Gun Control Problem

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“The United States. Home to liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the most mass shootings in the world.” (Fox). Many people believe that the solution is simple. Introduce rigorous gun control laws, and crime rates will automatically go down. This is a common, yet not exactly accurate view. Recent statistics and news imply that a rise in violent crime is imminent, and the research of gun control activists proves that gun control will fix this dilemma, yet other statistics say that high poverty rates, low-income rates, and the mindset of people are contributing to this drastic increase.
The media and current statistics are telling us that crime rates in the United States are on a rise. In March of 2018, CNN released some very alarming information.
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Louisiana is the least peaceful state in the U.S. with the sixth-highest violent crime rate and the highest “murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate” (Frohlich, Stebbins, and Sauter). Why are crime rates so high? USA Today’s statistics show that “nearly 20% of the population lives in poverty in Louisiana, the third highest rate of all states,” which consequently plays a huge role in the state’s crime rates. On the other hand, Alaska’s citizens carry gun for protection out of fear. In Alaska, fear influences citizens’ desire for protection. 61.7% of Alaskan adults carry guns as self-defense. Consequently, Alaska has the highest violent crime rate, “636 reported incidents per 100,000 state residents” (Frohlich et al). High levels of unemployment and low-income rates indicate increased rates of anger, frustration, and depression. This may ultimately lead to suicide. High poverty rates also signify increased desperation which may result in robberies. Nevada was ranked at five in a list of least peaceful states done by 24/7 Wall St. in 2016. It has an unemployment rate of 6.4%, which is the second highest of all states. It ranked first in the states with the highest robbery rates with “210 robberies reported per 100,000 people, more than double the national robbery rate”(Frohlich et al). All three states have high crime rates and weak gun control laws but