Gun Controlling Our Minds

Dupesh Persaud Professor McCaffrey English 1102 5 November 2018 Gun Controlling our Minds With so many mass shootings and violent acts being reported on the news so often it’s easy to say that guns are the problem, however there’s a whole other side to this other than just what’s being reported. From ever the start of early America after seceding from Great Britain the America people have always been debating the importins of gun control. With so many school shootings and acts of violence in America today, it’s easy to say that gun control would be the best option to save lives. However, current proposed gun control laws will have no affect at reducing mass shootings in the United States whiles simultaneously restricting citizens of rights. Dating back to the birth of this nation after brave men fought off an empire to clamed independence they created rights that everyone under our flag is born with, the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is the most sacred and important document in American history.

When talking about gun control it’s important to understand why people feel so strongly about this not so simple right. The reason we have the right to bear arms is for safety from a tyrannical government. The people of this great nation deserve a way to fight back against a corrupt government; our founding fathers declared that along with other basic right that every America is born with. The First ten amendments make America free and is what brought this great nation together. Your ability to get a gun is something that is taken seriously and has many complications to help prevent people who should not possess them from doing so. Since the start of this great country we as a country have had many debates about the use of gun and regulating them. Most minor gun related incidents such as a child getting a hold of guns and the use of educating children on gun have already been discussed and debated for years, one great example of this would be the Education, Licensing, and National Rifle Association methods on capitol hill 1989 (Wilson 388). Also, we as a nation have passed laws to prevent and stop other miss use of guns. Things like mailing guns as a way to get around background checks and make it easier for people who have committed crimes have been passed.

Along with this we have also passed laws to restrict the purchasing of bump stocks to and any form of altering a firearm to make it an automatic weapon. These debates help America grow as a country and help with heathy alternatives that can stop the small incidence that affect our population rather than removing guns as a whole. As a United States citizen, it’s important to understand that were here to better one another and create a better future for not just ourselves, but our children. Our children are the most important things to us as human and we take that very seriously. As a nation we decided that the best way to keep our children safe when not under our own protection is to enact laws that keep danger away from them; such as gun free zones. Gun free zones are located all around this great nation and not just in public schools; concerts, sports events, most government buildings, airports, also private companies can be labeled gun free zones. These are in place to keep Americans safe by making it so citizens have to leave there registered and concealed carry firearms in their car or home. This will totally and undeniably work under two assumptions, that everyone is following the laws and that everyone is thinking about the greater good over their own personal agendas.

Along with idea that guns can just be left in cars is irresponsible; if a criminal were to break into a car and find a gun that criminal would take that gun and use it in other crimes that make cause more problems for other citizens. Gun free zones are a great idea and should workout to save lives and protect our youth by removing the problem all together. However, this all changes once you start looking at the down sides of this. If an attacker trying to commit mass murder for one reason or another and wants to do the most amount of damage possible his best place to do so would be an area that he or she knows will not have as much protection. What Gun free zones do it more of a signal telling people who are looking to do hard that this area is less protected. By restricting law abiding citizen’s right to self-preservation they are just left hopeless and defenseless when a person breaking that one rule of gun free zones attacks. When looking at gun related mass shootings we must come up with some sort of answer for this major problem in America. However, the ban on Rifles alone doesn’t justify what’s happening in this country.

As an individual I am far more likely to get into a car accident than to ever be in a gun related incident. Along with that is the fact that most gun related mass shootings happen with handing making up eighty-four incidences of shootings and rifles only being forty-one incidences since 1982(“Weapons”). With the graph you can see the weapons used in mass shootings in the United States and its relationship to the number of incidents for each weapon. It highlights the fact that handguns are being used in crimes much more often than rifles and also shotguns by a significant margin. With this it’s hard to say for sure that rifles are the problem in America, because the amount of handgun incidences drastically out way the number if incidences associated with rifles. An incredible majority of gun related deaths are the result of a criminal using stolen and unregistered guns in ways that somehow is having a bigger impact on responsible gun owners than the criminals themselves. Just about everyone can say that there is a problem but to just outright blame an inanimate object for the acts of one person seems rash and irresponsible.

It’s important to look at what exactly were losing when we talk about giving up guns and adopting major forms of gun control. One major problem we see is removing any guns from gun owns just doesn’t seems logical. When you have the majority of gun owners following all gun laws from background check to classes for concealed carry. It might seem like something unnecessary, but this is something people fought for and is something that any responsible gun owner takes seriously. The real problem comes when you have criminals using gun for illegal things like drugs and gang violence; problems like these are the reason gun deaths are so high in America, that being seventy-five perfect of all gun crimes in the united states. Most of these numbers are also coming from the same states, that being New York, California, and Illinoi; It’s interesting because these states have very strict gun laws and regulations to stop incidents like these from happening so much (“Gun”). However, this falls short from what these laws were put in place for and might just be restricting innocent bystanders from protecting themselves and loved ones. Another big problem that is being made is the comparison of the United States to other countries who have lost this right.

Great Britain has had multiple mass murders in its country over the last decade and also has some of highest gun control laws in the world, so much that officers of the law don’t even carry gun for safety or civilian protection. Another example would be “India having almost the same amount of gun in circulation as the United States and not being anywhere close to the amount of mass murders comparatively” (qtd. Lewis). Vox published a very interesting article comparing different countries to the United States and its been talked about a lot(Lopez). They compare the United States to Countries like Switzerland, Canada, and Australia. When looking at this most of these other countries are very different cultures, the exception being Australia. Australia did ban gun and that resulted in no mass shootings from that point in; it still has an increased number in violence since people don’t have a way to protect themselves. It just isn’t as simple as people thing when comparing countries to one another. Cultures and ideals are different when looking at countries and the idea that there laws would work in a melting pot like the United States is radical. A big debate I’ve seen make its rounds in American media is how ridiculous it would be to arm school officials with weapons.

This debated is taken place right after a mass shooting no matter if the shooter was using one or not. It’s sad that we must go through something so tough like the loss of our children when they should be protected. This idea was created to make gun free zones safer for young unprotected students. It’s not something that every teacher should do, however if you do have the experience and knowledge of firearms this should be allowed. The right to self-preservation and self-preservation of our children should be taken seriously. Most gun wielding citizens are responsible and aren’t careless about their firearms and are willing to protect. Our first responders, officers of the law, are here to protect and here to help when we need them. Except when they aren’t around for the first few minutes of mass shooting; so many lives can be taken in those few short minutes and if we had another form of protection it could only help save live. If you are a responsible gun owner and have your permits to own a gun, it is statistically safer to have you around for safety. In this great nation we live in today gun control is one of the most highly talked about issue and is something that has been debated since to start of our great nation. However, as it stands proposed gun control laws truly have no effect at stopping mass shootings and only put more lives in danger by limiting the people who are using guns for defensive use.

Gun control laws only work if everyone is following the laws, however, this is never the case especially when most crimes being committed by guns aren’t registered and criminals aren’t following laws in the first place. America is a nation founded by men and women who gave their lives for the betterment of the people, and the second amendment is something that to this day is one of the most helpful things that makes this country so great.

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