United States politics are constantly changing over time. Initiatives and referendums are processed and are underway frequently. These allow citizens of the United States to place new legislation on a popular ballot, or a ballot that was previously passed by a legislature for popular vote. For Americans to vote directly on legislation, allows people to feel a sense of freedom and like their opinions matter. People like to be able to fight for what they believe in, and when they do many others speak up and will follow. Gun control today has become a huge part of American society and a very hard criminal justice policy reform to agree upon.
Result of the many school shootings that have taken place in the last few years, there has been a push for stricter gun control laws. Many people don't feel safe in today's society. The government has been listening to the people and has already passed some laws. There are some people who are opposed to stricter gun control laws. Many gun enthusiasts don't believe that gun control laws will resolve the problem. They claim that only law-abiding citizens would obey the laws - and they aren't the ones creating the problem (Ausman & Faria, 2019). This group presents some good arguments for eliminating current gun control laws.
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One of the main arguments that anti-gun control groups make is that they have a constitutional right to own guns. The Second Amendment to the Constitution states that all American citizens have the right to bear arms (Ausman & Faria, 2019). There are many people who think that guns should be banned altogether. According to the constitution, this can't be done. All people have the right to own a gun if they want to. If the people are given this right by the Constitution, then this right can't be denied.
The government hasn't gone so far as to ban guns completely yet, but they have started to pass some laws aimed at controlling guns. One thing that they have done is to require a waiting period and a background check before people can buy a handgun (Ballotpedia, 2017). Gun dealers use a computerized instant check system to perform background checks (Ballotpedia, 2017). Information often gets lost leading to courts lacking specific information on a criminal, which makes these background checks not efficient enough.
Another thing that the government is considering is mandatory gun locks. They claim that gun locks would reduce accidental shootings, especially for young children. Gun enthusiasts don’t think this would be the case. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 1996, there were only 44 accidental gun-related deaths for children under the age of ten (National Center for Health Statistics, 1997). There are about 80 million gun owners in the U.S. The fact that there are so many gun owners in the U.S. and so few accidental deaths would suggest that the vast majority of gun owners are extremely careful with their guns anyway (National Center for Health Statistics, 1997).
Personally, I do not agree with having no gun control in America. I think that gun control is needed in today's society. Crime has gotten out of hand in this country. It is far too easy for criminals to obtain guns. We need to place some restrictions on the purchase and ownership of guns. If we just put more effort into gun control, we can really make a difference. There are many arguments about why gun control is a good thing.
School shootings have really opened people's eyes to the need for gun control laws. If people can't feel safe in school or in the workplace, then there is a serious problem. At this point in time, the vast majority of Americans favor stricter gun control laws. The United States is a democracy, which means government by the people, for the people. If the majority of people in this country want more gun control, they should get it.
The government has already instituted some gun control laws. These laws include waiting periods, background checks, harsher penalties for committing a crime with a gun, and increased restrictions on dealers. These laws have had some positive consequences. According to Planty and Truman, the murder rate in the U.S. dropped 7% in the past year (Planty & Truman, 2013). Most of this drop is due to a decrease in murders involving firearms. Also, fewer guns were used in robberies, which were down 10% (Planty & Truman, 2013). In 1994, the federal government passed the Brady Bill. This bill restricts gun purchases and requires a background check for all potential gun buyers (Planty & Truman, 2013). Since it took effect, as many as 300,000 gun sales have been denied (Planty & Truman, 2013). The fact that these laws have had a positive effect shows that the government is on the right track by enacting gun control laws.
To close, one of the most inspiring things I’ve seen so far was The March for Our Lives Movement. This march was 100% a student-led demonstration. Kids across America came together to march for their falling classmates or peers. This movement caught the eye of the mainstream media and the public eye. Children today are protesting for stricter gun laws and legislation is finally listening and creating potential laws to prevent gun violence in the United States. As I said before, United States politics are constantly changing, and these initiatives and referendums will change the future of gun control. The laws are not only in the government’s hands, now Americans are listening to our youth.
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