Composition II Essay 2 Gun Control in America

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Gun Control in America
INTRODUCTION
Gun problem has been identified as a significant societal issue plaguing the United States Citizens in almost all areas of their lives. Many people have attributed the problem to be as a result of the second amendment of the US constitution, which accorded the citizens the right to bear arms for security purposes. However, leniency in gun issuance procedures and lack of adequate regulations on gun ownership have seen the problem get out of control, leading to rising cases of fatalities from gun-related incidences. Civilians who may not be in the right states of mind can purchase guns not only through the black market but also from the regular ammunition stores in the cities which have not instigated proper checks for all individuals who require weapons from their stores. Gun violence incidences as witnessed by the increasing cases in school shooting across the United States have necessitated the continued debate on the contentious issue of gun control. Critiques are opposing gun control highlight that such policies would contribute to rising crime cases all over the US and the reestablishment of gangs in the various states. Nonetheless, I solidly advocate for the enactment of strict regulations and policies that would check the gun problem and bring back sanctity in law enforcement.
The lack of effective policies and regulations regarding the ownership of firearms in the US has contributed significantly to the gun problem and other issues such as gun violence. The 2nd amendment was ideally supposed to enable individuals to protect themselves from all possible security threats before the law enforcement agencies (Pless, 146). For example, people could be able to defend themselves and scare away burglars from their homes or shoot wild animals that attack their homesteads. Additionally, the 2nd amendment provides all citizens with the opportunity to oppose tyranny because individuals are well armed to resist dictatorship attempts by the government.
However, despite the benefits mentioned above, the 2nd amendment was not thoroughly thought through because it did not stipulate any regulations that would ensure that firearm ownership was only restricted to trained and eligible individuals. As a result, statistics indicate that five in every six homesteads in the US have access to at least one firearm (Pless, 146). These weapons are often not adequately secured, and therefore, they are easily accessible to all individuals in the house including the children. The result of the laxity in the safe storage of firearms has contributed to the deadly school shootings witnessed over the recent past across the US. Reports indicate that in 2018, there have been over 23 school shootings which is an average of about one shot a week (Staines, 20).
Additionally, mass shootings involving individuals going through life crisis such as depression in public places have also been on the rise. Studies reveal that purchasing a gun in the US is very easy (Staines, 17). The black market and platforms such as Craigslist provide a ready market for all kinds of firearms (Gius, 498). Leniency in gun ownership procedures witnessed from the ammunition stores has also contributed to the free gun problem. The various gangs and cartels operating across the different states also provide a ready market for guns and other ammunition at low prices. Furthermore, the porous US border has also enabled the smuggling of heavy artilleries into the country and eventually into the hands of regular citizens without the necessary gun training. The various state agencies such as the DEA tasked with the regulation and keeping records of all the firearms in the country have not been compelling enough, and on the contrary, they have been plagued in corrupt activities that have only aggravated the gun problem in the country (Gius, 498).
Nonetheless, the devastating effects of gun violence characterized by loss of lives and life-threatening injuries have necessitated continued debates on gun control. Both Democratic and Republican members have been engaged in consultative efforts to find ways to curb the gun problem. There have been over 100 gun control bills that have been proposed and failed ever since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012 that saw 20 elementary school children and six teachers brutally lose their lives (Cox, 220). However, persistent pressure from survivors and civil rights movements using mass protests on Congress seems to be getting the much-needed support and attention. Republicans, including Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, who was in favor of gun ownership rights has since changed their stands and are engaging Congress to pass a gun control bill.
Currently, there are two bills in Congress including one by Senators Jeff Flake and Dianne Feinstein that aims to raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15 rifle to 21 years for all individuals who are not members of the military (Staines, 23). The other bill seeks to ensure the effective keeping of all gun records through the Fix NICS Act. According to Staines (2018), “many agencies consistently fail to report criminal records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and this bill would increase the enforcement of the rule and gives states financial incentives to report” (p. 21). The Fix NICS Act has also received significant backing from President Donald Trump which is a notable change from his position in previous years. Additionally, there is a proposal by Senator Feinstein to ban bump stocks which are primarily used to convert semiautomatic weapons into firearms capable of firing multiple rounds (Staines, 26). Majority of the gunmen in mass shootings using deploy the services of automatic firearms.
However, persistent party wrangles for supremacy between members allied to the democratic and republican movements, have in the past contributed to the “premature death” of some bipartisan bills that would have significantly addressed the issue of gun control in the US. For example, during the Obam...