Gun Control and Gun Rights…The Struggle2!

Gun control and gun rights
Handgun with rifle

Gun control and gun rights have always been contentious issues in America. People view it through different lenses and have different opinions on the best way to proceed. 

For example, some people believe that everyone should be required to register their guns with the police to track down individuals who may be more threatening. 

People are always looking for ways to make things easier, and there’s no exception when it comes down to whether or not you can bring your gun with you.

But some think that if an individual has a permit, they should be allowed to keep their weapon on-site at all times- whereas others believe this is too risky given how fraught situations could get.

So which side do you stand with? Are you one of those Americans who believes that we need stricter gun control laws or someone who believes that an armed society is a safer society?

Gun Rights vs. Gun Control

Gun control and gun rights
Military army soldiers tactical teamwork in forest

Gun rights and control is an argument that people have every time there’s a mass shooting

The solution? 

Gun Control advocates say the solution lies in making it difficult for people to get their hands on guns, which would decrease these tragic incidents altogether; 

But Pro-gun lobbyists counter, saying there isn’t enough data available yet proving this link between firearm availability and violence–and if we wait long enough, maybe our opinion will change!

 All of this, of course, happens within the context of America. If you were to ask someone in Australia for their opinion on gun control, they’d likely give you a very different answer than someone in America would.

Gun control and gun rights
Unrecognizable black man with handgun

Why the need for gun control?

Let’s start by looking at why some people feel our country needs stricter gun control.

 In some ways, it seems like you can’t go a day without hearing about someone who was shot or killed by a gun. 

Whether it’s someone in a high-profile shooting or an everyday person, the numbers show that guns kill too many people

In addition, when you look at where these shootings are most likely to occur, it’s easy to see why people think more gun control is needed.

 For instance, according to a study published in the JAMA Network Open by Wharton Professor Dylan Small and School of Arts & Sciences undergraduates, most Black neighborhoods have higher gun homicide rates than mostly white neighborhoods of the same socioeconomic status level.

The rate of gun violence in America is staggering. Gun control and gun rights

Many people don’t realize how different areas can be depending on their racial makeup, and this new study shows exactly why! 

The researchers found that middle-class neighborhoods with mostly black residents had four times as many homicides caused by firearms as those with white population densities. 

Arguments For and Against Gun Control!

Let’s look at some of the arguments both sides make as to why we need more or less gun control. 

Gun control and gun rights
Protect Kids

The first and most obvious argument for more gun control is that year after year, and guns are responsible for the deaths of many innocent people, including children. 

According to a tracker from the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 201 mass shootings in the U.S. this year. 

It defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, excluding the shooter, and keeps a running list here.

At fault is the AR-15, which is designed to kill people quickly and in large numbers. Gun control advocates have categorized this rifle as an assault weapon because of the capability for mass killing, which they believe should be illegal among civilians, gun control advocates told NPR in 2018.

Another argument for more gun control is that people who don’t have a gun license shouldn’t be able to bring a gun anywhere they want, and people who do have a license don’t always follow the rules. 

control and gun rights
Handgun with rifle

Pros of an Armed Society!

Gun ownership is a constitutionally protected right. The Second Amendment states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” 

The Supreme Court reaffirmed Americans’ right to own guns — unrelated to military service. 

Gun rights advocates maintain that regulations that make it harder to possess guns lawfully are unconstitutional.

While the vast majority of people who are responsible gun owners don’t kill anyone, some argue that there are times when having a gun would save lives rather than take them. 

Gun control and gun rights Cons of an Armed Society!

 Gun control and gun rights
Violence

Now that we’ve looked at some of the pros of an armed society let’s look at some cons. In a perfect world, everyone would have access to guns.

 Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, and some of the most important people, like children and the elderly, would be dangerous to themselves and others if they had access to a gun. 

 Guns don’t make society safer!

Gun violence is a serious public health issue that concerns the people it affects and our society. 

The Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health has been researching ways to combat gub violence for years, and their scientists agree: Gun use makes America more dangerous.

Equally important, David Hemenway, an expert on the public health impact of gun violence and director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, polled 150 scientists for their opinions about guns and safety.

According to scientific evidence, most of the scientists polled said that having a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide

In like manner, scientists also agreed that a gun in the home increases the risk that a woman living in that home will be a victim of a homicide and that a gun in the home makes it a more dangerous place than a safer place.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/scientists-agree-guns-dont-make-society-safer/

Conclusion …Gun control and gun rights !

Gun control and gun rights
Protect Kids

Now that we have looked at both sides of the gun rights vs. gun control debate, you should have a good idea of where you stand on the issue. 

While the debate will likely rage on for years to come, there is one thing that we can all agree on. 

No matter what side of the argument you fall on, we agree that keeping guns out of children’s, the mentally ill, and criminals’ hands is important. 

Thanks For Reading!

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/regardless-socioeconomic-status-black-communities-face-higher-gun-homicides-says-wharton-study

https://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1884&context=facultypub

https://jusmeetwo.com/arianna-fitts/

https://jusmeetwo.com/the-devils-gone-crazy-what-happened/

Do We Have a ThrowAway Society? And Why You Should Care?