Essay Jurisdiction: Firearm and Gun Control

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Crime and guns. The two seem to go hand in hand with one another. But are the two really associated? Do guns necessarily lead to crime? And if so do laws placing restrictions on firearm ownership and use stop the crime or protect the citizens? These are the questions many citizens and lawmakers are asking themselves when setting about to create gun control laws. My personal opinion is, we should have them to protect ourselves and from dangerous people that have bad intentions with firearms. People could argue we should have the freedom to carry guns but, if they were aloud people would realize what they would do to society. Guns are extremely powerful weapons. They can cause destruction, harm or even death. They can be used to defend and protect or to threaten and kill. Any way you look at it, guns are powerful tools, not only physically but socially. As college students it is important to stay beside of the current events and issues circulating our country today, one of which is the controversial issue of gun control. It is extremely important to pay attention to where gun control laws are headed. The directions they take not only affect our nation and society but our future as well as we all move to communities and begin to raise families.

It would be important to look at some key statistics concerning handguns in our society. In this nation, where nearly half of all US households own at least one gun, nearly 30,000 people die from a gunshot each year. From this alone it is no wonder gun control is such an important issue, however as bad as this may seem, the number of firearm related incidents have decreased over the years. In the early 1990’s the number of people killed or wounded by firearms were sky high. Since 1993 however the US has drop in deaths due to firearm. (http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/press/view/289) People dying from firearms accidents have decrease as well, nearly 40 percent in the last decade, and are now at the lowest levels ever recorded. People that don’t want guns would like to make a point to an increase in gun control laws while people that are for gun point out reasons to decrease gun laws.

From the statistic gun control laws appears to work. But in order to fully understand the issue it is important to first take a look at the current gun control laws that are now in effect. There are a number of laws both at the federal and the state level restricting the sale, purchase and use of guns. Though they many gun laws from state to state there are some basic federal laws which are in affect nationwide. Some of these include that no person convicted of a crime can own a gun, a person must be 21 or older to purchase a handgun. Perhaps one of the laws having the most impact recently was the passing of the 1993 Brady Handgun Control Act which is now in effect in 32 states.( http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/bills/blbradyact.htm) This act requires a waiting period for the purchase of a handgun as well as background check system to ensure against the possession of guns by criminals. The Brady Handgun Control Act made it increasingly more difficult and trying process to purchase and own a gun. Gun control advocates say this is not enough, that although firearm related incidents have declined since its enactment tougher laws are needed or more acts of firearm violence will continue to do damage to the nation. This is an important question to everyone involved in the issue, and extremely important to society as a whole. Guns play a role in everyone’s lives to some degree, whether it be your own personal possession of a hunting rifle or a pistol in the hands of a youth in your neighborhood. We as Americans value our rights to freedoms granted to us by our forefathers, which includes the possession of firearms as stated in the Second Amendment. As citizens we must ask ourselves do we really want gun control laws which are created to protect us, to take away our basic rights as citizens?
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