The freedom of purchasing firearms through legal dealers is arguably one of the most contentious topics in the United States today. A great number of gun related incidents have taken place that have resulted in deaths. According to a recent report, in about seventy percent of cases with a shooting, the guns involved were bought legally and were therefore licensed. This gives rise to the burning questions: should gun control be implemented throughout the United States? Is the unrestricted ability to use firearms one of the principal causes behind this shooting spree? There are proponents and opponents of this theory; while many wholeheartedly support the freedom to purchase firearms, other are staunch opposes. In this essay, we will look at what both sides have to say.
Pros of gun control ?
To begin with, let us see what the proponents of gun control have to say about the issue.
Less shooting incidents
As mentioned before, incidents that involve shooting with a firearm features legally purchased firearms in majority of such cases in the United States. In the last 30 years, there have been approximately 70 cases reported of gun shootings in the country, an about thirty percent of the perpetrators used guns that they obtained legally either by themselves, or through their families. Stricter laws regulating the purchase of gun control, along with usage of guns, could potentially have prevented a large number of these attacks, according to gun control proponents.
Tightened security
At present, most of the states in the United States allow anyone of legal age and with proper documentation purchase guns. According to the supporters of gun control, tightened security at the dealers would restrict this number. background checks need to be undertaken on the person wishing to purchase the gun so that the firearm so that the gun does not fall into potentially dangerous and irresponsible hands, eliminating people with criminal background, battling psychological disorders, overtly cultural prejudices, and a history of violent behavior at home and/or outside from the list of people owning firearms.
Protects children
Gun control is not just about restricting people from owning firearms, but also about responsible handling of the firearms that they possess. According to statistics, children form a major section of those victimized by poor gun laws; the death toll includes accidental deaths from children handling firearms they found lying about in the house to teenagers taking an unsupervised firearm and turning it on their peers or at themselves. Stricter gun control laws, according to supporters, would ensure that such incidents are also reduced to a minimum by legally requiring adults to keep their firearms securely away from the reach of children and teenagers at home.
Cons of gun control ?
The opponents of gun control laws also have a fair bit to say about the issue.
Protection of self
A person usually does not purchase a firearm to shoot down random people or resolve conflicts with enemies; they usually buy the gun as a means to protect themselves and their families if the need arises. Incidents of armed burglaries and robberies are not uncommon, and they often end in death when the victims protest. having access to a gun helps in such cases; even if one does not wish to shoot, he gun can at least be used to intimidate the attacker, and in extreme cases, it can certainly be used to injure the attacker and bring oneself back to safety.
Alternate weapons
Controlling the access to guns does not necessarily mean that violent crimes would go down in numbers, not least because most gun crimes are undertaken by people who could legally own a gun. Besides, for people who want to commit a violent crime, guns are not the only option. If guns were not available, they would make do with anything that counts as a deadly weapon.
Flourishing black market
Not making guns publicly accessible will play an instrumental role in helping the black market for firearms flourish. Controlling fair sale of guns will not reduce the number of people who have a criminal bent of mind, and they will find other ways to access this weapon. It will become like what happened during the Prohibition: the sale of alcohol went through the roof in the black market. Similarly, underground gun trade will flourish as smugglers will tap into the unmet requirement of a large number of people.
The gun safety laws are no doubt indeed for a very noble reason, but there will be more to the administration than simply passing these laws. From the discussion above, it seems that gun control is a lot more about educating people about the dangers of unrestricted gun use, and of the safekeeping of these weapons at home. The government would also need to keep a stricter tab on the dealers to ensure that firearms are not sold to just about anyone in any underhanded practice.
Paul Lynne, Editor at ReviewMyThing, brings journalistic expertise to product reviews, offering concise insights across various categories. Passionate about empowering consumers, Paul’s analyses help readers make informed choices. Beyond work, he enjoys travel and gourmet coffee.