Gun Control In The United States: Pros And Cons Essay - 2,443

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Gun Control in the United States: Pros and Cons Introduction Gun Control Situation in U.S. Pros of Gun Control Cons of Gun
Control Conclusion Bibliography Introduction Perhaps with the one exception of abortion, gun control is the most controversial issue
in American politics, and it appeals strongly to the emotions of those who support as well as those who oppose further regulation of
firearms. Although people take many different positions on the issue, supporting some proposals for control and rejecting others, the
more uncompromising on both sides tend to collapse pro- and anti- gun control categories into two. The pro- gun forces see
themselves as the supporters of a vital constitutional right to keep and bear arms pitted against the gun grabbers. Strong advocates
of gun control see themselves struggling for a more civilized society against the gun nuts and profit hungry firearms manufacturers
and dealers. This paper discusses pros and cons for such controversial issue as gun control in the United States. General gun control
consists of policies to regulate the manufacture and sale of guns. Such measures include requiring police permits, background
checks, waiting periods, or licensing and registration for all gun owners.

(Cook 3) Supporters and opponents of gun control disagree over the significance of firearms as an independent variable in explaining
the high level of violence in the United States. The term gun culture is used by both sides in explaining their respective views of the
special role firearms have played in American history and continue to play in contemporary society. (Utter 5) Gun rights advocates
point with pride to the role that average Americans played in the Revolutionary War, especially because of the skill they
demonstrated with firearms against an intimidated British force. Firearms are seen as an important ingredient in the unique ability of
Americans to maintain their independence from a potentially oppressive government. Those less impressed with the gun tradition
see that the American love affair with firearms has contributed to a violent past and a continuing belief that many problems can be
resolved through violence. While not denying this predilection for violence, gun supporters note that other cultures not having as
extensive a supply of firearms also experience high levels of violence, that some societies with high concentrations of firearms have
much lower levels of violence, and that the level of violent crime in the United States did not increase proportionately with a marked
increase in the number of firearms available. (Cook et al.

6) Situation With Gun Control in U.S. In United States guns are widely available for purchase, even mail orders for guns are
available without going through a waiting period, except for some states. It is the example of handguns related crime are higher than
any other crime in the U.S, and the law is not stopping people from buying guns. Many politicians and citizens believe that the
number of handguns in the U.S. is too high, and are making an effort to reduce the number of handguns in circulation is unimaginable.
According to the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees that the right of the people to keep and
bear Arms shall not be infringed.

(http://www.secondamendment.net) Those opposed to controls interpret this to mean that the government has no right to limit or ban
ownership of guns. Ownership of guns is extraordinarily widespread in the United States, and has been for some time. Indeed, since
the late 1950s, when surveys on this question were first done, the share of American households reporting at least one firearm has
remained fairly constant at just under 50 percent. (Rosen 47) Needless to say, this does not mean that there is a gun -owner behind
every second door in any American community. Guns are much more common in the Rocky Mountain states, South, and Midwest; in
every region of the country, they are most likely to belong to middle-class, middle-aged men who live in rural areas or small towns. A
useful shorthand for all this demography is that the average American gun -owner, both today and in the past, has tended to be a
hunter or target-shooter. (Smith) What has changed dramatically over the last several decades is the size and composition of the
American gun stock.

The total number of firearms in circulation across the country has expanded at an astonishing rate, from about 75 million in the late
1960's to some 230 million today. (Firearms and Crime Statistics) At the same time, and despite the continuing predominance of the
long guns (that is, rifles and shotguns) favored by sportsmen, an ever-increasing share of these firearms has consisted of handguns,
whose primary use, as the supporters of stricter controls like to say, is against people. Such weapons have proliferated both among
criminals, who use them in more than four out of five gun -related crimes, and among law-abiding citizens, especially urbanites,
concerned about self-protection. As a result of these trends, Americans are now thought to possess somewhere in the neighborhood
of 80 million handguns. (Rosen 47) Pros of Gun Control Gun can promote unnecessary violence in people. People get crazy with guns
any little noise they hear they grab their gun and check it out.

Usually its nothing, it could just be their child getting a drink in the middle of the night. And their parents are standing there with a
gun ready to shoot. That is unnecessary to have a gun in the house with children. Kids are very curious people, they like to look at
and touch everything and they also like to show off. Millions of children each year are killed because their parents had a gun. Guns
are used for violence in various illegal acts like armed robberies and murders.

Thousands of innocent people are killed in cross fire between police and robbers each year. Purchasing off the black market or
gaining guns from family members attains most of these illegal activities from guns. Almost 40 percent of state prison inmates
convicted of crimes involving guns in 1997 got their weapon from a friend or relative compared with 34 percent in 1991. (Smith) We
are the last industrialized nation, of democratically based government, to do something about citizen's easy accessibility to firearms.
Our overall homicide rate dwarfs these other nations. Consequently an individual has a far greater chance of being shot during crime
in our nation than in any other.
Guns should be the hardest product to purchase in America; instead they are the one of the easiest. A barrage of paperwork and
testing should have to be completed before anyone is legally allowed to purchase a firearm. It should be of no surprise that in the
United States tens of thousands of people a year die from gunshot wound. In several states, the numbers of gun related deaths out-
number automobile accidental deaths. The number one cause of death for a black male in the U.S. is now gunshot wound.

Today, an average of 14 persons under 18 years old will die from gunshot wound; more than 100 wounded. This year some 20,000
depressed persons will use a gun to instantly commit suicide. In a nation with more gun dealers than gas stations (286,000!) it should
be of no surprise. (Firearms and Crime Statistics) Some gun loving patriots say this is the cost of the freedom our guns allow us.
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Gun Control In The United States Pros And Cons