Americans are faced with an ever-growing problem of violence. Gun control laws can reduce the crime rate in the United States of America and possibly decrease the violence in this country. The circulation of handguns equals more violent crimes. Fewer guns that are on the street can conclude to less crime. People’s risk of being killed increases when handguns are in the hands of the wrong people. To increase the safety of the people in the United States of America, there needs to be more enforcement of gun control laws.
In the article entitled, Does Gun Control Reduce Crime, it states that some gun-control advocates would like to see the government clamp down on gun manufacturers, sellers, and owners to the point that no citizens can carry guns. In general, the gun-control community wants to limit the availability of guns. That strategy is known as supply-reduction strategy.
Gun control laws allow the government to regulate who gets their hands on the guns. Although not that many people want the government to get involved, gun possession puts people at risk when they carry a weapon. The strategy that they are trying to put into place will work if a lot of people get involved to stop the movement of guns. In Citizens in Southwest Philadelphia Help 'Groceries for Guns' Reach 1,066 Firearms, it states that the government is trying to get the whole community involved in taking unwanted guns off the street. The strategy is called Groceries for Guns in which communities are trying to get illegal guns off the street is helping to get guns out of the hands of those that do not possess them legally. "Citywide, we have taken more than 1,000 lethal weapons off the streets, out of homes and removed from harm's way," said Congressman Fattah. He also stated, "These are handguns, long guns, sawed-off shotguns, the kind of firearms that have been used in homicides and shootings." Fattah said, "Today we are reducing the number of guns in Southwest Philadelphia by 260 firearms." This program did not take all the guns off the street, but it is a start. It was a good opportunity for families to add to their food budget and help to make their community a little bit safer. People who were in possession of guns are able to bring their guns to law enforcement agencies and in return they are given money for groceries. The program has had a positive effect on several neighborhoods.
In this research, the most recent available data was collected in 2010. As of 2009, the United States has a population of 307 million people. Based on production data from firearm manufacturers, there are roughly 300 million firearms owned by civilians in the United States as of 2010. Of these, about 100 million are handguns.
Based upon surveys, the following are estimates of private firearm ownership in the U.S. as of 2010: | Households With a Gun | Adults Owning a Gun | Adults Owning a Handgun | Percentage | 40-45% | 30-34% | 17-19% | Number | 47-53 million | 70-80 million | 40-45 million |
As this brief surveys shows, people want to own gun for their personal reasons. There are questions raised about what are they doing with them and how they are handling the firearms. These questions have law enforcement agencies taking a closer look at gun possession and gun ownership. Owning a gun is a personal choice. Under the United States law there is no problem with people owning guns. However, there are problems with how it is used, where it is stored, and if it is within the reach of children. In the same poll, gun owners stated they own firearms for the following reasons: Protection Against Crime | 67% | Target Shooting | 66% | Hunting | 41% | Lawmakers cannot prevent crime by controlling who possesses a gun and if they are trained properly in how to use the guns that are in their possession. Police officers and people that serve in the armed forces spend months and years learning how to operate the gun