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The gun control debate in the U.S.

This research paper example explores the intense debate over gun control in the United States. It discusses how different perspectives either support increased regulations to enhance safety and reduce gun-related crimes or defend gun ownership as a constitutional right to protect individual liberties. The college research paper highlights significant incidents of gun violence and examines legislative responses, including public opinion, which largely favors stricter gun laws.

September 17, 2024

* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.

The Gun Control Debate in the U.S.

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The Gun Control Debate in the U.S.

Gun control refers to the laws that define the controls on gun ownership and restrict

particular kinds of firearms. Gun ownership is constitutionally protected in the United States.

Still, murders committed with firearms are highly common. In this context, the gun debate has

transformed into a fraught political issue pitting those who consider increased control a necessity

against those who view the matter as an infringement of individual liberty. Those supporting

increased gun control posit that limiting access to firearms will likely reduce crime. The

conflicting argument is that increased gun control precludes law-abiding citizens from

opportunities to defend themselves against criminals. The gun control debate in the U.S. has not

yielded much for the citizens as parties on both sides refuse to take a compromising position.

Controlling firearms has been interpreted as a violation of the constitution, specifically

concerning the Second Amendment. This part of the constitution is mostly inferred to mean that

it guarantees arms for every citizen (Pomeranz et al., 2021). When the legislation came into

being, the concern was that the administration would abuse its authority to impose its agenda on

the different states. Therefore, the state militias needed to take up firearms to protect the states

from a tyrannical federal government. Additionally, restricting assault weapons would have

minimal impact on gun deaths since many of the deaths caused by guns are self-inflicted and are

not from high-capacity guns. Moreover, most firearms are manufactured locally, and their

increased sales help boost local economies and encourage innovation.

Even though guns are critical for personal protection and sporting activities such as

hunting, gun control proponents insist that such events may not require individuals to use

automatic weapons. Assault weapons have injured many people in mass shootings. Also, when

there is an accidental discharge, automatic weapons cause much damage. Mass murders

committed with guns that have high-capacity ammunition magazines are common occurrences.

Some of these happenings are not even revealed in the mainstream media, while those that attract

national attention are exceedingly heinous. The killing of more than twenty people in an

elementary school in 2015, in Connecticut, and the murder of forty-nine individuals in a

nightclub in 2016, are some of the incidents that have caused a public uproar (Gale, 2022). In

2017, close to sixty people died in Las Vegas, while in 2018, fourteen students and their faculty

members perished in Florida at Douglas High School (Gale, 2022). In 2022, twenty-one persons

died in a shooting at Robb Elementary.

Despite the many deaths occasioned by gun violence, especially in schools, these

incidents have sparked short-lived and fruitless discussions regarding the need for stricter gun

control. Most politicians from the leading political parties opt to offer their prayers as they fear

reprisal from the National Rifle Association. Politicians have evaded the issue of legislating

reasonable measures, including a ban on assault weapons and expanded background checks.

President Biden has issued several executive orders regulating certain firearms and encouraged

states to pass “red flag” laws that control firearm possession for people considered a danger in

society. The executive orders also control the supply of guns with no serial numbers, called

“ghost guns.” However, many still believe that a lot should be done to keep schools, which are

usually the main targets, safe. In a 2021 Pew Research poll, 53% of Americans wanted more gun

control laws, and only 14% wanted less strict laws (Schaeffer, 2021). These figures indicate that

many Americans wish for increased firearm regulations.

The gun control debate lingers as many schoolchildren and citizens continue to lose their

lives. Parties on both sides of the political arena have disagreed on the best way to protect the

American people. Some people believe that restricting firearms infringes on their constitutional

rights. On the other hand, the majority of the people, as per the 2021 Pew Research poll, wish for

increased control of guns. The eternal debate is likely to hurt the citizens the most.

References

Gale. (2022). Gun Control. In Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Gale.

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999212/OVIC?u=gale&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=76551779

Pomeranz, J. L., Silver, D., & Lieff, S. A. (2021). State Gun-Control, Gun-Rights, and

Preemptive Firearm-Related Laws Across 50 U.S. States for 2009–2018. American

journal of public health, 111(7), 1273-1280.

https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306287

Schaeffer, K. (2021, Sep 13). Key facts about Americans and guns.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/

September 17, 2024

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Academic level:

Undergraduate 3-4

Type of paper:

Research paper

Discipline:

English

Citation:

APA

Pages:

3 (825 words)