Name

Professor

Course

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Gun Control.

Gun control is defined as any legal measure put in place with the intent to prevent and restrict the ownership as well as the utilization of firearms by civilians. Gun control may be defined as a set of regulation and strategies, and the implementation of the strategies will lead to a decrease in gun violence and in return promoting the safety in schools, homes as well as safety in the community (Lott, 106). Some of the gun control strategies include; the promotion of gun safety which revolves around the implementation of sensible gun laws. The sensible gun laws will certainly reduce the access to the lethal weapons and in return reduce the risk of crimes or even loss of life that are often associated with the possession of firearms. The cultivation of a culture of gun safety is another key and important gun control strategy. The gun safety culture can be established by; ensuring that the youth and other individuals who are at a higher risk of harming themselves as well as others have a reduced access to the fire arms. The government has the responsibility of holding the gun industry accountable and to also ensure that the marketing and the sales of guns is done in a transparent and deviation freeway (Jehan, 11). It is also paramount to seek the counsel of the responsible gun dealers and those that own in the guns in on the solutions that will ensure the communities run smoothly and that crime stays nowhere closer to the state. It is also necessary for the owners to undertake training as well as responsible licensing before they can have a gun with them. The last strategy on ensuring the establishment of gun safety is to ensure the guns are stored in a safe and secure place to prevent them from getting into wrong arms (Luca, 123).

From reliable research it is stated that the Statistics on gun possession in the United States stands at 120.5 guns per 100 individuals which may be translated as 393,347,000guns and it is registered as the highest number in the world. From the statistics approximately 22% of the American population are in possession of firearms. Out of the percentage 35% are men and 12% are women. The gun culture in the United States is dated back to its colonial period, the activities of that early life as the country rose to supremacy and it led to the second Amendment (Manier). The terms of the amendment stated that; the security of a free state heavily relied on having a well-organized and equipped community and also ensuring it is well-regulated in that the arms are not misused and it that case people have the right to keep and bear Arms.

Certain individuals, advocating for gun control admit that the second Amendment was meant for the military and that if gun control is correctly implemented then there will be great reduction in gun violence and that restrictions on the guns have always existed and most of the gun owners are receptive to new gun regulations as most of them cooperate. The other key element of gun control is seen in the terms of the Second Amendment, where it is clear that the militia were given the right to bear firearms not to utilize them wrongly.

It is important to note how gun control will drastically reduce deaths related to the guns. Between the periods of 1999-2016 the authorities have reported the death of 572,537 individuals due to the gun, out of the cases a greater percentage is contributed by suicides homicides and other unintentional causes of death (Spitzier, 67). It is necessary to have some control on certain things, because the lack of gun control may result in other heinous mistakes and even the loss of innocent souls such as children, from articles it is clear that the when an individual purchase aa gun they may resort to negatively use it and in return they harm innocent people and hence the importance of having the strategies of gun control in place. During the purchase of the firearms it is the responsibility of those selling to do background checks so as to ensure the item is being sold to an individual who will be responsible enough and not harm other citizens. It is also projected that when background checks are effectively done then the deaths significantly drop by 80.7% (Jones, 164-174). Also the fire arms should be correctly identified as well as ensuring the individual using and purchasing the fire arm is licensed in a bid to decrease the number of homicides. Gun control has the advantage of ensuring the media channels that give wrong information are banned because of how they may employ exaggeration while reporting an issue such as mass shootings. The high-end magazines in particular have the tendency of exaggerating figures to skyrocketing limits, as the individuals who hold position of leadership in such organizations or magazine companies may tend to influence the information as they belong to particular gangs and they may want to get away with specific things and hence manipulate figures. Gun control strategies ensure there are stringent measures that will most definitely reduce gun violence.

One of the implications of gun control will be that the guns will be kept out of the wrong hands. The legislations on the gun controls have frameworks and strategies that are put in place to ensure that guns will be kept out of the wrong hands. These frameworks and strategies would ensure that there are an expansion and thorough checks done on the guns before sale and change of ownership to ensure that the illegal guns are kept out thus reducing gun and gun-related violence. Gun control ensures that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are empowered and ensures that all dealers in gun both the public and private sellers obtain registration papers, licenses, allow for mandatory background checks on their warehouses and stores and to validate where there will be the possibility of managing and tracking of the firearms once they have been sold. Their flow and change of hands (Miah, 2018).

The gun control laws also aim at dealing with guns and gun-related violence by having effective control when managing mental health treatment. One of the reasons for the increase of guns and gun-related violence in the united states was the lack of proper mental treatments where the mentally retarded individuals owned guns illegally. This program is facilitated and made possible by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks and follows up the background of offenders and validates them to ensure whether it is fair or not for them to own a gun. This information is relayed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics which shows that more two million guns have been prevented from possession by wrong hands through such measures.

Gun control will also lead to the formation of a gun safety technology that will need to be adopted by the states and the federal executive. This gun and safety technology is required to prevent any occurrence of gun violence in the future. The limitation or reduction of gun ammunitions that can be possessed by citizens is an effective idea that will help in minimizing the number of guns and gun-related violence. A decrease in the number say from 100 round ammunition to 10 round ammunition is effective in reducing the number of causalities in case of any gun or gun related attacks. This technology to be embraced by the states and the federal executive will ensure these measures are implemented further adding to the safety of the people.

Guns control will also have a significant impact on the way law enforcement is done. Guns control laws mandate that there be an effective and efficient background system for checkups and follow-ups. This is mandatory to ensure that guns are poses by genuine people and that the guns do not land on the hands of criminals who can take the opportunity to harm innocent lives. The implication, therefore, is an additional funding and an effective system that ensures that these laws are implemented. There is also the need for political goodwill to support the enforcement since the background routine checks require additional support to achieving the required results.

Gun control will be effective and have a significant role in helping reduce gun violence in the united states (Santhanam). However, for this to be effective there is a need for the national and federal authorities to strictly and effectively implement Gun control would lead to a significant reduction in the gun-related violence in the United States. This would require the federal and national authorities to strictly implement the existing gun control laws as well as a formulation of additional comprehensive legislation that would control guns in the United States and make the nation safe. Having tough law on the ownership of guns as the gun control stipulates will ensure that guns and gun-related violence are reduced in three main ways. The first steps involve the intensive background checks by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will ensure that all guns are licensed and can be tracked to the owner and this reduces the number of guns that fall into the wrong hands such as criminals who can use it to carry out violence. The second way is that gun control facilitates the development of effective law enforcement by the local authorities who follow up on the gun sales and registration on the local levels in efforts to ensure that the guns do not land into unlawful hands and hence reducing gun-related violence. The third way involves the limitations of the number of ammunitions available to gun holders. This will, in turn, reduce the number of victims say in case of gun violence (Pros & Cons org).

Gun control laws protect women and the less privileged group of individuals from domestic violence. There are several underlying reasons that may lead to domestic violence to the extent of presenting the gun. It is the responsibility of the government to protect its citizen from such calamities by ensuring the gun control laws are adhered to. It is also important to view gun violence as critical but preventable public health concern. Women in the United States are 11.4 times more like to be victims of gun homicides as most of the shootings that occur revolve around domestic violence. CITATION DHe15 l 1033 (Richardson).

The Gun control policies are also made in the basis of the following terms. The terms have mostly been discussed in the paper above and they include: there is a minimum age for the purchase of firearms. Individuals that are 18 and above can purchase the shotguns and ammunition while the handgun is sold to individuals above the age of 21. Mentally unstable individuals are never permitted to purchase a firearm as they may use it to harm other individuals. It is also important to understand that the background check is required before one gets the firearms. Gun control has certainly played a critical by ensuring law and order is maintained, as people may use their guns within their jurisdiction and may not threaten the lives of other individuals or harm them in any particular way. Individuals that possess firearms are also given the mandate to take care of the arms and not harm other people in any way.

Throughout the article, there have been many components of the gun control discussed. It is evident that the article majorly focuses on gun control and everything that revolves around gun control. Gun control is mentioned to have created a safer environment for individuals living in that very state. Gun control prevent homicide and suicide from occurring and hence life is protected and individuals may comfortably live without being worried. Gun control has also backed up the security of the state as it helps firearm bears to act responsibly and to also protect themselves from so many dangers from individual who might want to harm them. When effectively implemented gun control measures, there will be a limited number of guns which are in illegal hands such as the criminals and extremists through proper monitoring, background checks help to ensure instances of a gun and gun-related violence such as mass shootings are minimized or reduced and the country is safe.

Works Cited

Connors, Kelly, et al. “State Gun Laws That Actually Reduce Gun Deaths.” Boston University, Boston University, 6 Aug. 2019, http://www.bu.edu/articles/2019/state-gun-laws-that-reduce-gun-deaths/. Accessed 23 October 2019

Jehan, Faisal, et al. “The burden of firearm violence in the United States: stricter laws result in safer states.” Journal of injury and violence research 10.1 (2018): 11.

Jones, Michael A., and George W. Stone. “The US gun-control paradox: Gun buyer response to congressional gun-control initiatives.” Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER) 13.4 (2015): 167-174.

Lott, John R. More guns, less crime: Understanding crime and gun control laws. University of Chicago Press, 2013.

Luca, Michael, Deepak Malhotra, and Christopher Palanquin. The impact of mass shootings on gun policy. No. w26187. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2019.

Manier, Lauren. “Does Gun Control Really Work?” National Center for Health Research, 12 Apr. 2018, http://www.center4research.org/does-gun-control-really-work/.

Morrall, Andrew. “The science of gun policy: a critical synthesis of research evidence on the effects of gun policies in the United States.” Rand health quarterly 8.1 (2018).

“Pros & Cons ProCon.org.” Gun Control, https://gun-control.procon.org/.

Santhanam, Laura. “Most Americans Support These 4 Types of Gun Legislation, Poll Says.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 10 Sept. 2019, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/most-americans-support-stricter-gun-laws-new-poll-says.

Spitzer, Robert J. Politics of gun control. Routledge, 2015

Outline

1. Introduction
2. Thesis statement: Texas State should adopt stricter gun control laws in order to mitigate violent gun-related crimes, accidental deaths attributed to gunshots, and lessen gun related violence
3. Supporting Arguments
4. Stricter gun control laws will reduce the prevalence of violent crime rates in Texas
   1. In an ideal society where the gun control laws are observed, it can be argued that less availability and ownership of guns translates to reduced crime rates.
      1. Wright and Wintemute (945) established that there is a positive relationship between ownership of guns and crimes that are gun related such as homicide and suicide.
   2. Opponents of gun control maintain that gun control laws should be less strict for the purposes of self-defense against crime.
   3. It makes no sense to increase gun ownership to for self-defense against the crimes attributed to gun ownership.
      1. There is no evidence indicating that people who acquire firearms for self defense have been victims of violent gun crimes.
5. Stricter gun control laws can reduce cases of fatal domestic violence.
   1. Cases of domestic violence involving fatal injuries are always linked to a gun being present at the house.
      1. In the last five-year period in the United States, homicides taking place in the domestic domain have contributed to about 5 million deaths, with a significant fraction of the reported homicides being attributed gun presence in the house (Webster, Vittes and Vernick 145).
   2. Opponents of gun control argue that that there are other predictors of domestic violence such as alcohol abuse; as a result, domestic violence and fatal homicide cannot be attributed to gun ownership.
   3. This argument is misguided basing on the fact that the availability of a firearm in the house increases the likelihood that domestic violence will turn out fatal.
      1. More than half of the reported cases of domestic violence involve gun use; therefore, gun procession is a significant predictor of domestic violence
6. Public support for reforms in the Texas gun control laws is increasing.
   1. The government ought to heed the call by the increasing public concerns regardi9ng the need for reforms in the gun control laws.
      1. 82% of gun owners were of the opinion that mandatory background checks were needed for licensed gun dealers as well as all gun sales.
      2. About 60 percent of the respondents advocated for laws that make it mandatory to report gun thefts and advocated for stricter standards when issuing permits to carry around concealed firearms.
   2. Opponents of stricter gun control laws cite that such polls are often conducted after incidents of mass shootings, a time when almost everybody perceives guns as the primary cause of such shootings without looking at other factors such as the mental health status of the shooter.
   3. When evaluated over long timeframes, it can be observed that the public attitudes towards gun control laws have changed drastically, especially favoring the enforcement of stricter gun control laws.
7. The Right-to-Carry (RTC) laws are a threat to public safety by increasing the prevalence of aggravated assaults.
   1. The RTC laws enable people who are not legally qualified to possess guns carry around concealed guns while in public.
      1. study by Etter and Birzer (119) whereby at least 2400 permit holders of firearms were charged with crimes (not taking into account traffic violations), which included 10 manslaughters and about 200 felonies.
   2. Advocates for RTC laws draw upon the premise that every person who is qualified to legally acquire a gun is law-abiding and has relatively low risk of being involved in violent crime.
   3. There is a linkage between RTC laws and cases of aggravated assaults, which is a threat to public safety.
8. Conclusion
   1. Stricter gun control laws will make sure that guns are not easily accessed and owned; as a result, violent gun-related crime rates will reduce, thereby eliminating the need to possess a firearm on grounds of self-defense.

Limits on Guns

Introduction

Gun control refers to the policies and laws enforced with the primary objective of limiting the ownership and use of firearms by the public, especially without a reasonable basis. In the United States, gun control has been a subject of political controversy (Etter and Birzer 113). Different people have diverse views concerning gun control. Proponents of strict gun control laws maintain that the gun-related crimes are linked to gun ownership, which implies that limiting gun ownership could help lessen the prevalence of violent gun-related crime. The rationale for adopting stricter gun control laws draws upon the principle that easy access to firearms translates to an increase in the number of weapons in public, which in turn, translates to higher rates of violent crime. In aIDition, reducing the prevalence of violent crimes and increasing public safety means that there will be no need for individuals to acquire firearms on the basis of self defense, which is the justification used for opponents of stricter gun control regulations. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (45) point out that Texas has some of the least strict gun laws. In the recent past, citizens have raised concerns regarding gun control in the state; this stems from the recent increase in violent crimes committed Mexican drug cartels. The controversy surrounding gun control often draws upon three arguments: opponents believing that gun controls laws are an effective measure to mitigate gun-related crimes and accidents; opponents believing that gun control laws are not an effective measure to mitigate gun-related accidents and crime; and those believing that private possession of guns will reduce crime. This paper argues that Texas should enforce strict gun control laws to limit gun ownership in order to lessen the incidence of violent crime and accidents involving gun use (Etter and Birzer 115).

The first justification for enforcing stricter gun control laws to reduce the prevalence of violent crime rates in Texas. At present, citizens are raising concerns about the prevalence of violent crimes taking place at the Texas-Mexico border involving drug cartels. Stricter gun control laws can be an effective approach to contain high rates of violent crimes in Texas. Vittes, Vernick and Webster (45) note that gun control laws usually regulate the kinds of firearms that can be bought and offer criteria for individuals who desire to own a gun and provide guidelines regarding the storage and use of guns. In an ideal society where the gun control laws are observed, it can be argued that less availability and ownership of guns translates to reduced crime rates. Vittes, Vernick and Webster (48) further notes that there is a two-step connection that exists between gun control and the rates of violent crime in a given society, which includes the impact that gun control imposes on the availability of guns and the impacts that availability of guns imposes on the rates of crime committed. This means that the nature of the influences is two-fold. On the other hand, high rates of violent crimes that are gun-related serve to justify the use of stricter gun control policies and laws. In a study conducted by Wright and Wintemute (945), it was established that there is a positive relationship between ownership of guns and crimes that are gun related such as homicide and suicide. Opponents of gun control maintain that gun control laws should be less strict for the purposes of self-defense against crime. However, this argument is flawed on the basis that it fails to aIDress the root cause of the problem; it is the same guns that contribute to violent crime. Therefore, it makes no sense to increase gun ownership to for self-defense against the crimes attributed to gun ownership. Self-defense should not be cited as a reason to enforce less strict gun control law; instead, those opposing stricter gun control laws should understand that it is the guns that are making the society unsafe. The assertion that people should possess guns for protection is misguided. Moreover, there is no evidence indicating that people who own firearms for protection have been victims of violent crime. Restricting the ownership and use of firearms serve to enhance public safety (Vittes, Vernick and Webster 51).

The second rationale for stricter gun control laws is to reduce cases of fatal domestic violence. Just like criminal law, the domain of family law has been under the scope of the state government. Webster, Vittes and Vernick (125) asserts the Texas state has exercised substantial power with respect to a number of family issues such as custody, divorce, marriages and other matters relating to family law. In this regard, it is responsibility of the state to respond to issues involving domestic violence. In aIDition, Webster, Vittes and Vernick (128) points that resolving matters associated with spousal abuse cannot be separated from resolving issues associated with divorce and separation. With regard to the level to which guns are involved in domestic violence, Wright and Wintemute (950) points out that gun violence is increasingly becoming a family law issue. According to Webster, Vittes and Vernick (132), domestic violence constitutes about 50 percent of all reported homicides in Texas State. In most cases, a frustrated and angry husband often resorts to the use of a firearm as a means of resolving spousal issues. Besides, there are numerous abuse relationships victims linked to serious wounds inflicted by gunshots. Empirical evidence links high rates of gun ownership with high death rates and injury, especially in the domestic domain. In the last five-year period in the United States, homicides taking place in the domestic domain have contributed to about 5 million deaths, with a significant fraction of the reported homicides being attributed gun presence in the house (Webster, Vittes and Vernick 145). In most cases of domestic violence involving firearms, the outcomes are always fatal. It is evident that the high mortality rates attributed to homicide crimes do justify the need for lax gun control regulations. Evidently, imposing restrictions on the possession and use of firearms can be the most effective approach to mitigate fatal domestic violence. Opponents of gun control argue that that there are other predictors of domestic violence such as alcohol abuse; as a result, domestic violence and fatal homicide cannot be attributed to gun ownership. However, this argument is misguided basing on the fact that the availability of a firearm in the house is likely to increase the fatality of domestic violence.

The third and important reason for enforcing strict gun control policies in Texas is public support for reforms in the Texas gun control laws is increasing. Just like the case of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, which was repealed recently partly due to changing public opinions towards gays serving in the United States military, the government ought to heed the call by the increasing public concerns regardi9ng the need for reforms in the gun control laws. A recent survey conducted by Bureau of Justice Statistics (52) regarding whether gun control laws should be left as they are, made stricter or less strict, almost 50 percent of the respondents cited the need for background checks prior to gun sales. The survey also reported that 82% of gun owners were of the opinion that mandatory background checks were needed for licensed gun dealers as well as all gun sales. About 60 percent of the respondents advocated for laws that make it mandatory to report gun thefts and advocated for stricter standards when issuing permits to carry around concealed firearms. There is no doubt that it is the role of the government to act in the interests of the public, which in this case, can only be achieved through enforcing stricter gun control laws in Texas. Opponents of stricter gun control laws cite that such polls are often conducted after incidents of mass shootings, a time when almost everybody perceives guns as the primary cause of such shootings without looking at other factors such as the mental health status of the shooter. Nevertheless, it is imperative to note that, when evaluated over long timeframes, it can be observed that the public attitudes towards gun control laws have changed drastically, especially favoring the enforcement of stricter gun control laws.

The fourth reason to enforce stricter gun limits in Texas stems from the fact that the Right-to-Carry (RTC) laws are a threat to public safety by increasing the prevalence of aggravated assaults. According to Etter and Birzer (115), the RTC laws enable people who are not legally qualified to possess guns carry around concealed guns while in public; this is facilitated through lax laws that make it relatively easy to own a gun. Advocates for RTC laws draw upon the premise that every person who is qualified to legally acquire a gun is law-abiding and has relatively low risk of being involved in violent crime. However, this is not the case, as pointed by a study by Etter and Birzer (119) whereby at least 2400 permit holders of firearms were charged with crimes (not taking into account traffic violations), which included 10 manslaughters and about 200 felonies. The fundamental argument is that there is a linkage between RTC laws and cases of aggravated assaults, which is a threat to public safety.

In conclusion, threats to public safety such as high rates of violent crimes, fatal domestic violence involving gun use, high rates of homicides and suicides, and aggravated assaults are all important indicators of the need to enforce stricter gun control laws. The most effective solution that can be used to aIDress the gun-related violence is through enforcing stricter gun control laws, which serves to aIDress the root cause of the problem. Stricter gun control laws will make sure that guns are not easily accessed and owned; as a result, violent gun-related crime rates will reduce, thereby eliminating the necessity to possess a firearm on the grounds of self defense.

Works Cited

Bureau of Justice Statistics. Background Checks for Firearms Transfer, 2009 – Statistical Table. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2010.

Etter, G,W and M,L Birzer. “Domestic violence abusers: a descriptive study of the characteristics of defenders in protection from abuse orders in Sedgwick County, Kansas.” Journal of Family Violence 22.7 (2007): 113-119.

Vittes, K,A, J,S Vernick and D,W Webster. ” Legal status and source of offenders’ firearms in states with the least stringent criteria for gun ownership.” Injury Prevention (2012).

Webster, D,W, K,A Vittes and J,S Vernick. “Analyzing Policies to Restrict Firearm Access by High Risk Persons: Findings from a National Survey of Criminals Incarcerated for Violent Crimes.” Report submitted to The Joyce Foundation by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. 2012.

Wright, M,A and G,J Wintemute. “Felonious or violent criminal activity that prohibits gun ownership among prior handgun purchasers: incidence and risk factors.” J Trauma 69 (2010): 948-955.