handguns? “In 1989, guns killed 11,832 Americans.” ( Dolan, Edward, page 203)

” There are an estimated sixty-five million firearms in the United States, which means, there are sixty-five million people carrying a firearm.” (page 203) “In 1997, the most recent year available, there were eighty-nine firearm deaths per day, about a death every sixteen minutes!”(page 203) In every sixteen minutes one of your family members, a loved, or even yourself can be injured or killed in a firearm related incident. What do we really need handguns for? Some believe it is a sense of safety or protection. The world should not have to be viewed this way. Having a gun in your house can injure anyone in the household. Many think that a hiding place will keep the firearm out of harm, but think again. Any child is intelligent enough to find away to get into any hiding place. “In homes with guns, a member of the household is almost three times as likely to be the victim of a homicide compared to gun free homes.” (VPC page 2) Living with guilt or sadness all your life is not worth a firearm. “Polls over the past twenty years have consistently shown that one out of three Americans support a ban on handgun possession.” (page 3) This poll shows how we, the people of America really care about safety and the lives of others. “No gun control law has ever been overturned by the United States Supreme Court on Second Amendment grounds. Such laws include federal bans on machine guns and semiautomatic assault weapons as well as local community bans on the sale and possession of handguns. (page 3)

If such laws were set in place, the death rate of the United States would definitely take a drastic drop. “The National Rifle Association (NRA) members believe that it is their constitutional right to own fire arms, stating that guns are not the root of the crime problem in the United States. (National Rifle Association Press Release and Policy Reports www.spc.uchicago.) “In other cases, Gun control activists, like the members of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV), argue that guns are responsible for the majority of violent crimes that take place.” (Reason Magazine. Gun Play. Page 50.) When are we going to instill some type of ban or waiting periods on firearms, to make it close to impossible to obtain a handgun? “In fact, in 1993 the Brady Bill, which mandates a waiting period on buying firearms , was passed.” (page 50) Some say that guns are a public health hazard and almost deadlier than automobiles to the public. Are guns just pathogens, an object that causes disease when introduced to a pathogen-free environment? The gun control activists are right, there is too much crime in the United States. “Instead of attempting to reduce the amount of firearms in circulation, this energy and money should be diverted into anti-crime applications. (Interview, Police Officer from PA.) “Many law-abiding citizens own handguns and other firearms that they use for their own protection, probably because the amount of crime present troubles them and drives them to purchase a gun for self-defense.” (Interview) Let’s face it, our streets have become a battleground, and we can not ignore or run from this reality. Gun Control will reduce crime and it is up to us to take action to reduce it.