Gun violence and gun control have been among the most debated topics, especially in the United States. Horrific mass shootings continue frightening the residents making the debate to be more and more emotional every day. The primary question is whether there is a correlation between the use of guns and the rate of crime in the country. Proponents of the gun regulation measures argue that the enacted rules help reduce the rate of crime as well as deaths that result from massive killings. On the other hand, opponents of the debate assert that allowing citizens to own guns means that there is a promoted aspect of self-defense as well as the development of safer communities. Over the years, the gun control measures have been enacted, but most nations are yet to realize a change in their level of national security. As a result, there should be changes in the regulations and their enforcement. Gun registration, control and licensing should be enforced more with new laws on gun makers because it makes it easier to prevent crime and apprehend criminals. The paper reviews on the history of gun ownership among citizens, current conditions, and gun control statistics in America. Discussed are also the reasons for gun ownership and the effectiveness of control through new rules on gun makers.
History
The American hunting tradition dates back to the time when the country was a subsistence nation and most people in the rural areas rated hunting as a profession. The culture was also a primary source of food and a protection mechanism from wild animals. In some communities, there was a connection between the shooting abilities and survival which was also a significant requirement in the “rites of passage” for those joining manhood. Hunting is among the central practices that led to the growth of a gun culture in the country as well as other nations across the globe regardless of the recent trends away from small-scale farming (Blocher & Miller, 2016). Additionally, due to the lack of formal governments that could maintain a full-time army, the residents took the responsibility of self-defense and formed voluntary militia units. Some of these unorganized civilian militia groups still exist and are legalized under the American constitution.
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The colonial era through the civil war also significantly contributed to the gun culture in America. In the centuries before the American Revolution era, the British leaders imposed a gunpowder embargo as a mechanism of responding to the rulers’ negative reactions over ownership of the colonies. The policy resulted into the commonly known gunpowder incident which brought hatred between the American and Britain residents. The most affected region was Virginia. As a result, the states started passing their gun control laws based on the individual understanding of the second amendment. Most regions evaluated the regulation as a right to bear arms in defense from other communities. The collective ownership of ammunition is what led to the modern individualism in keeping and using weapons.
The right to possess a firearm is enshrined in the constitutions as per the Second Amendment which was ratified in 1791: the act states that the right to own a firearm shall not be infringed. However, gun regulations remain to be one of the thorny issues. The first piece of the gun control regulation was later enacted in 1934 through the firearms act. The government imposed new taxes on the manufacturers, transporters, and sellers of the devices (Benton et al. 2016). The top listed items were gun machines, rifles, silencers, and mufflers. Due to the heated debated regarding these new policies, the act was modified multiple times throughout the decade. The two following amendments include the 1938 and 1939 regulations that required the firearm importers and dealers to acquire federal licenses. The Congress also focused on interstate selling and exchange of firearms.
Other policies include the 1968 Gun Act that was introduced following the assassination of President John Kennedy and the 1986 Protection Act that prohibited the registration of gun dealers to protect the rights of citizens. These policies have been introduced based on the country's gun politics. Despite the variations, the regulations are characterized by concerns about the constitutional rights regarding the use of arms and the role of the federal and state governments in ensuring citizens' safety (Beck & Jacobs, 2018). Nevertheless, citizens have the right own and bear arms. Various laws have been enacted, while Supreme court cases have assisted in shaping subsequent amendments on guns.
Current Issues
Gun violence has been on the rise in the United States, in 2018, several mass murders have occurred at alarming regularity. Shootings such as those at Parkland and Charleston are shocking. In 2017, several people were brutally injured, while others died. For example, the attack at the music festival killed over 50 people and injured several others. Several other cases have been reported where many people have been injured. It is time people are empowered on how to defend themselves. According to majority citizens, giving people the right to own guns will allow and give them more power to protect themselves. However, these rules should be first enacted to the manufacturers to ensure a record of the numbers of arms produced every year and their regions of distribution.
The modern local and federal government are however hostile to the idea of allowing citizens to bear and use arms at their own will. The main argument is that the country has already developed a well-equipped army to ensure the wellbeing of the citizens (Cook & Donohue, 2017). There have been multiple cases of state governments disarming their citizens as a way of repressing them, and of armed citizens responding negatively to such changes. The national murder rate is inclined on the issue of individuals committing mass murders. Today's political debate, therefore, focuses on the question of isolated violence unlike the past when people debated over collective ownership of the arms. The gun control challenge, thus, goes beyond the issue of access to firearms to evaluate matters related to how people connect and take revenge.
Because of the funding prohibitions, there is little information available on gun ownership in the United States. Gun violence can be rated as a public health issue because it is among the leading problems of premature deaths in the world. There is a need for accurate information about how these incidents occur and why (Beck & Jacobs, 2018). The police report and FBI data do not cover those cases that go unnoticed especially in the local areas. A study conducted by the Bureau of Justice in four years shows that more than a third of the criminal activities involving firearms in America were not reported. Therefore, social scientists need to research more about the issue to get the level of detail required about gun crime.
Gun Control Statistics
American citizens own over two hundred and fifty million firearms hence an increased need for creating responsibility and accountability. According to a small survey conducted in the year 2007, there are about 55 guns for every one hundred residents. From these individuals, only 30 percent reveal that they own the arms. There are also estimated 7 million super gun owners which means that it is difficult to control the cases of mass shootings that are fueled through capitalism (Mann & Michel, 2016). While the America constitution allows the citizens to have guns in their homes for self-defense, an increasing number of individuals carry these ammunitions to public areas. A newly released study shows that approximately 3 million of the Americans carry loaded guns with them on a daily basis.
Statistics on gun deaths points to a severe problem in the society that needs to be addressed. More than thirty-eight thousand Americans were killed in 2016 due to the continued ownership of these guns with most of them being college students and children. Most of these deaths occur as a result of minor violence cases when relating to each other or children playing with loaded guns in the absence of their parents. Cases of gun suicide and homicide have also increased in recent years with the suicide cases making up the majority of gun deaths. The violent gun injuries represent an equal toll where more than sixty thousand people are shot every year, but they survive.
According to an associated press analysis in 2016, more than half of the gun cases are related to domestic violence. The individuals are killed or injured by their partners, formers spouses or dating partners. Approximately 75 percent of these individuals are women who represent the wives or girlfriends of those who kill them. The statistics are probably an undercount of the total because it does not include those children who suffer domestic violence or bystanders killed during such incidents. Experts say that gun violence is a form of regressive tax that falls heavily on those who cannot own guns due to poverty or segregation. The America violence is concentrated not just geographically but also within social networks.
Reasons for Gun Ownership
Americans have a complicated relationship and deep history with ammunition. The issue is a point of pride for some and a source of fear for others. Approximately 48 percent of the America adults say that they grew up in households with guns. More than half of these individuals have fired a gun at some point in their lives. While there is a significant difference between the gun owners and non-owners, the two groups tend to agree on some issues. An example is restricting access to guns for those with mental problems. There are also similarities in their views regarding the reasons for gun ownership.
Senses of security - the majority of the citizens living in remote areas argue that despite the formation of the American army, law enforcement cannot be everywhere. Some communities rely on nothing but a 911 call that might take time before the police officers arrive at the crime scene. When reviewing some of the murder incidents that have taken place in such regions, five minutes is too long to respond to an emergency. Sixty percent of Americans now believe that guns provide some sense of security (Cook & Donohue, 2017). It is therefore evident that security is a primary basic need and without it, people are left feeling unprotected which might deter them from conducting their daily activities.
Home and business protection - approximately one million American business owners utilize guns to protect their property. The main argument put across is that resisting a crime using a gun is safer than other methods. Criminals are less likely to attack people while at their homes or business premises due to the fear of the owners being armed. The handguns are the most preferred because of their flexibility in self-defense. Other guns require to be kept in safes due to their sizes hence it would take time to load the weapon in case of an emergency.
Constitutional right - after the civil war, there was a change in the way people thought and rated the issue of gun control. For the first time, majority Americans believed that categorizing gun ownership as a right was more beneficial regarding the reduction of crime than controlling the rate of ownership among citizens. The states introduced their policies based on their understanding of the constitution. The freedom to bear arms is part of the right to life policy. Without guns, the Americans believe that they could not have overthrown the British colonizers hence gun ownership should remain to be part of the constitution.
Personal freedom - for most gun owners, having a firearm close to hand is tied to one's sense of personal freedom. According to Corso (2017), having the option to own a gun or any other form of ammunition is undoubtedly a form of democracy by definition. Additionally, the ability to use it in case of danger is a similar equivalence. Traditionally, gun ownership was a form of inequality where the arms were restricted to certain classes of people. In America, an ownership right is a form of equality and freedom. However, the privilege should be back up with understanding through public education and awareness programs.
Importance of Enforcing New Laws for Gun Makers
When compared to other nations, the rate of gun violence in America is unusually high for a country of such wealth. Although the crime rates in other nations are also high, the homicide rate in America is more than five times higher than that of other high-income countries. The high prevalence rate has led to the debate on whether the gun control measures are useful or not. Majority people support the proposal that the regulatory policies should now be drifted towards the gun manufacturers. There are enormous economic costs associated with gun manufacturing and distribution.
The topic already raises emotive reactions because the majority of guns used for criminal activities are not acquired legally which is a well-known fact that legal gun owners use to justify non-regulation. It is also known that people fear registration because it gives some knowledge to outsiders (Corso, 2017). The non-registration can be used as a source of targeted attack against a gun owner. It is also clear that the gun problem is more significant than it is projected. People are aware that registering guns that are being purchased will not stop the trade of illegal arms. The registration will also not net those who currently own arms. People also fear regulation because of wrongful prosecution if your gun is used by somebody else.
There are multiple benefits of addressing the problem from the manufacturers' point. First, when gun makers are put under strict rules, it is easier to restrict the youth's ability to purchase and possess firearms. The government can keep track of the names and ages of the buyers by emphasizing on the provision of national identity cards at the buying shops. Majority of the American states allow youths aged between 18 and 20 years to possess handguns hence a rise in crime in the learning institutions. In most world nations, 21 is the minimum legal age for alcoholic consumption thus it should also be used in gun control measures.
Secondly, through the manufacturing firms, it is easy to enact criminal prohibitions. For example, New Jersey state policies restrict the possession of firearms for those people who have been previously involved in crime. The government can, therefore, work together with the selling firms to ensure that they do not sell the ammunition to these individuals. The freedom to legally possess a gun before commuting a related crime would reduce the number of offenders (Goss, 2014). The limitations should however be time-limited based on age or the number of years since the prohibition.
Thirdly, new rules on gun manufacturers can save lives and increase gun industry profits. The changes can be realized by raising the tariffs on importers such that there will be no new entrants into the firearms markets (Mann & Michel, 2016). Research shows that competitive gun prices are a challenge to harm reduction. Tariffs and quotas reduce the availability of cheaper guns. Indeed, seeing gun-control through the lens of sellers helps identify the legislative policies which are active. The federal government can also act as the cartel ringmaster in the insurance of these firms.
Conclusion
It is easier to prevent crime and apprehend criminals and by enforcing new laws on gun makers regarding gun registration, control and licensing. The citizens need to go through the statistics of gun-related crime in areas where the gun regulation laws are in place. Knowing the difference between the occurrence of a felony before and after regulation will help them to make an informed decision. Furthermore, people need to understand the rationale behind gun regulation. A clear demonstration of rights and responsibilities will help in winning the argument. It is important to note that registration is not the only factor that affects gun-related crime. Sufficient training on gun use and care is essential. The method can prevent accidents and the unfortunate event of guns falling into the wrong hands. As much as gun regulation is necessary, it is not enough. People should be aware of their responsibilities as well as the rights of others.
References
America’s gun culture in 10 charts. (2018, October 2018), BBC News . Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41488081
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Beck, L., & Jacobs, B. (2018, November 10). Gun control: House Democrats pledge to use majority to pass legislation. The Guardian . Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/09/house-democrats-gun-control legislation-pledge
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Mann, J. J., & Michel, C. A. (2016). Prevention of firearm suicide in the United States: what works and what is possible. American journal of psychiatry, 173(10), 969-979.
