The Transformation of Society
The society of today has experienced a significant transformation. They are no longer motivated by remorse but rather by fearlessness. They are not concerned about the moral or legal repercussions of perpetrating a violent crime. As this paper has discussed, there is a higher need to promote gun ownership for the benefit of society and the state as a whole as well as for personal gain.
The Right to Self-Defense
The right of citizens to self-defense is violated when the populace is denied access to firearms or when those firearms are repossessed, endangering the safety of the nation's communities. The National Rifle Association survey, for instance, found out that the number of reported gun deaths were as a result of a self defense that is estimated to occur at the rates of 2.5 million times annually. If the guns had not been used for self-defense, the statistics could have increased the number of violent crimes ("CDC, "Data & Statistics," 2017). In addition, the police officers are understaffed and ill-equipped thus incapacitated to provide security to everyone round the clock. Another survey undertaken by the National Riffles Association among convicts found out that criminals are less likely to commit a crime with prior knowledge that the victim is armed. Denial of gun ownership rights, therefore, makes individuals defenseless and is easy targets to be preyed upon by criminal gangs.
The Positive Motives of Gun Ownership
The laws illegalizing possession of guns, particularly those that strive to ban weapons on the disguise of eliminating "assault weapons," reduces the positive motives that individuals use guns for. The guns are not only used for self-defense but are also used in other positive recreation activities like sports as well as hunting expeditions. In 2011, for instance, the total number of hunters hit the 13.7 million majorities of whom are 16 years old spending approximately $7.7 billion to purchase sights, guns, ammunition alongside other equipment used for hunting ("Pew Research Center,"2014). The revenue collected from the purchases of the guns for sport and hunting purposes increase the overall Gross Domestic Product of the country. The increased revenue translates into increased budgetary allocations on infrastructural development as well as improvement in other sectors to boost economic growth. The burning or illegalizing gun ownership will prevent the country from collecting adequate revenues. What amazes is the extent that the proponents towards illegalization of gun ownership have gone in perpetuating their agenda. They conjure the weapon terming them "Assault weapons" to poison the general good of the weapons as well as to lobby for public support ignorant of the job opportunities that engagements to such co-curriculum activity have created (Cornell & DeDino, 2004). When a random background check on the individuals supporting the burning of weapon ownership is undertaken, a majority of them are drawn from the elite populations who stay in leafy suburbs full of police patrols that criminals cannot access. In addition, they have a weapon in their possession hidden within their easy reach in case of an invasion yet they are in the forefront in the fight to eliminate ownership of the guns among the socioeconomically deprived individuals.
Racial Bias in Gun Control Laws
Gun control laws are ill-intentioned and are entirely racism-oriented. The majority of gun control laws target the poor black communities who, on most occasions, are associated with more dangerous gun ownership and use as compared to the white counterparts. An American walking down the street holding a gun, for example, is perceived to be protecting the American ideals. An African American undertaking the same is branded the country's number one enemy (Cornell & DeDino, 2004). Further, in the periods ending 1960, the gun control measures were enacted as a strategy to prevent the gun-carrying militants known by then as "black panthers" that were purely men of color agitating for equality. The fear of the unjust regime that segregates its citizens based on an individual's skin color not only infringe their rights but creates an eminent rebellion. The revolt, in the long run, justifies the black Americans to arm themselves, legally or illegitimately, to evade the possibility of a retaliatory attack from the white majority (Cornell & DeDino, 2004). Consequently, there will be an increase in terror and terror-related activities that enhance the justifications to allow gun ownership to melt all the fears amidst an environment that is marred by terror and terror-related activities.
The Ineffectiveness of Gun Control Laws
The gun control has elevated crime and criminal activities contrary to what it was initially intended. Others have proposed the complete elimination of high-capacity magazines. What the proponents of such legislation are ignorant of are the fact that changing the small gun magazines are faster and takes relatively shorter time. That is, to say the least, that an individual who uses higher-powered magazine is more efficient in undertaking a criminal activity that involves shooting as compared to the next individual who uses the small gun magazine. Nevertheless, the Kalesan et al. (2016) found that the majority of state-sanctioned ways of gun control laws do not in any way control the circulation of guns within and around the US borders. The arms are still finding their way into the country's black markets increasing the number of weapons in the hands of criminals. Terrorism, as well as terror-related activities, intensify as people have cheaper ways of acquiring weapons without the bother of having to produce legal documents as well as present medical records to purchase a gun. Even though the black market business is under intensive surveillance, gun robbery still takes place proving that criminals gun supply is still flowing continuously which they use to attack unarmed civilians.
Addressing the Leading Causes of Mortality
There is no necessity to have control of guns premised on the peddled lie that a lot of mortalities are as a result of gun violence. There are other leading propagators of morbidity and mortalities.
Comprehensive Education for Gun Safety
According to research undertaken by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading causes of death in the US are heart disease, cancers, diabetes, as well as Alzheimer in that order, then as a result of gun deaths. Surprisingly, firearms deaths were down the list occupying number twelve ("CDC, "Data & Statistics," 2017). However, what is agreeable is the harm with which one gun in the hands of an unauthorized person can cause as compared to the above-listed diseases. One gun loaded with twelve rounds of ammunition, for instance, can kill more than 12 people. To some extent, the gun control practice has witnessed a tremendous reduction in gun-related violence. However, there are licensed gun owners who still use guns to perpetrate violence by either leasing to criminals as well as using the firearms to injure unarmed fellow citizens. People should be armed or entirely unarmed to create a level playing ground. However, that doesn't suggest that one should take the law into his or her own hands but report any infringements to an individual's right so that a legal action should be considered.
Infringement of Privacy
There are retrogressive gun control legislation, the microstamping as well as the background checks, for example, that are an infringement of individuals' privacy (Kalesan et al., 2016). Microstamping legislation demands the establishment of a database of all the licensed gun owners as well as the codes that their guns could leave behind on cartridges with the intention of monitoring their gun control. The background checks, on the other hand, are composed of a single database comprising information on an individual's gun owners that includes mental health history, name, criminal records, address among an array of other traits. Such legislation aims to create a bureaucracy in accessing guns through legal means. Individuals defy such an order and go ahead to purchase weapons on the black market, where the commodities are relatively cheaper (Kalesan et al., 2016). Consequently, the guns are in the unauthorized hand which not only threatens their livelihood but also endangers the close contact extending to the community up to the state level.
Comprehensive Gun Safety Education
In conclusion, there is no need for more strict rules and penalties with regards to gun control. What is needed is a comprehensive education about gun safety in a bid to deter accidental deaths. This is because there is no single incidence where a gun just went off by itself and killed somebody (Cornell & DeDino, 2004). It is the people operating the weapons who eventually inflict pain as well as kill colleagues deliberately or through accidents. There is a need, therefore, to intensify a campaign to sensitize people on the effective and efficient gun management skills. The enlightenment campaign will provide a platform where the people can learn the situations that gun use is more appropriate and the necessary precautionary measures that they could take to prevent any accidental death as a result of inappropriate gun handling.
References
CDC, "Data & Statistics. Number of deaths for leading causes of deaths. March. 15, 2017. Retrieved https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
Cornell, S., & DeDino, N. (2004). A Well Regulated Right: The Early American Origins of Gun Control. Fordham L. Rev., 73, 487.
Kalesan, B., Mobily, M. E., Keiser, O., Fagan, J. A., & Galea, S. (2016). Firearm legislation and firearm mortality in the USA: a cross-sectional, state-level study. The Lancet, 387(10030), 1847-1855.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, "Growing Public Support for Gun Rights," Dec. 14, 2017. Retrieved http://www.people-press.org/2014/12/10/growing-public-support-for-gun-rights/
