About Gun Control Law Should Be More Strict In US

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Does the US Need Tougher Gun Control Laws?
Research indicates that on average, the U.S. has 88.8 guns per 100 people. This number is indeed staggering taking into consideration that these firearms are in the hands of civilians. According to procon.org, men make up almost 35% of the people who own one or more guns while women are a meagre 12%. People against gun control laws often cite self-defense reasons, but with issues such as misuse of firearms and gun-related crimes increasing at an alarming rate, the need for more strict gun controls becomes imminent. Every year, about 33,000 civilians are killed as a result of gun violence while another 33,000 are injured (Carter). Given the incidences such as crime and fatalities, there is indeed need to review the existing gun-related laws, and a move to adopt mechanisms to help regulate the use of weapons. According to the Second Constitutional Amendment, civilians have a right to have and own firearms. However, it is essential to acknowledge when people supposedly use their ‘rights’ to infringe on other people’s rights. Conversely, while everyone could be focused on pressurizing the government to enact stricter gun laws, it is also essential to acknowledge the fact that there is a significant majority that honors the existing ones. I disagree with the notion of enacting stricter gun control laws because people feel safer with guns in their homes, having a gun is an individual right, the notion that tougher gun control laws will reduce violence is flawed, and finally, law-abiding citizens will also be stripped their right to own guns in the process. By elucidating on the above points, this article will address and refute the need for tougher gun control laws in the U.S.
According to PewResearchCenter (2013), “the vast majority of gun owners say that a gun makes them feel safer.” PewResearchCenter continues to state that 48% of gun owners have guns solely for protection purposes while only 32% say they need guns for hunting. McCarthy (2014) statement coincides with the above research but he goes on to add that back in 2000, the percentage of people who felt safe with guns was lower. While it might like all talk and no substance, a look at the 2012 Aurora shooting seems to suggest otherwise. According to Lott (2012), the shooter’s choice of theater was no coincidence. “Out of all the movie theaters within 20 minutes of his apartment showing the new Batman movie that night, it was the only one where guns were banned” (Lott, 2012). While the above does not mean that an armed person could have stopped the shooter, it goes a long way to suggest that criminals also consider their target carefully, and it is very unlikely that they would strike where the target might present some sort of resistance. The opinions of Democrats and Republicans differ on this issue with only 41% of the former and 81% of the latter sharing the aforementioned sentiments (McCarthy, 2014). In 2013, the FBI reported that violent and property crimes have decreased but people still felt the need to have guns in their homes back then. However, three years later, Sanburn and Johnson (2017) from the Time reported that violent crime did increase in 2016 and Bruer from CNN echoed their sentiments. Their article further stated that “metro areas saw jumps in homicide, robbery and aggravated assault.” In 2015, the FBI reported that there was indeed an increase of 3.9% in violent crime (fbi.gov). With such reports, it is obvious why people would want to have guns in their homes and feel safe when they have one. These reports are scary and instead of instituting tougher gun controls, the government should work to instill or restore the citizen’s faith in the security systems of the country.
It is also necessary to consider the fact that by instituting stricter gun laws, the government will also prevent law-abiding citizens from owning guns. According to Lott (2012), “instead of making places safer, disarming law-abiding citizens leaves them as sitting ducks.” “Mass shooters don’t follow the law,” says an article from theclause.org. In both articles, the argument presented might seem obvious but is indeed reasonable. Masters (2016) from The Atlantic reports that U.S. “has the highest homicide-by-firearm rate among the world’s most developed nations.” The aforementioned report is shocking and with reports of increased crime in America, it is only fair that people are given the chance to protect themselves. A look at the aforementioned 2012 Aurora shooting scenario elicits the same sentiments as mentioned above. According to Volokh (2015) from The Washington Post, “many mass shootings happen in supposedly gun-free zones (such as schools, universities, bars, or private property posted with no-guns sign).” In his articles, Volokh continues to offer examples of scenarios where citizens with guns shot at or managed to stop gunmen who could have ended up doing damage and killing a great number of people. In his article, Hawkins (2016) from Breitbart also offers 20 examples of the same. These are indeed real-life events where law-abiding citizens stopped criminals with evil intent. However, if the narrative of tougher gun controls had been adopted, probably the above citizens could not have been able to stop such criminals. It is true that having a gun will not save a person’s life but it is evidently an effective tool that a person can use to mount some kind of self-defense. Therefore, instituting tougher gun controls will only help to take away any form of security people have. Criminals have their ways of acquiring firearms and making gun controls tougher will only make it harder for the law-abiding citizens to access guns and not necessarily on the criminals.
The institution of tougher gun laws is also a rights issue, and here, a majority of gun enthusiasts believe the government is infringing on the rights of its citizens. According to Mercado (114), the National Rifle Association (NRA) believes that the government is acting against the constitution when it asks civilians to wait for two weeks before taking possession of a gun after making a purchase. Apparently, the NRA has worked to get politicians behind its rhetoric and so far it has managed to garner substantial support. The biggest question, however, is how does the majority of Americans feel about the need for stricter gun controls. Well according to Diamond (2015) from CNN, “52% of Americans now oppose stricter gun controls,” and this percentage represents an increase. In 2013, Rasmussen Reports indicated that as per a phone survey they conducted, 65% of Americans view gun rights as their insurance cover against tyranny. These percentages seem to fluctuate every time and especially after there have been a mass shooting. According to Perez-Pena (2015) from the New York Times, the arguments for gun control always boil down to “principle, law, and practicality.” ...