Gun Control & GUN OWNERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES

Crime is among the most sensitive issues of concerns in the society. Although other issues like unemployment and health are critical, most people in the United States have tremendous priority for personal safety. This has been a crucial factor of consideration behind the raging debate on gun control. Over the years, there has been an increase in the rates of gun ownership in this country. In 2009, approximately 42% of American households had a gun (Carter 2012).This shows high rates of gun ownership in the country. Some people are strong proponents of gun ownership while others perceive it as a platform for perpetrating crime. In essence, the lack of strict gun control laws has been a critical reason behind the escalation of criminal activities in the United States. With stricter gun control laws, it would have been easier to avert some of the shooting incidences in the country. This paper seeks to present a comprehensive assessment of the various reasons why the stricter gun control laws would be effective in reducing crime.

GUN OWNERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES

As of 2010, approximately 42% of households had one or more guns. This is such a high rate of ownership considering that the United States had as population of more than three hundred million. During the same period, approximately 75 million adults owned a gun. This figure represents about 34% of all adults in the United States (Gardner, 2011). On the other hand, about 45 million Americans own a handgun. These statistics indicate higher rates of gun ownership in the United States compared to other countries in the west. The laws for gun control in vary across states.In Illinois, it is illegal for any citizen to carry a concealed gun. In other States such as New York and California, state legislation allows citizens to carry a concealed gun so long as they obtain licenses from the relevant authorities.

In most states, citizens can obtain permits to carry concealed guns as long as they qualify (Carter, 2011). The federal laws for gun control and ownership apply to all states in the country. Under federal laws, convicts have no right to transport, access, or possess any type of gun. The violation of this federal provision is subject to ten years’ imprisonment.Under the federal provisions for gun control and ownership, it is illegal to manufacture, import, and sell firearms if he or she does not have a permit from federal authorities (Doeden, 2012). However, the implementation of this law has been largely ineffective. This is because there are numerous unauthorized dealers who import and sell firearms in the country. Under the federal regulations for gun control, it is illegal for any individual to sell guns to a convict or an individual who does not qualify for a gun license. The violation of this provision is tantamount to ten years’ imprisonment (Lott, 2010).

REASONS FOR GUN OWNERSHIP

Gun ownership is extremely popular in the United States. Different people use guns for different purposes. For instance, some people own guns for hunting purposes while others use them to enhance personal security. Following is an evaluation of the various reasons for gun ownership in the United States.

SPORT HUNTING

Sport hunting is highly popular in the United States. This mostly occurs in the rural areas where there are adequate habitats for wild animals. Although there are numerous tools for sport hunting, guns are popular to most people. When individuals apply for gun ownership licenses, they offer sport hunting as the main reason. Sport hunting has thus been a pivotal element behind the high rates of gun ownership in United States (Carter, 2012).

PERSONAL SAFETY

In addition to sport hunting, personal safety serves as another reason for high rates of gun ownership in the United States. The rates of criminal activities in the United States are relatively high. Consequently, this has made personal safety an essential priority for most Americans. For instance, some individuals live far away from police stations (Siegel 2011). Raiding such households is convenient for robbers.In order to maintain personal safety, owners of such homesteads apply for a gun. From a different perspective, wealthy people or leading politicians live under the fear of potential attacks. Such citizens feel that they should apply for guns in order to thwart possible attacks. The rate of gun ownership among affluent Americans is unusually high. This also applies to celebrities who apply for guns in order to enhance personal safety (Jacob 2002).

THE IMPORTANCE OF STRICT GUN OWNERSHIP LAWS

Strict laws for gun ownership will help in minimizing crime. Although guns play essential roles such as the enhancement of personal safety, they are deadly weapons. A case at hand is the Virginia Tech massacre of 2007. During this deadly incident, more than thirty students lost their lives. A young student used a handgun to kill his colleagues in this institution. Such a deadly massacre adds strength to calls for stricter laws for gun control. This section seeks to provide reasons for justifying the importance of strict gun control laws in the United States (Doeden 2012).

INCREASING RESPONSIBILITY

Strict gun control laws have an inherent capacity to increase responsibility among gun owners. Irresponsibility among gun owners has been a critical perspective towards the escalating rates of crime in the country. For instance, some people own guns yet they are not familiar with the fundamental necessities of gun safety. Additionally, other people own guns yet they have mental disorders. These are dangerous trends with regard to gun ownership in the United States (Gold 2004). However, strict gun control laws will be beneficial in terms of enhancing the standards of responsibility among gun owners. Instances of reckless shooting would be minimal if strict gun control laws are in place.

REDUCTION OF VIOLENT CRIMES

In addition to the enhancement of responsibility, strict laws for gun ownership will help in minimizing violent crimes. More than 70% of violent crimes in the United States involve guns. This is mostly predominant in states where the law allows the possession of guns by persons who qualify. The current rates of violent crime in the United States are higher the rates evident in previous years. This is because of a massive increase in the rates of gun ownership among citizens.Robbers and other malicious individuals take advantage of lenient laws in order to commit crime (Gross 2008). For instance, when an individual has a license for gun ownership, he can take advantage of the license to purchase dangerous rifles. Consequently, he uses such rifles to perpetrate criminal activities.Another perspective of consideration with regard to violent crime pertains to the emergence of notorious gangs. This mostly occurs in neighborhoods where the standards of living are low. Such gangs can easily access dangerous rifles because of the lenient legal framework for gun control. These gangs might use these rifles to terrorize innocent citizens or to perpetrate other violent activities. Such eventualities would not occur if strict gun control policies are in place. Such laws will also help in cracking down on all illegal gangs (Carter 2012).

CHILDREN SAFETY

Strict gun control laws would also be helpful in enhancing children safety in the United States. As evident from the statistics, the rates of gun ownership within American households are extremely high. This puts children at a greater risk of gun attacks. When some parents disagree, they might vent their fury by shooting the children. In the United States, most cases of domestic violence involve violent assaults using rifles. From a different perspective, children might cause deaths when they accidentally handle the guns. There is high to dangerous rifles due to the lack of strict gun control laws. It is also easy for such children to indulge in crime at some point in their lives (Jacob, 2002). This justifies the importance of strict gun control laws with regard to the enhancement of children safety. In rural areas, it is easy find a teenager using a gun to hunt in the bushes. There is a high likelihood for such children to cause dangerous accidents using the handguns. However, such instances will be minimal through the establishment of strict gun control laws. Dangerous shooting incidents such as the Virginia Tech massacre show how children and teenagers face the threat of insecurity due to the lenient laws for gun control (Gold, 2004).

CONTROLLING DRUG ABUSE

Strict laws for gun ownership are also essential platforms for controlling drug abuse in the United States. The abuse of illegal substances such as marijuana and cocaine is widespread in most parts of the country. Although there are many factors behind the prevalence of substance abuse in America, lenient gun control laws are also to blame. Drug barons also double-up as hardcore criminals in order to conceal their businesses. Consequently, they take advantage of lenient laws for gun ownership in order to protect these businesses. In essence, it is almost unimaginable to find a drug baron who does not own a gun or another rifle. This shows the role of guns in drug abuse (Gardner, 2011).The enactment of stricter laws for gun ownership will serve as a vital platform for controlling drug abuse in the country. Through such laws drugs barons will find it hard to escape drug-nets. Additionally, the enactment of strict laws for gun control will discourage aspiring drug dealers from venturing into this sector. Hardcore drug barons are known to shoot innocent people in order to conceal evidence. This shows that the drug dealers are also perpetrators of crime. However, strict laws for gun control will be helpful in minimizing these types of instances.

LAW AND ORDER

When most people in the population have guns, there is the high likelihood of petty crimes. With a gun, an ordinary man can easily scare people in the neighborhood. Lenient laws for gun ownership have been behind numerous Incidences of burglary in shops and other business entities. It is quite difficult for the police to maintain law and order when people have firearms in their houses. In some instances, some gun owners might use the same firearms to attack policemen. For the maintenance of law and order in the society, it is thus fundamentally essential to enact strict laws for gun ownership. This will make the American society habitable for all people without fear of attacks (Doeden, 2012).

DRAWBACKS

Throughout the analysis, it is evidently clear that the implementation of stricter laws for gun control will help in reducing crimes. This fact notwithstanding, it is fundamentally essential to examine some potential drawbacks of strict laws of gun control. Opponents of strict laws for gun control use these shortcomings as the main basis of their arguments. Firstly, there is the argument that strict laws will lead to an escalation in crime. This is because criminals will take advantage of these laws to terrorize innocent citizens. In essence, some neighborhoods are notorious in terms of rampant criminal activities. Consequently, most citizens would feel unsecure living in such neighborhoods (Gardner, 2011).Consequently, opponents of strict gun control laws argue that such regulations would render some neighborhoods inhabitable.

From another perspective, strict gun control laws might create an enabling environment for the illegal sale of firearms. In the wake of strict laws, the price of firearms such as handgun would skyrocket. Consequently, this would create a lucrative market for illegal firearms. There is also the possibility of rebellious behavior. In retaliation of strict laws, criminals might vent their fury on innocent citizens. This perspective might contribute towards the escalation of crime in the country.Although Illinois has among the strictest policies on gun ownership, the rates of crime in the state are extremely high. Similar trends are also evident in California and New York. Opponents are assertive that strict laws for gun control will not necessarily alleviate the rampant incidents of crime. Additionally, opponents argue that people participate in crime due to other problems like unemployment. Consequently, stricter gun ownership laws might not help in solving social problems for American citizens (Lott, 2010).

CONCLUSION

The paper provides a comprehensive justification of the importance of strict gun control in reducing crime. In most states, citizens can obtain permits to carry concealed guns as long as they qualify. The federal laws for gun control and ownership apply to all states in the country. Under federal laws, convicts have no right to transport, access, or possess any type of gun. The violation of this federal provision is subject to ten years’ imprisonment. In addition to sport hunting, personal safety serves as another reason for high rates of gun ownership in the United States.The rates of criminal activities in the United States are relatively high. Consequently, this has made personal safety an essential priority for most Americans. For instance, some individuals live far away from police stations. More than 70% of violent crimes in the United States involve guns. This is mostly predominant in states where the law allows the possession of guns by persons who qualify. The current rates of violent crime in the United States are higher the rates evident in previous years. This is because of a massive increase in the rates of gun ownership among citizens.

References

Carter, Gregg. 2012. Guns in American society. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO

Doeden, Matt. 2012. Gun control: Preventing violence or crushing constitutional rights? Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing

Gardner, Thomas and Anderson, Terry. 2011. Criminal law. Mason, OH: South-Western

Gold, Susan. 2004. Gun control. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish

Gross, Kristin. 2008. Disarmed: The missing movement for gun control in America. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press

Jacob, James. 2002. Can gun control work? Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press

Lott, John. 2010. More guns, less crime. Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press

Siegel, Larry. 2011. Criminology. Mason, OH: South-Western

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