RESEARCH PAPER 530 - R1. Gun Control Debate

GUN CONTROL DEBATE
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Gun Control Debate
Gun control policy in the United States of America mostly involves the acquisition, ownership, and use of firearms through legal measures or law. Among the developed countries with strict gun control laws, the United States of America (U.S.A) have seems to have high incidences of firearm abuse. Most Americans have a constitutional right to legally possess firearms making the law controversial since most of murder and homicide cases involve guns. This controversy has driven Republicans and Democrats to a debate of deciding whether illegally and legal possession of gun causes more violence or not.
Gun control measures can reduce the number of deaths occurring in the United States of America. Most deaths in the U. S.A are as a result of using guns like said earlier most homicides and suicidal cases have occurred from gunshots, thus controlling the use of guns would reduce the violence and killings because whether acquired legally or illegally guns make it easy for a person to kill others and oneself. This is because a murderer can easily steal a gun from a legal owner and commit a crime using the gun which can be traced back to the firearm owner who gets charged for the crime. Background checks can reduce deaths along with licensing of firearms and ammunition. This can also be done along with ammunition and gun identification.
Violence is at high risk of occurring as long as people have access to or have firearms. Guns lead with a homicide percentage of 67.7 and a suicide percentage of 51.8 of death cases in the United States. The increase of violence is more likely to occur whether a gun is handled safely or put in a gun safe as long as it can be accessed. Most conflicts such as love triangles, alcohol tussle among other small fights can grow to become a menace with a single use of a gun. Risks of deaths in a single home are very high with the presence of a single gun, unlike houses that don't have any firearm.[CDC, WISQARS Database, cdc.gov,accessed July 17, 2018] [Arthur L. Kellermann, Frederick P. Rivara, Norman B. Rushforth, et al., "Gun Ownership as a Risk Factor for Homicide in the Home," nejm.org, Oct. 7, 1993]
Gun control can secure those who own their guns legally. Legal gun owners do not need to suffer nor have their firearms taken away from them due to the mistakes of a few others as it can be solved by the implementation of gun control laws. The main idea or aim of gun control is to prohibit their use when a person is in the temptation of using the gun for the wrong purposes such as committing suicide or murder. The right to own guns as per the Constitution of America should involve responsibility, accountability and be informed.[Susan P. Baker, "Without Guns, Do People Kill People?," American Journal of Public Health, June 1985]
Gun ownership can reduce violence and crime rates. A person can control how he or she uses their firearms hence prevent crime and bloodshed from occurring. This is opposed to gun control measures or laws because they cannot prevent crime from happening and deaths from occurring. Countries with bans on weapon ownership have higher rates of violent activities...