, Research Paper
Gun Control or Control by Gun?
Gun control is an issue that has recently gained momentum. Some people believe that
gun control should have no restrictions and that every individual over the legal age
should have the choice of owning a firearm without many questions asked. These people
are under the assumption that they can justify their actions by shielding behind the second
amendment of the constitution of the United States, which states that: “the right of the
people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”. Despite this legal shield they
possess, gun control laws should be stricter because as statistics show gun related
accidents are increasing at a very fast rate and immediate action should be taken in order
to bring these statistics down. As we move forward into the future so does the gun
technology and unfortunately its deadliness. The average age of the gun user has been
going down and deaths or injuries by firearms have been going up. Even though the
constitution states that all people have the right to own firearms it does not apply to our
time. The constitution of the United States was written in 1791 during a time when the
gun was used primarily as a tool with which you hunted in order to provide food for your
family or protected yourself from outlaws due to the lack of an appropriate police force.
Nowadays there is an good policing system, and therefore the need for private gun
ownership is minimal. Also the staggering rise in gun related injuries and deaths shows
that private gun ownership does a lot more damage to the general public than it does good
to a single individual. Therefore the lawmaking authorities should find a way around the
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second amendment and enforce tougher gun control laws to bring the number of incidents
down.
Due to the reasons above private gun ownership is constantly being criticized and put
under scrutiny by many people. There is a general misconception that if somebody owns
a firearm it will somehow end up in the wrong hands and eventually hurt somebody.
Many people say that law should prohibit the use of firearms by the general public for
any purpose. These are usually people who have suffered emotional or physical damage
from a firearm. Despite the constant scrutiny, gun ownership should be permitted only to
those people who have the proper training and documentation allowing them to operate a
certain firearm. One of the reasons gun ownership should be permitted to some people is
that many people are involved in sports such as: hunting, target shooting etc. Another
major reason for favoring private gun ownership is that it is stated in the constitution of
the United States that anybody has the right to own a firearm. This right is the reflection
of freedom on which the democratic system on the United States is based. Private gun
ownership is necessary in some dangerous urban areas where the police cannot keep the
criminality levels down. In these areas self-protection is essential and owning a gun could
mean the difference between life and death. Despite the lighter aspects of gun ownership,
it should only be allowed to people that have the proper training and documentation.