Gun Control
Did you know that "U.S. residents are 117 times more likely to die from a gunshot than people in Japan and 39 times more likely than people in Britain, countries where gun ownership is not permitted."?(Washington Times) By allowing just anyone to own a gun or not putting rules on the guns people do own we are keeping those odds stacked against us. I'm not suggesting that people shouldn't be able to own guns for protection or that we take away their constitutional right, I'm only suggesting that with the guns people own certain restrictions should be placed on them.
Guns can do a lot of damage when they end up in the wrong hands. In the United States alone there are many examples of this. Schools, Malls, and even the sidewalks we walk on everyday are becoming dangerous places to go because of people with guns. On April 16, 2007 Virginia Tech was devastated when a mentally ill man with a gun killed thirty-two and left more wounded. Some advocates of gun control believe that an easy way to make these occurrences less and less is to run tight background checks and have very strict rules regarding who can own a gun. If the person selling guns checks to see if the person is mentally ill or has a criminal history we can stop guns from getting in the hands of people who will miss use them and end up hurting themselves or others.
Another great tool to help save lives from the devastating effects of guns is promoting gun safety. Adding child safety locks and making sure people are properly taught how to use their guns can help save the lives of many. Always having control over your gun and knowing how to use it and how not to use it is key in gun ownership. Putting safety locks on the guns will allow guns that get into the hand of children to be less dangerous and stop them from shooting off on accident. Over the years there have been quite a few accidental deaths because children have gotten a hold of guns. With new laws in place we could decrease these deaths in great amounts.
There are some concerns about gun restrictions though. If we begin to limit who can own a gun or take away that right completely we are taking away that person's right to defend themselves. Without guns to protect themselves the rate of crime will rise because "burglars admit to fearing armed homeowners more than the police." (Conservapedia) With guns to protect ourselves the U.S. crime rate is lower. The guns people carry around scare away that man waiting to steal your purse or break into your house. Without that sense of security many people will be more paranoid and afraid to live their day to day lives.
Gun ownership is linked to more than just crime. It is also linked to suicide. As we give more and more unstable members of our society guns we run the risk of escalating suicides. Handing a gun to a depressed person is like handing a grenade to a suicide bomber, not a good combination. We could prevent a lot of suicides by taking away the tools they need to actually kill themselves, the guns.
In today's political campaign each runner has their own opinion on how gun control should be taken into account in our society. Barak Obama believes that we should make "sure the Second Amendment is respected and that people are able to lawfully own guns, but that we also start cracking down on the kinds of abuses of firearms that we see on the streets" ( On the Issues) On the other hand Hillary Clinton believes "We do need to crack down on illegal gun dealers. This is something that I would like to see more of. We need to enforce the laws that we have on the books. I would also work to reinstate the assault weapons ban. We now have, once again, police deaths going up around the country and in large measure because bad guys now have assault weapons again." (On the Issues) Even the republicans have their own view as Mr. McCain expresses when he says "that the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a fundamental, individual Constitutional right. We have a responsibility to ensure that criminals who violate the law are prosecuted to the fullest, rather than restricting the rights of law abiding citizens."(On The Issues) The issue of gun control, as you can see, has become a major issue in political debate. Whether you are a republican or a demarcate you have to answer at some point, where do I stand on this issue?, and is the person I am voting for going to implement laws that will guide this country in the right direction.
Many also suggest that controlling the gun issue means you need to completely eliminate the ownership of guns in the U.S. but a lot believe this is not true. As long as background checks are done to show that the person is capable of using a gun and using it for the right reasons there is no reason he or she should not be allowed to own a gun. I also believe that child safety locks are a great security feature and should be used on every gun. With these and a few laws to restrict the use of guns, we can reduce the amount of shootings and accidents that happen in the United States every year.