Gun Control as a Solution to Gun Violence Research Assignment

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Gun Control as a Solution to Gun Violence
Gun control has been one of the most debated issues, especially in the United States, which has experienced a lot of gun violence in recent years. There have been widespread mass shootings in schools resulting in a public uproar on gun control and gun ownership. The public and policymakers have, yet again, found themselves questioning the effectiveness of gun control laws in the U.S. Yet, the country has experienced changes in different states where, in an effort to reduce firearm-related deaths, some states deregulate Federal gun control laws and others strengthen it (Kalesan, Mobily and Keiser 1847). Gun violence and gun-related deaths have now become a public health crisis as revealed by Butkus, Doherty and Bornstein (704), mostly because the U.S. has the highest gun-related mortality rate when compared to other high-income countries.
There has been a need for effective measures to reduce gun-related deaths, and one of the proposed measures has been on gun control. Gun control is a touchy issue that has elicited opinions among different people. People supporting gun control believe that there is a need for stronger gun control laws, while those against gun control believe that stronger gun control laws will infringe the Second Amendment right. However, imposing stronger gun control laws will reduce cases of gun violence and gun-related deaths by limiting gun ownership.
Scope and Context
The issue of gun control in the U.S. stems from the Second Amendment, which provides a legal basis for the ownership of firearms. The U.S. has gun control laws, both at federal and state levels. These laws are used to regulate gun ownership, but they have been viewed as ineffective because, despite their presence, the U.S. still leads with the highest number of gun-related deaths among the developed countries. This paper provides evidence in support of stronger gun control laws by focusing on how gun ownership has contributed to increased gun violence and gun-related deaths. Further, a counterpoint will be discussed and evidence refuting the objection will also be provided.
Main Claims
Lack of stronger gun control laws increases the number of gun-related deaths, both suicides, and homicides. According to Cook and Donohue (1259), the rate of gun-related homicides is 25 times higher in the U.S than in other high-income nations, while the rate of gun-related suicides is 8 times higher. Further, the rate of gun-related deaths has been on the rise and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that the death rates have increased from 10.3 in 2014 to 12.0 per 100,000 in 2017. Part of this high record has been attributed to the weak gun control legislation in the U.S. and the high rate of gun ownership. Thus, one solution would be to strengthen the current gun laws to ensure that fewer lives are lost through gun violence. In fact, there is evidence indicating that the lack of stronger gun control laws plays a role in increasing the number of gun-related deaths. Cook and Donohue (1261) reveal that states that adopted the right-to-carry (RTC) laws in the past have recorded an increase in violent crimes involving firearms by approximately 42%. Such data indicate the need to impose stronger gun control laws.
Weak gun control laws have also contributed to the high number of guns in the streets. While gun ownership is a legal right provided by the U.S. Constitution, this right can only be preserved if those guns are owned legally. Yet, people who do not qualify to bear and keep arms, especially criminals, end up possessing firearms illegally. A study conducted by Cook, Parker and Pollack (32) revealed that most criminals acquire their firearms from people who are legally qualified to purchase and keep guns. Thus, guns in the streets originate from people who pass all the eligibility requirements provided by current gun laws. In addition, the study revealed that these guns are usually resold to criminals, yet the owners report them as stolen(32). This reveals why gun violence is still rampant because dangerous people end up possessing firearms. There is a need for stringent gun control laws to ensure that legally purchased guns are not resold to criminals. This will eliminate the many guns in the streets and reduce gun violence.
Finally, weak gun control laws have contributed to the gun culture in the country, which has, in turn, increased the need for gun ownership. Gun ownership is not only associated with homicides and suicides, but also with firearm-related accidental deaths and injuries. According to Kalesan, Villarreal, and Keyes (3), gun culture plays a role in increasing gun-related injuries and as such, regulating this gun culture should be one of the main gun policy considerations. Gun ownership is especially high in the south where people have embraced the gun culture for hunting and other pleasure shooting. For instance, Mississippi has the highest gun ownership rate in the country with a prevalence of 76.8% (Kalesan, Villarreal, and Keyes 1). Increased access to guns as a result of the gun culture in the country increases the chances of gun-related homicides, suicides and accidental deaths and injuries. In fact, Butkus, Doherty and Bornstein (705) reveal that reducing firearms-related deaths and injuries requires effective gun regulations to avert the current public health crisis. Stronger gun control laws will keep the g...