Gun Control
Kaitlyn Potter
Introduction
Would you be surprised if someone told you that the United States is the most heavily armed country in the world (Gun Control)? It’s true. There are nearly 310 million guns in the United States (Moss). Over one half of all American homes house at least one gun (Streissguth 12). American residents are torn between enforcing or denying stricter gun control. An unimaginable amount of lives have been lost due to gun violence. Not only this, but firearms are much easier to access than one may imagine. Citizens of the United States of America have the undeniable right to bear arms, as stated in the Second Amendment, but further precautions must be taken on background checks to make it harder for one to be able to possess a firearm.
Concession
Several groups fiercely oppose all attempts made towards stricter gun control in the United States. The most popular of these organizations is the NRA or National Rifle Association. The NRA is afraid that any kind of gun control will result in a complete ban on private ownership of guns.
Concession
Other people, mostly common citizens, come to possess a firearm under false pretenses. They assume that owning a gun automatically guarantees their personal safety, even though they lack the proper training they need to be able to use a gun effectively.
Rebuttal
People who oppose gun control have one major weapon in their arsenal for this debate: the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment says, “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.” This clearly states that by law, citizens of the United States can legally own and possess firearms. Those who oppose gun control interpret the Second Amendment to guarantee the personal right to keep and bear arms (Gun Control).” Also, the country’s founding fathers such as James Madison and Samuel Adams strongly believed in the ability of citizens to utilize guns in self-defense (Gun Control).” The NRA is the largest, most powerful group of people who vehemently oppose any and all forms of gun control. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Executive President of the NRA claimed that “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun (Moss).” Most guns located in the United States are only ever used for activities such as hunting (Dolan 13). Legally with the required paperwork, all American citizens can privately own a gun.
Rebuttal
Supporters of gun control, which is the majority of Americans, believe there needs to be stricter background checks on people who want to acquire a firearm. The United States is the leader in per-capita deaths caused by guns around the world (Gun Control). Secondly, the number of guns in America outnumbers all the United State’s cars, trucks, and buses by more than 25 million (Dolan 7). It is safe to say that the amount of firearms currently being housed in the U.S. is frightening and, frankly, outrageous. Also, when you look at past mass shootings like the one in Newtown, Connecticut, the shooter has been a person of mental instability, who has easily obtained firearms. This has repeatedly been the case for many of the shootings across the nation. According to statistics, if you own a gun, you are more likely to use it to kill yourself or someone you love, rather than a stranger (Moss). Tourists who come to the United States even claim the U.S. is “an armed camp (Dolan 7).” The amount of violence caused by guns throughout the nation needs to be prevented with the help of more thorough background checks to ensure these dangerous weapons don’t fall into the hands of the wrong people.
People from around the world share their views on gun control
Conclusion
WORKS CITED
Dolan, Edward F. Gun Control: A Decision for Americans. New York: Watts, 1978. Print.
Irwin, Arieff. "Hidden Costs of Arms, In Dollars and Deaths." States United to Prevent Gun Violence | Empowering State Advocates to Save Lives. States United to Prevent Gun Violence, 19 Feb. 2015. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.
Moss, Laura. "Guns Really Do Change the Way You Think." Mothernaturenetwork.org. Green Tech, 29 Jan. 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
N/a. "Background on Gun Control." (2015): n. pag. On the Issues. Web. 8 Feb. 2015.
N/a. "Gun Control." (2015): n. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 Feb. 2015.
Streissguth, Thomas. Gun Control: The Pros and Cons. Berkeley Heights, : Enslow, 2001. Print.