Touchstone 4

Will Stricter Gun Legislation Help Reduce Gun-Related Crimes In The United States? Gueldys Gonzalez Sophia Learning Touchtone 3.2 05/28/2024 Annotations Geiger, A. (2024, April 14). Key facts about Americans and guns. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/ The article gives an overview of gun ownership in the United States of America. The article cites that 1/3 of the houses in the US own a gun, and the individual states self-defence as a primary reason to own a gun. The public of the US is divided on the matter of gun ownership and easy availability, especially partisan lines. The Republicans favour loose gun laws, and the Democrats demand strict laws. This article is a valuable source for understanding the current trends of gun ownership in the US. The data in the article is collected through a comprehensive survey. Thus, the article presents factual data and is a neutral source for academics and students who want to learn more about US gun violence and ownership trends. Hall, C. (2024, January 31). In 2023, Gun Violence Trended Down Across the Country. Centre for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/in-2023-gun-violence-trended-down-across-the-country/ This article was published by the Center for American Progress and authored by Christopher Hall. This article outlines a picture of a declining rate of gun violence across the United States. Around a 7.7% decline was witnessed in violence nationwide in 2023. However, a significant decline was seen in states with strict gun regulations. This shows an uneven decline owing to strict and loose gun laws. This article paints a promising picture of the reduction of gun violence in the presence of severe gun laws. Mueller, K. L., Lovelady, N. N., & Ranney, M. L. (2023). Firearm injuries and death: A United States epidemic with public health solutions. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001913 PLOS Global Public Health published this article and outlines a horrific picture of gun violence across the United States, stating it is a public health crisis. The writers of the article argue that the United States has the highest number of gun violence across the spectrum of developed nations. To resolve the issue, the authors call for immediate actions such as safe storage facilities for firearms and intervention by the lawmakers. This article has used systematic reviews to collect data from recently published articles on firearms. This article views gun violence from the medical point of view by calling the increasing gun violence a public health crisis and demanding immediate action to curb violence. Introduction The debate over gun control to reduce mass shooting incidents has been a contentious issue in the United States in contemporary times. With increasing gun violence, public dissatisfaction is rising against firearms in society, and the demands for strict regulations on guns are rising (Newman & Hartman, 2019). American politics revolves around this contentious issue where there is a surge in public voice about tough regulations on owning and storing guns across the nation. The proponents of the strict gun laws argue that the harsh laws on owning and public display of firearms will significantly reduce the gun violence that is already visible in states with strict gun laws (Hall, 2024). Therefore, the proponents are demanding severe constraints on the sale of guns and demanding to hold the gun industry accountable for all gun violence incidents across the nation. However, the opponents of strict gun laws call any attempt at legislation against firearms a direct attack on their constitutional right and a violation of the Second Amendment in the United States Constitution (Barney & Schaffner, 2019). They also argue that stricter gun laws will not prevent mass shootings as people will resort to illegal methods to get firearms. Therefore, legislating and implementing harsh limitson gun control may face opposition, but it is a crucial step towards the control of gun-related violence in the United States. It is important to enact strict gun control laws to reduce gun violence in the United States, as evidenced by lower incidences of gun violence in developed countries with strict laws. This argumentative paper justifies the need to enact strict gun control laws to minimize gun violence. The paper will first discuss the gun violence by providing data to demonstrate the gravity of the problem. The discussion will also highlight the psychological impact of gun violence in the United States. Discussion The United States of America is one of the most advanced nations in terms of technology, economy, and military. The country has the world’s largest military-industrial complex and produces guns in mass numbers. While most of the weapons produced in the United States are exported to foreign nations, a considerable amount of firearms find their way to American households. According to Pew Research, 42% of American households have firearms (Geiger, 2024). Around 72% of people who own a gun in the US say that they carry a weapon for their safety (Geiger, 2024). Another report estimated the total number of firearms in the hands of private owners is around 400 million (Mueller et al., 2023). Such a staggering number of available guns in private hands is a recipe for disaster. Minor misjudgments or heated arguments between individuals can easily lead to the use of these guns and can become the cause of death for Americans. Mueller et al. (2023) noted that “firearms are also the most common mechanism of homicide, causing 80% of U.S. homicide deaths in 2021.” Ultimately, this data illustrates that many firearms are present in the hands of private citizens that can be fired in minor disputes between two individuals or in groups of individuals. The availability of firearms in society, coupled with socioeconomic and psychological issues in communities, often leads to horrific gun violence. In the United States, in 2022 for example, 46 school shootings were recorded, which is unprecedented since 1999 (Amnesty International, 2023). The total number of casualties in these horrific attacks was around 45000 (Amnesty International, 2023). In addition, Amnesty Inter...