Gun control is one of the most delicate issues in the society. Gun control refers to the regulation of firearms in a domestic set-up. In every country, there are rules that govern the handling of firearms. The gun reform should be enforced in situations where misuse of fire-arms is prevalence. In 2007, civilians were estimated to possess about 650 million which translates to 75% of the total firearms in the world. The most astonishing this is that only the U.S account for 270 million guns held by civilians. This statistical report poses a challenge to the security systems of the United States. Therefore, there is need to review the gun control laws in order to achieve a secure society. Therefore, it’s to review some of the solutions that can help in regulating how fire arms are handled.
Launching of community-based programs can be very effective in regulating how guns are handled. In 2011, the FBI reported that there were 8583 cases of homicide by firearms. This translates to 72% of the total homicide cases. Empowering of these community-based institutions teaches citizens on various important subjects. The safety education and campaigns on buying back the guns possessed by the civilians can be very key in solving the menace of firearm possession by the civilians.
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For proper mitigation of gun violence, then there is need to establish sensible gun laws. These laws should be strict enough to reduce easy access to guns in the society. In the United States, there are two federal regulations on gun control. The national firearms act of 1934 restrains civilians from owning powerful weapons such as hand grenades among others. The gun control act of 1968, on the other hand, regulates the commercial aspect of gun control. However, these regulations have failed to mitigate the crisis since the state is still experiencing more homicides associated with the improper gun control. Reduction of access to guns in 10% households is thought to reduce cases of homicide by 3%. Therefore, there is a need for the government to review the effectiveness of these laws and come up with a more revised mechanism of regulating guns.
It is important to establish a culture of gun safety in the society. The firearm industry should be held accountable since there is a strict oversight of the marketing of guns. This can be made possible by carrying out background checks on the sale of private firearms. This can be facilitated by reviewing the privately owned licenses. This is crucial since about half of the homicide cases are caused by unlicensed gun owners. The incorporation of this strategy with carrying out training of the civilians who own guns is very crucial in reducing the gun violence in the society.
There is also need to reduce the factors that can lead to gun violence. Some of these factors are psychological in nature. The government should recognize gun violence as a preventable public health issue. Empowering of community social work framework can help in reducing the risks associated with trauma. This can be made possible by cultivating social and mental health support structure in the community. This is very evident from the 2016 campaign by the American public health association. This association signed a letter to the Congress to have the Dickey amendment revoked. This was a very bold move by the American public health association on gun violence. Most of the homicides are thought to be caused by mental stresses. The research has established that about 5% of the gun violence is caused by mental illness. The government should also carry out a periodic mental assessment of the gun owners.
The current occurrences of mass shootings in the United States only elevates the tempers of individuals with regard to the question of gun control. Gun rights campaigners have made use of the mess to advance for self-defense idea as an important thing advocated by the “National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action.” In addition, activists hold the idea that the rate of crimes have been lowered by the fact that people carry and possess guns. However, the existing state of crimes depict that as much as guns may be banned, this has failed to reduce the rate of crimes committed. On the contrary, those who support the enacting of legislation that encourage the control of guns base their proposal on the idea that many killings are conducted by those who own guns. This is in spite of the fact that such individuals own these guns legally. Another argument is that children need to be protected hence, a thorough procedure needs to be in place to make sure that those that are licensed to carry or own guns do not use them wrongly. Regardless of all this, the question still remains why the such measures have failed.
In summary, gun violence is preventable. The regulation of firearms should be a collective action where the government and the citizens should work harmoniously to realize a more secure environment. The regulation of firearms should be prioritized at a personal level. The enacting of stringent laws not only restricts gun access but has major implications for the security of the state. It is high time the concerned authorities should intervene to mitigate the rising cases of homicides and other gun violence cases. The past cases of gun violence should provide a basis for evaluation gun regulation mechanisms in future.
