Gun control is a significant issue in the society that focuses on the regulation of sale and ownership of firearms. The implementation of gun control laws focuses on ensuring that only the licensed person has the right to use a firearm. The issue of legalization of firearms results in the development of a wide range of arguments regarding the safety of people. The proponents of the debate on the legalization of guns argue on the basis that gun ownership plays a significant role in reducing crime rates, while opponents argue that gun ownership would result in irresponsible gun usage thus posing a major threat to the lives of people in the society. The implementation of gun ownership rules in different countries is based on the perceptions and attitudes of people regarding the use of guns. In the United States, gun ownership is an aspect that is defined in the second amendment in the constitution.
Correlation Between Gun Ownership and Low Violent Crime Rates
The legal ownership of guns means that any individual above the consent age may own and use a gun as defined in the constitution. When focusing on the issue of gun ownership, it is necessary to determine whether effective gun policies may have a significant impact on the crime rates of a given region. The first significant aspect that presents the correlation between gun ownership and violent crime rates entails the processes used while obtaining licenses to use the gun ( Kalesan, Villarreal, Keyes, & Galea, 2016 ). In most countries, obtaining a gun requires an individual to undergo background checks, which is an aspect that helps to identify information regarding an individual and whether they are fit to own a firearm. The second aspect involves the fact that gun ownership may increase public safety, considering that individuals can defend themselves in case of an attack thus reducing violent crime rates in the society.
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Flexible gun control laws, which are an aspect that increases legal gun ownership would mean that anyone is entitled to own a gun thus making it difficult for criminals to engage in different types of criminal activities. Zimring (2017) maintains that legal gun ownership reduces crime rates considering t hat the gun control board engages in keeping records regarding the users of the guns thus increasing accountability. Additionally, the fact that legal gun ownership entails undertaking a mental assessment for gun owners plays a significant role in reducing crime rates considering that gun owners undergo proper screening to examine their mental stability, which reduces engagement in violent activities using guns. In this case, the mentioned factors play a significant role in depicting the correlation between the legal ownership of a gun and the reduction of crime rates in society.
Most states in America tend to have gun control measures that define the usability and ownership of guns. In the state of Virginia, the legal ownership of guns plays a significant role in reducing crime rates, which is an aspect that relates to the fact that there are flexible gun control laws that define the use of firearms. According to Zimring (2018), Virginia experienced a significant decrease in violent crime rates, which is an aspect that is attributed to the implementation of flexible gun control measures that allow ownership of guns freely without any restrictions. In the state of Virginia, gun control laws do not prohibit the ownership of guns and allow gun owners to carry firearms in public. Although different kinds of firearms are prohibited to carry in public, it is necessary to note that gun ownership laws do not hinder ownership of the firearms. The most important aspect to note regarding gun ownership in Virginia is that there is no license required for an individual to own a private gun.
In other parts of the world, some countries focus on the implementation of flexible gun control laws intending to reduce the rate of violent crimes. A country in Asia that shows the correlation between legal ownership and low violent crime rates is Yemen. In Yemen, ownership of firearms is considered a right rather than a privilege thus providing flexibility in the ownership process of the firearms. Obtaining a firearm in the country does not require any form of license or permit thus it is considered one of the heavily armed countries in Asia. The violent crime rates in the country are relatively low compared to the rates in other parts of Asia, where there are high rates of violent criminal activities that take place in society. The relatively low number of violent crime rates that take place in the country is attributed to the fact that the country has a high number of gun owners.
A review of the gun ownership situation in Virginia and Yemen indicates that high gun ownership plays a vital role in reducing violent crime activities. Firstly, it is important to note that higher gun ownership increases the defense rates of people that having the ability to deal with any kind of violent attack from criminals. Self-defense is a significant aspect that enables individuals to overcome different forms of crime. Another significant aspect that indicates that high gun ownership results in less criminal activities entail the background checks and procedures followed before obtaining a firearm. Lastly, high gun ownership as a result of flexible gun control laws increases the responsible use of firearms considering that there are no restrictions that hinder the process of owning a gun. Additionally, flexible in gun ownership laws would mean that there is no illegal sale of firearms.
The illegal sale of firearms is a primary factor that increases violent crime rates considering that the criminals cannot be held liable as there is no form of accountability. On the other hand, countries, and states with stricter gun laws tend to have more violent crime rates. Firstly, it is important to note that strict gun control laws impact the sale of the firearms thus resulting in the increased illegal sale of the guns to people who do not qualify to get them through the normal and legal process. In that case, the illegal sale of firearms would mean that people acquire firearms without undergoing a background check to test the mental conditions of an individual. Additionally, the strict gun control laws impact the safety of people considering that the public lacks effective self-defense tools thus increasing vulnerability.
The issue of legalization of firearms results in the development of a wide range of arguments regarding the safety of people. The first significant aspect that presents the correlation between gun ownership and violent crime rates entails the processes used while obtaining licenses to use the gun. Flexible gun control laws, which are aspects that increase legal gun ownership would mean that anyone is entitled to own a gun thus making it difficult for criminals to engage in different types of criminal activities. A review of the gun ownership situation in Virginia and Yemen indicates that high gun ownership plays a vital role in reducing violent crime activities. The illegal sale of firearms is a primary factor that increases violent crime rates considering that the criminals cannot be held liable as there is no form of accountability.
References
Kalesan, B., Villarreal, M. D., Keyes, K. M., & Galea, S. (2016). Gun ownership and social gun culture. Injury prevention , 22 (3), 216-220.
Zimring, F. E. (2017). Firearms and violence. Reforming criminal justice: A report of the Academy for Justice on bridging the gap between scholarship and reform , 1 , 167-186.
Zimring, F. E. (2018). 16 Firearms and violence. Gun Studies: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Politics, Policy, and Practice , 261.
