Gun Violence research paper
Introduction
In modern times a gun is one of the most useful weapons for protecting human beings and property. Guns are being used by both the security officers and private citizens to protect their families against assailants. In some parts of the world, firearms are also used to protect families from animal predators. Guns have many fabulous uses that make them very essential in this era. Guns have, however, been misused to commit a lot of violence such as homicide, suicide, robbery, and terrorism. Respective governments should set laws and policies that will help reduce the problem of gun violence.
Gun violence is a significant cause of death to teenagers and children, especially those living in developed nations that have legalized public gun ownership. It is currently the leading cause of death among teens in America (Every town,2020). Deaths among these youths are mostly through homicides connected to domestic and family violence.
Homicide accounts for one-third of gun death in developed nations. The access of a gun will increase the risks of murder by double. Homicides are also more in some racially segregated areas where the rate of poverty is high. Gun violence also seems to affect women more than men. These cases of homicide often involve intimate partners shooting their female partners (Weiner et al.,1). Many other women are not shot with the gun but are harassed by their partners using the weapon and forced to activities they don’t believe in. Couples owning a gun have a very high likelihood of killing or injuring each other. For instance, about 58% of Americans have been intimidated by their intimate partners using a gun
Mass shooting is another form of gun violence that has claimed thousands of innocent lives. People who carry these shootings are often frustrated or people suffering from certain mental disorders. These people target crowded areas such as bars, restaurants, and schools to kill as many people as possible(The conversation,2019). These actions are often detrimental to families as they tear apart them and cause psychological trauma that does not heal quickly. The current laws and policies seem to favor gun violence behavior and hence the need for amendment of these laws.
Gun laws would cause damage to the misuse of guns by people living in certain livelihoods. Specific races will not concentrate on using firearms for the right purposes. Parents must be incorporated in the battle against gun violence. This will only be possible if the legislators communicate to the members of the public the goodwill in preventing an increase in the number of cases of gun violence. The government should create laws that cater to the inclusivity of even the poorest member of their nation. They should show their efforts in mitigating against those people who cannot protect against themselves.
The laws should also serve the purpose of preventing a scenario whereby the rights to own and possess a gun prevents a person from enjoying all the other rights enshrined in the constitution. This will happen through strict regulation of the process of acquiring a firearm. Those people who go against the rules must also be made accountable for the process. Provisions to safeguard the guard the process should ensure the process is not easily changed for the benefits of few dealers. These laws should bring onboard every stakeholder who deals with guns directly or indirectly. While enacting the rules, the government should consider more those people who are at a higher risk if exposed to gun violence.
The gun laws should, however, be approached in a manner that is not restrictive to the people. This is because guns still play a vital role in ensuring safety among ordinary people. The laws should also not appear to be disadvantaging some sellers and favoring others. This process should happen in an equitable manner that will ensure the survival of even small businesses dealing with gun merchandise. Fairness must be considered while licensing the companies that will deal with gun selling. New laws on gun ownership should not create unemployment by pushing away local and international investors who dealt with gun sales.
Some of the gun laws that may be considered
These laws should all aim to regulate the manufacturing, sales, and possession of guns by civilians. These laws may give the civilian a right to buy and own some guns for security purposes. Prohibition of owning machine guns and other automated guns is done to avoid incidences of mass shootings. The restrictions should not just happen to the type of firearms but also to the kind of people licensed to own guns. Citizens who are willing to buy guns must be screened for all pre-existing mental conditions, especially those associated with homicide and suicide behaviors(Amnesty international,2020). People with a criminal record of violence or other related crimes should also be restrained from acquiring guns. The ability to handle weapons must also be considered while issuing citizens a license to own a firearm. Too young or elderly persons, for instance, should not be given permits to own guns.
The government should also consider the licensing of different types of guns differently. Small pistols for home security should not be the same as those guns used for hunting. The specific gun types used for shooting games should also be licensed differently. The laws must ensure there is a mechanism to stop those dangerous guns that can cause a lot of fatalities if misused do not reach ordinary citizens(Hayyar,2019). Laws should support military firearms and make sure they protect them constitutionally. Apart from just licensing those guns, the legislators have the responsibility of ensuring that there are set rules to ensure compliance with the regulations. It is, therefore, more beneficial if the legislators concentrate on laws that will reduce the actual violence. Most discussions around gun violence rotate around issues that cannot reduce any violence(Gregory and Wilson,2018). For instance, Using a lot of time discussing the military-grade guns instead of thinking how to avert risks of homicides is a waste of time.
How to stop gun Violence
All governments have the responsibility and capacity to identify areas that are more prone to gun violence. In these areas, which are mostly the suburban areas inhabited by poor youths, the government should ensure it treats these areas differently. The government should act within their rights to provide the limitation to access to guns in these areas. This may be done by reducing the numbers of gun dealers in the region or by entirely not licensing people there. Owning a gun should not be as easy as it is in most countries; the higher the number of gun owners, the higher the likelihood of gun violence.
Cooperation between the community teams and other organizations to sensitize the people on fundamental issues about gun violence. The community should be made aware of the general characteristic of a person who is likely to be violent. They should also be educated on the proper channels to use while reporting the cases of gun violence. It is also the work of the government to identify factors that make people within a specific community to be aggressive and violent in using guns. This knowledge will form the foundation for enacting laws that are protective of the people.
The area of gun violence is often underfunded and underresearched. The government has the responsibility of committing itself towards finding information about the issue of gun violence (Evans et al.,1). Proper data of activities of gun violence must also be guarded safely for future research on the topic. Experts on the clinic practice, public health, and public policies should work together to identify gaps within the gun violence topic. This information must also be supplied to legislators to guide them in making policies to prevent gun policies.
In conclusion, gun violence is a big problem in the world and a significant contributor to the death of many teenagers. This problem is more prominent in developing nations such as America. Individual governments have a responsibility to set laws that should ensure a reduction in violence. These laws should be more considered in areas with higher risks of gun violence. The government should collaborate with other stakeholders to establish the causes of this violence to enact laws that will stop the violence.