Liz
Kelly
ENGL
102-057
Rogerian
Argument Essay
16
March 2013
Should there be Stricter Gun
Control Laws?
The present gun control debate is a
major topic at both a political and social level. The resulting outcome of this current debate
will affect almost everyone. Gun owners
and those who do not own guns across the nation all have passionate opinions as
to the future of gun control in the United States. Recently, there have been many rallies and
marches from both sides of the debate, standing up for what they believe should
be done or left alone. Some call for
stricter gun control laws while others declare that it is our right as citizens
to bear arms and that this right is protected under the second amendment. However, there must be stricter gun laws enacted
in order to help ensure the safety of citizens of the United States.
The current gun control laws must be
revised in order to keep up with advances in firearms technology. The right to bear arms as protected under the
Second Amendment 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” ("Second
Amendment-U.S. Constitution"). However, this amendment was written over 200
years ago and gun technology has changed drastically since the time this
document was written. There were no assault
rifles present when the Second Amendment was ratified. Allowing average citizens to stock up on their
own arsenal is just asking for trouble.
There needs to be stricter regulations on the amount of ammunition and
number of guns an individual may possess.
No one should be allowed to possess an unlimited amount of ammunition
and weapons; it is too great of a risk factor.
Roughly 16,272 murders were committed in the United States during
2008. Of these, about 10,886 or 67% were
committed with firearms ("Gun Control").
There also needs to be deeper
background checks on individuals who wish to own a gun where not only the
criminal record, but a full psychological or mental health examination is done
as well. Dispersing a weapon of any kind
to an individual who has not been fully checked out is simply not good
practice. Based on survey data from the
United States Department of Justice, roughly 5,340,000 violent crimes were
committed in the United States during 2008 (“Gun Control”). These include
simple/aggravated assaults, robberies, sexual assaults, rapes, and murders. Of these, about 436,000 or 8% were committed
by offenders visibly armed with a gun (“Gun Control”). There should be stronger government
regulations and local law enforcement regulations once the gun is in possession
as well. For example, there should be
check-ups to make sure the gun is being stored securely in a safe and that the
gun license has not expired. Having a
longer waiting period for purchasing a gun is also a good idea to discourage
anyone from just buying a gun without a solid purpose. To make the entire process of gun control
more organized as well as easier there should be universal gun laws throughout the
states. If all of the states could get
on the same page it would certainly increase efficiency of managing firearms.
Texas provides excellent an
excellent example of how gun laws need to be improved. For example, in Texas there is no waiting
period for purchasing a firearm nor is there a state registration of firearms
(“Texas Gun Laws”). Since there is no
state registration of firearms, there is no requirement to transfer the firearm
in the name of the owner if they were to pass on the weapon to someone
else. With proper licensing (Concealed
Handgun License) an individual may carry a pistol or revolver on them as long
as it remains concealed (“Texas Gun Laws”).
Long guns (rifles / shotguns) do not have to be concealed, but must be
carried in a manner not calculated to cause alarm, and these do not require a
license (“Texas Gun Laws”). However,
what one individual may find alarming, another may not, which makes this law
subjective. With the passage of the
Motorist Protection Act an individual may now readily carry handguns, loaded
and within reach, as long as they conceal the firearm (“Texas Gun Laws”). Again,
long guns do not have to be concealed and may be loaded and within reach
(“Texas Gun Laws”). Also in Texas, machine
guns are legal (“Texas Gun Laws”). Texas
abides by Federal law which at this time has no restrictions on so-called
"assault weapons" such as semi-auto AR15, FAL, G3 / HK91 rifles
(“Texas Gun Laws”). There is no
limitation on magazines in the state of Texas either (“Texas Gun Laws”). Massachusetts
has stricter gun laws, however, there are still several areas where these laws
can be improved. An FID card permits the
purchase, possession and carrying of non-large capacity rifles, shotguns and ammunition
only (“MassWildlife”). The fee for an FID card is $100.00 for people over eighteen
years old and only $25 for minors (“MassWildlife”). Applicants must be at least
eighteen years old and may be as young as fifteen to seventeen years old with
parental consent (“MassWildlife”). This ID card is valid for 6 years
(“MassWildlife”). First time FID
applicants must have completed a MA Certified Firearms Safety Course or a Basic
Hunter Education Course (“MassWildlife”).
However, to renew their
Fig.
1. This image shows one of the many passionate protesters advocating for
stricter gun laws (“Universal Hub”).
On the
other side of the debate, many argue that gun control laws should be left alone
since it is our right to bear arms as citizens of the United States. Countless numbers of gun owners use these
weapons solely for recreational purposes such as hunting or at a shooting
range, and they do so legally and safely.
Many citizens also own a gun for the sole means of protecting their home
and family. A 1993 nationwide survey of
4,977 households found that over the previous five years, at least 3.5 percent
of households had members who had used a gun for self-protection or for the
protection of property at home, work, or elsewhere (“Gun Control”). Applied to
the United States population, this amounts to 1,029,615 such incidents per
year. This figure excludes all military service, police work, or work as a
security guard (“Gun Control”).
Members
in service require these weapons as part of their job and it is their
responsibility to ensure that they are storing their weapon safely when not on
duty. Another argument opposing stricter
gun laws is that these stricter regulations pose an inconvenience for law
abiding citizens. Why should they have
to go through these deep background checks and wait an extensive period of time
just to obtain a simple hand gun? Another
leading argument is that stricter gun control laws would in fact make it unsafe
for law abiding citizens since they would be defenseless against convicts. According to this line of thinking, even with
stricter gun laws criminals will find a way to get guns anyway illegally. Based on survey data from a 2000 study
published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, United States civilians
use guns to defend themselves and others from crime at least 989,883 times per
year (“Gun Control”). Many also argue
why change the Second Amendment now, when it has worked for the last 200 years?
Some
possible compromises that would benefit both sides of the gun control debate
involve not repealing the Second Amendment of the Constitution but revising it,
as well as current gun laws, to fit the current circumstances and technology of
today. The right to bear arms should not
be taken away from citizens, however, limitations do need to be put in
order. The Obama administration has
already begun tackling this problem and there are several proposed
Congressional actions that will help in the effort to make America safer. Criminal background checks will be required
for all gun sales, including those by private sellers that are currently exempt
(Holyk). Another proposed action is reinstating and strengthening the ban on
assault weapons that was in place from 1994 to 2004 (Holyk). Limiting ammunition
magazines to 10 rounds and banning the possession of armor-piercing bullets by
anyone other than members of the military and law enforcement are also on the
table (Holyk).
This
current control debate is fueled by passionate individuals on both sides of it
who will undoubtedly be affected by the resulting outcomes. As many demand stricter gun control laws,
just as many call for the protection of their right to bear arms. The second amendment does in fact protect our
right as citizens of the United States to bear arms, however, current gun
control regulations must be stricter in order to keep up with the current
technology now readily available to citizens.
Such regulations will create a more organized society as well as help to
prevent future tragedies in our country.
Works
Cited
"Aurora,
Colorado Theater Shooting Timeline." World News. N.p., 26 Jul 2012.
Web. 16 Mar 2013.
<http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/world_news&id=8743134>.
"Gun
Control." Just Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar 2013. <http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp>.
"Gun
Licensing Requirements." MassWildlife.
N.p., 15 Jan 2013. Web. 26 Feb 2013. <http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/education/hed/hed_gun_laws.htm>.
Holyk,
Greg. "Majority Sees Obama’s Gun Control Plan Favorably." abc News.
N.p., 24 Jan 2013. Web. 26 Feb
2013. <http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/01/majority- sees-obamas-gun-control-plan-favorably/>.
Klein,
Ezra. "Twelve Facts about Guns and Mass Shootings in the United
States." Washington Post 14 Dec
2012, n. pag. Print.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/14/nine-facts-about-guns-and-mass-shootings-in-the-united-states/>.
“Man
in Car Shot on Stoughton Street.” Universal Hub. N.p., 15 Feb 2013. Web. 21 Mar
2013. <http://www.universalhub.com/crime/20130215-man-car-shot-stoughton-street.html>.
"Sandy
Hook Shooting: What Happened?." CNN. N.p.. Web. 16 Mar 2013. <http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/12/us/sandy-hook-timeline/index.html>.
"Second
Amendment-U.S. Constitution." FindLaw. N.p., 28 Jun 2010. Web. 16
Mar 2013. <http://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment2/amendment.html>.
"The
Basics." Texas Gun Laws. N.p..
Web. 26 Feb 2013. <http://www.texasgunlaws.org/>.
"Tragedies." Coalition Against Gun Violence. Squonk
Studios, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
