Gun Violence In America
Gun violence in America is studied in research papers in political science, sociology, criminology and psychology courses every year. Have Paper Masters custom writes research on gun violence from any aspect you need studied with the most relevant and up to date sources and statistics.
Gun violence remains a persistent social problem in the United States. Gun violence in America results in the following dismal statistics:
- More than 11,000 homicides
- Over 21,000 suicides
- More than 84,000 non-fatal injuries annually
- Each year, gun violence accounts for 1.3% of all deaths in America.
- Estimates are that there are more than 310 million firearms in the United States.
America's love affair with guns finds its root in the Second Amendment, which establishes the right of the people to bear arms. However, there are those who believe that during the 18th century, when the Bill of Rights was written, national defense rested largely on state militias. Because of the Second Amendment, groups such as the NRA actively support the rights of legitimate hunters and those who would own military-grade assault weapons.
Gun violence in America results in a seemingly never-ending series of mass shootings. From the Columbine High School shooting, through Sandy Hook elementary, and Umpqua Community College in Oregon, the nightly news is filled with tragedy after tragedy. There are even neighborhoods in Chicago with homicide rates higher than violent Central American nations racked by narcoterrorism. Gun violence in America has also claimed the lives of four US presidents, with at least 11 other unsuccessful attempts. While it is obvious that gun violence in America is a serious problem, politicians continue to do nothing to prevent tragedies.
Whether citizens should have the right to own guns is a controversial issue in the United States. Most of the argument centers upon having handguns rather than rifles or shotguns. It also focuses upon whether individuals should have to apply for a license or permit in order to legally possess a gun. The reason that this dispute has received national attention is because of the attempt by different governmental bodies to enact laws controlling the ownership of guns by requiring that individuals obtain a license in order to possess one.There are many groups such as the National Rifle Association who lobby against gun control laws while there are many organizations that want gun control laws to be enacted.
Both sides of this issue recognize the fact that handguns are used in a significant number of crimes that are committed each year.In fact, "firearms were involved in 20 percent of robberies, 10 percent of assaults, and 6 percent of rapes". They also recognize the fact that these weapons for the most part were illegally bought by both criminals and law-abiding citizens. Both sides also agree that in "almost 70 percent of all murders involved firearms; most of these weapons ere handguns".
However, those who would like to own handguns legally offer several arguments. Typically, they first point to the United States Constitution that says that individuals have the right to own guns.They also say that gun ownership by law-abiding citizens would be a good deterrent against crime.In research conducted by the writers at Paper Masters, they report that ownership of handguns most likely prevented the death of 40,000 of non-criminal citizens.The majority of these situations involved individuals who used handguns to protect themselves from people who were threatening their home, property, or loved ones.Consequently, many more innocent people might be able to protect themselves from criminals if they were allowed to own guns. People who object to gun control also suggest that gun control laws only impact law-abiding citizens who follow the rules.The laws have little impact on criminals who tend to buy their guns from dealers on the street or steal them from law-abiding citizens."Even if legitimate gun stores were more strictly regulated, this would not inhibit private citizens from selling, bartering, or trading handguns".
Individuals who believe that citizens should not own guns or should have to obtain a permit or license in order to carry one also seem to have many valid points. They too cite the research by Kleck and Gertz. They point out that 30,000 innocent people each year are killed accidentally or by suicides by handguns. There is also evidence that owning a handgun does not reduce the chance of the law-abiding citizen from getting hurt during the period when he or she is trying to protect themselves. "Victims kill far more criminals than" the police do. It is also suggested that supporters of gun control that there is no way to tell if innocent people just resorted to the use of a weapon when another method could have been used.Additionally, those who would like to control the ownership of guns note that without some type of application process, individuals who are mentally ill or who have a history of violence could easily get a gun with the only purpose to harm someone. Also, because of the lack of gun control, many teenagers are able to obtain guns and have used them to commit murder. In summary, it appears that both sides have legitimate arguments for and against gun control. This is probably why there continues to be a controversy regarding whether there should be laws prohibiting the ownership of guns without having a license or permit.The basic argument for individuals who are against gun control say that guns are necessary for the protection of law-abiding citizens against criminals. Those who argue that there should be some type of gun control suggest that handguns cause more problems than they prevent in terms of law-abiding citizens protecting themselves from criminals.Hopefully, a compromise that will satisfy both groups will be reached.