The implementation of gun control regulations in the United States
The implementation of gun control regulations in the United States has not prevented shootings in public areas and in schools. Americans have reported numerous cases of incidences that have threatened their safety and those of their families in a bid to raise awareness on reinforcement measures that regulate the ownership of guns. Proponents of this perspective believe that the Second Amendment only relates to gun ownership among militias and that reinforcing strict regulations would reduce violence since these jurisdictions have existed for years. Also, these groups support the implementation of new controls. On the other hand, opponents argue that the Second Amendment safeguards individual gun possession rights and that these weapons are necessary for self-defense for threats. Besides, their prevailing belief is that gun ownership decreases crime rates. A majority of the American population is fascinated by guns and there are laws allowing the possession of a particular grade of weapons. Licensing promotes the lethality of crime by making killing impersonal, efficient and easy, which raises the need for governments to employ stricter gun controls to increase public safety and reduce crime rates.
The Second Amendment outlines restrictions for gun ownership in the United States. The clause reads “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 law is not unlimited. Critics question firearm ownership by the mentally ill or felons, restrictions on the possession of guns within government facilities and schools, as well as the laws outlining the criteria for the commercial sale of specific weapons. The Second Amendment does not mandate carrying a firearm in public. Therefore, imposing a law that would provide a rationale for possession of concealed weapons would improve the situation for residents in specified states. Evidence suggests that the law or government action infringes the Second Amendment in some instances. Americans should understand that the Second Amendment does not allow unlimited possession of firearms.
Stricter gun controls would decrease the number of fatalities from shooting. Reports indicate that between 1999 and 2016, there were 572,537 firearm-related deaths in the United States, with 2.0% (11,428) unintentional deaths, 37.2% (213,175) homicides, and 58.8% (336,579) suicides (Resnick et al. 432). Guns result in the highest percentage of suicides (51.8%) and homicides (67.7%). Firearms result in approximately 15% of child mortality as compared to death by car accidents (20%). Acquiring ammunitions legally increases the likelihood of a violent death in the future. Therefore, law enforcers should impose stricter background checks to reduce the number of gun-related fatalities. A 2016 study reveals that reviewing firearm identification regulations could reduce the mortality rates by 82.5%, while conducting reference checks for before acquisition would decrease associated deaths by 80.7%, and universal reference checks could reduce the number by approximately 56.9% (Resnick et al. 444). Over the years, the implementation of licensing procedures has cut back the homicide rates by 14%, while regions with stand-your-ground and right-to-carry restrictions have experienced an increase in homicide rates. The implementation of stricter ammunition ownership rules would decrease mortality rates.
Reinforcing gun laws would protect women from stalkers and domestic abusers. In the United States, approximately five women lose their lives to gun murders every day. The woman’s threat of losing her life increases by 500% when there is a firearm within the household. About 6,410 women lost their lives after being shot by an intimate partner between 2001 and 2012 in the US (Jehan et al. 11). Women in America are more likely to succumb to gun homicides than their counterparts in other parts of the world. For instance, the mass executions at a hair parlor in Seal Beach, CA stemmed from a custody battle between the owner of the salon and the shooter. 41 states do not force people with domestic violence charges to renounce their firearm ownership while 31 states do not prohibit convicted felons on stalking-related charges from possessing ammunition (Jehan et al. 15). 85% of women who survive failed shootings by an intimate companion and 76% of those who die were stalked within the first year before the execution or attempt. On that account, imposing stringent gun controls would protect more American women from stalkers and abusers.
People barely use firearms for self-defense. Research indicates that out of the 29 million brutal violations that took place between 2007 and 2011, about 235,000 (0.79%) victims protected themselves using a gun after a potential threat by the assailant (Anestis, and Anestis 2050). For instance, reports indicate that in 2010 there were 230 justifiable homicides where the resident shot the felon, contrasted against over 8,000 gun-related homicides (Luca, and Poliquin 27). Few private citizens use guns to protect themselves from a threat using a firearm, creating the need to maintain current best practices for licensing.
Criminals can access legally-owned guns and use them to indulge in illegal behavior. Approximately all the guns used to commit crime enter the system through legal transactions. Americans lost 1.4 million guns from car thefts and burglary between 2005 and 2010, contributing to an annual loss of about 232,400 firearms (Jehan et al. 14). The portability of standard firearms and ease of accessibility could serve as a stimulus for increased theft and burglary because they can be sold for a reasonable price in the black markets. Gun owners with a permission to hold concealed weapons may never use them to advance crimes but there is a potential that a burglar who obtains the gun will eventually use it.
A majority of the gun owners support the implementation of strict laws on standard procedures such as background checks, prohibition of high-capacity magazines and other assault weapons. A 2018 study involving American voters indicate that 97% of firearm owners endorse universal background references, while 67% of the population support regional laws outlawing the use of assault weapons (Anestis, and Anestis 2056). About 40% of gun transactions are not documented because they take place between private entities that may not require background inquisitions (Jehan et al. 15). 89% of the participants surveyed affirm bans on firearm acquisition among the mentally ill while approximately the same percentage approves restrictions prohibiting people on no-fly lists from purchasing guns. Common sense laws protect the lives of residents and other harmless populations. Background checks limit dangerous people and criminals from accessing firearms.
Strict gun controls would reduce suicide rates significantly. There were over 270, 237 gun-related suicide between 1999 and 2013 in the US, constituting 52% suicides within the specified timeline (Anestis, and Anestis 2049). Reinforcing strict ownership measures significantly reduces the number of suicides. Women who own firearms are more likely to commit suicide within 12 years of owning the weapon as compared to their unarmed counterparts; the probability of committing suicide among first-time male gun owners is 8 times higher than that of women. Between 2000 and 2010, firearms resulted in about 61% deaths through suicide (Anestis, and Claire 205). Different sources indicate that the integration of barriers restricting access to firearms could decrease the suicide rates among male populations. A person with suicidal thoughts is more likely to resort to a gun over a knife or poison in the presence of all alternatives.
The availability of a firearm within the household increases the potential of domestic conflicts escalating to violent, lethal situations. In 2013, the FBI determined that arguments such as brawls and romantic affairs coupled by drugs and alcohol accounted for 59.9% (1,962) deaths via a gun, including conflicts over money (Anestis, and Claire, 212). People tend to use the weapons that are readily available. In some instances, random fights and arguments can easily evolve into gun-inflicted murders. Gun owners are more likely to resort to these weapons when domestic scuffles arise, which creates the need to implement strict laws that will reduce the probability of some situations becoming more violent.
There is a low probability that armed residents can help curb crimes. Instead, they are more likely to cause deadly scenarios such as mass shootings. Over the years, there are few incidents that have been contained by an armed civilian. A majority of the situations where there are claims of an armed citizen who stopped mass shooting involved military or other law enforcement personnel prior to being subdued (Luca, and Poliquin 22). On average, most gun owners lack training on how to handle life-threatening incidents and may not understand current law enforcement procedures. Therefore, in the event of a potential threat, increasing the number of guns available to the public only increases the volatility of the situation and the likelihood of more dangerous situations ensuing.
Imposing mandatory safety measures and gun controls would decrease the number of gun-related accidental fatalities. Self-inflicted, unintentional shootings account for up to 50% of the killings caused by family members or friends. States with high numbers of gun owners are 9 times as likely to record high rates of accidental gun fatalities that take place within the homestead, particularly when children are playing with a loaded rifle in the absence of their parents. Tese mortality rates would reduce after the installation of safety gadgets on guns; 100% of the annual deaths that results from a child shooting themselves of their peers accidentally could be restricted through the use of safety locks, while loading indicators would save teenage populations from such deaths (Aronow, and Miller 223). Children are naturally inquisitive and impulsive, adults have the responsibility to ensure that these populations cannot access firearms to increase their overall safety at home.
America’s pervasive gun ownership culture stems from years of history of revolutionary governed by the Second Amendment, which creates the need to implement strict measures to reduce the number of gun-related fatalities and increase public safety. The supporters for gun control regulations cite that the Second Amendment supports the militias and that crime rates would reduce with the reinforcement of stringent measures. Also, a majority of gun owners endorse the implementation of new legislations. Opponents cite that the Second Amendment safeguards private rights to own firearms and that guns are essential tools of defense for risks such as foreign invaders and local criminals. These groups believe that owning a gun can deter crime instead of causing it. The report highlights several pros for implementing strict gun controls such as decreasing the number of homicides, suicide, child accidents, crime rates and increasing public safety.