Since it is fundamental to the country's security, gun rights and regulation have been a contentious issue in the US for decades. The goal of the US gun rights legislation was to enable citizens to defend themselves against potential attacks. Additionally, Australia and other countries are debating the relationship between firearms and public safety. However, the right to bear arms has been grossly abused to enable criminal activity and the unfortunate increase in firearm mishaps.
To prevent dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of criminal gangs and individuals with mental illnesses, strict gun control laws should be implemented. Non-stringent policies on guns’ cause tension and mistrust among the civilians making others feel vulnerable to the faction that possesses the firearms. Additionally, if gun ownership is not controlled, criminal activities including mass shooting massacre will escalate and dent the reputation of the government for failure to effects the security of its citizens. In the US, the gun massacre has always been followed with extreme criticism of the rights of civilians to bear guns (De Venanzi 264). Also, re-engineering of the laws came aftermath of these incidences of mass violence to tighten the law making it virtually difficult for criminals to commit such atrocities and get away unpunished (Joslyn & Donald 416). Even though there has often been opposition from the gun activists, a majority of the people and leaders reached a consensus on most of these cases and facilitated creation and adoption of some bills.
Porous gun laws give way to some issues connected to the security of the civilians including both those without guns and gun holders. These challenges are discussed below:
Accidents and misuse of firearms
Accidents caused by guns are rampant in the US owing to the massive number of gun holders. Majorly, these accidents were caused or involved minors and citizens below twenty-five years. Example, in 2005-2010, approximately 3,800 citizens succumbed to an unintentional shooting. Further, the statistics reveal that close of 50% of gun accident deaths involved individuals below the age of 25 years. If guns control could be stricter, this weaponry could not reach the hands of adolescence susceptible to the accidental shooting.
Corrupting individual’s morality
Letting people hold guns uncontrollably is devastating to their morality. Many individuals possessing this weaponry become arrogant and develops aggression towards others on thinking their security is covered (De Venanzi 268). The behavior can escalate to a terrific attitude which might involve harassment and bullying of neighbors and other vulnerable people.
Control of militia
Gun control is essential to curb the possible emergence of militia groups. These groups are outlawed because of their illegal activities including terror and mass killing, also rebelling against the government and authorities. Therefore, controlling gun ownership will be instrumental in avoiding arming these outlawed groups with weapons. Screening can be done to establish the qualified persons to possess firearms for the sole purpose of protection.
Gun violence by minors and mental cases
Children and minors should be restricted from handling or accessing guns because a majority of them are irrational and malicious (Joslyn & Donald 410). They would pick weapons from their guardian or parents and use to commit crimes including mass shooting which will be costly to the gun owner with a possibility of them facing lawsuits and possible jail term.
Accountability
Gun control policies target to improve accountability of the possessors. The state and authorities will demand discipline handling of the firearm with any incidence tracked for responsibility. Moreover, this enhances safe storage of the weapon and limit or eliminates its accessibility by relatives, friends, and family because they will still be held liable for accidents or crimes committed with their firearms (Gillin et al.). Strict gun control policies enforce registration of purchased firearms with the relevant government authority. The exercise will trigger a sense of responsibility by the gun owners confining them to lawfulness and cautious gun handling. In the occurrence of criminal activity or violence involving their weapon, the perpetrators can be tracked by authorities and prosecuted.
Control of lethal weapon
Gun control is utterly critical ensuring that military weaponry is not accessed by civilians. Example, the semi-automatic rifle would be extremely lethal in the hands of civilians. Also, the firearm is not required for self-protection and could cause a fatal accident if caution is not exercised in handling it.
Screening of applicants
Another important component of gun control is the screening of the applicants to determining their validity to possess such weaponry. The exercise is utterly important because it act as a control mechanism greatly preventing future crimes and accidents by people with mental and medical conditions from being issued with firearms. Also, citizens with violent history including murder are eliminated from considerations.
Gun Crimes statistics committed in the US
Suicides
Gun control policies aimed at preventing suicide crimes whereby an individual takes away their life. Suicide cases in the US are extremely high owing to the massive number of guns in the hands of civilians (Wilson 635). Again, the lethality and influx of firearms in public makes it an easy and fast target of committing suicide, and homicides. The year 2010 recorded up to 19,392 adult suicide deaths caused by firearms. Research also reveals that gun suicide deaths in the US accounted up to 51 % of suicides committed in 2006.
Homicides
The United States observes that higher gun availability in public has been associated with increased homicides rates. Research also reveals that 8897 homicide deaths in 2012 were caused by firearms, a decrease by 2181 according to the statistics of 2010 (Gillin et al.).
Mass shooting
A mass shooting is an attack whereby the perpetrator indiscriminately shoots at the civilians causing causalities of above four and numerous injuries to the survivors (CNN). The US has experienced a couple of mass shooting in several of its states including Florida, California, Texas, and more. Below is the statistics on mass shooting between 2014 and 2017.
States with the Most Mass Shootings
from 2014 - 2017
State
City
# Killed
# Injured
1. Texas (13)
Sutherland Springs
27
20
Plano
9
1
Houston
5
0
Channelview
4
0
Del Valle
4
0
Bastrop
4
1
Dallas
5
9
Tennessee Colony
5
0
Houston
8
0
Waco
9
18
Killeen
4
1
Spring
6
1
Fort Hood
4
16
2. California (9)
Corning
6
12
Aliso Viejo
2
2
San Francisco
4
2
Los Angeles
4
11
Temecula
5
0
San Bernardino
16
19
San Francisco
4
0
Goleta (Isla Vista)
4
8
Alturas
4
2
4. Florida (5)
Orlando
6
0
Fort Lauderdale
5
6
Orlando
50
53
Jacksonville
4
1
Bell
8
0
Cleveland
4
1
Gun control in America
Florida
Florida State has recently experienced gun massacre with the attack leaving 50 causalities. A nightclub at Orlando was attacked in June of 2016 and was rated as one of the deadliest attacks in the history of US. Post political discussions called for stricter gun laws to avoid future incidences with the legislators, including the Governor Rick Scott, designing 24 bills aimed at revamping and making robust the control on guns (CNN).
In Texas, the drug cartels from Mexico have capitalized on the porous gun control legislation to perform their illegal activities. Most of the gun violence has been noted to be caused by the drug cartels in their bid to control drug tracking routes, consequently, clashing with the citizens and authorities (Wilson 632). Stricter gun laws will restore lawfulness and eliminate violence and the loss of lives.
The state of California has also experienced gun massacre in its recent history. The terrible mass shooting in the city of San Bernardino claimed the lives of 14 people. Consequently, legislators weighed in introducing six gun control bills to tighten the restriction and control access to the firearms (Gillin et al.). Additionally, the non-stringent and porous gun control were to be blamed for the mass killing of students in the college town of Isla Vista leaving six people dead.
Conclusion
The laws on gun control will play a significant role in lowering violence and loss of lives. The adoption of stricter rules on gun owners will reduce crime rates which included homicides, mass shooting, suicide to nearly 47 % while suicide deaths will drastically decline by over 50 % over the same length of time. Therefore, this positive result in controlling guns in public reveals that the policies are in the interest of the security of the civilians.
Works Cited
CNN “Deadliest Mass Shootings in Modern US History Fast Facts”, 2017
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/16/us/20-deadliest-mass-shootings-in-u-s-history-fast-facts/index.html. Accessed on 30 Nov. 2017
De Venanzi, Augusto. "School Shootings in the USA: Popular Culture as Risk, Teen
Marginality, And Violence against Peers." Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal, vol. 8, no. 3, 2012, pp. 261-278. SAGE Publications, doi: 10.1177/1741659012443233.
Gillin, Joshua, Greenberg, Jon, Jacobson, Louis, and Valverde, Miriam. “The facts on
mass shootings in the United States” 2017, http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/nov/08/facts-mass-shootings-united-states/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2017
Joslyn, Mark R., and Donald P. Haider-Markel. "The Politics of Causes: Mass
Shootings and the Cases Of The Virginia Tech And Tucson Tragedies." Social Science Quarterly, vol 94, no. 2, 2012, pp. 410-423. Wiley-Blackwell, doi:10.1111/j.1540-6237.2012.00894.x.
Wilson, Laura C. "Mass Shootings: A Meta-Analysis of the Dose-Response
Relationship." Journal of Traumatic Stress, vol. 27, no. 6, 2014, pp. 631-638. Wiley-Blackwell, doi:10.1002/jts.21964.
