Arguments Against Stricter Gun Control Laws

The Catholic Church’s teachings on guns are appropriate for present-day United States, a nation overrun by gun violence. Recent mass shootings in cities such as Newtown, Connecticut; Charleston, South Carolina; Aurora, Colorado; and San Bernardino, California have reignited the nation-wide debate over whether or not civilian access to guns and ammunition should be limited. In addition, some of the nation’s largest cities, including Chicago, Baltimore, and Saint Louis are currently dealing with gun violence crises of epic proportions. In 2000, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops—in its statement Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice—wrote, “We support measures that …show more content…
The argument used most frequently is that laws restricting guns are simply against the Constitution; specifically, the Second Amendment, which 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” (US Const. amend. II). In addition, some opponents say that arming citizens through concealed carry programs helps to decrease crime. Ninety one members of PoliceOne—a group of four hundred and fifty thousand police officers, both retired and active—said they “support the concealed carry of firearms by civilians who have not been convicted of a felony and/or not been deemed psychologically/medically incapable” (Lott). Opponents of stricter gun control laws also claim that although accidental gun deaths involving children are tragic, “[in 2012] more than 20 times as many children died due to accidental suffocation [than by accidental shootings]” …show more content…
In response to the argument that more guns prevent gun deaths, the data seems to suggest otherwise. The United States has the highest rate of gun ownership in the world; according to a 2012 analysis of United Nations data by Guardian, the United States has an average of eighty eight guns for every one hundred people. Although the United States owns more guns, it does not have the lowest homicide rates; in fact, it has the highest firearm homicide rate among the world’s developed nations (Phillips). In addition, an analysis completed by The Washington Post, found that the states with the most gun deaths per one hundred thousand residents—including Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas—are among the states with the least amount of gun laws (Phillips). Furthermore, after enacting stricter gun laws in the 1990s, gun deaths in Australia plummeted. According to a study conducted by Andrew Leigh of Australian National University and Christine Neill of Wilfrid Laurier University, the firearm homicide rate dropped fifty nine percent and the firearm suicide rate dropped sixty five percent (Matthews). In accord with the Catholic Church’s teachings, the United States should enact laws that limit civilian access to guns in order to protect the safety of its citizens for generations to

Show More