Advocating Gun Control

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Gun Control
The ability for civilians to own guns has both pros and cons. When considering the topic of gun control, one must objectively critique the pros and weigh them against the cons. Having looked at both the cons and the pros, I advocate for gun control. There are several reasons for supporting gun control. First, enacting more gun control laws would potentially reduce gun-related deaths. Evidence reveals that gun-related deaths have been increasing over the last two decades (Laschever and David, 7). Most of these deaths emanate from suicides, homicides, and unintentional deaths. In the recent past, there have also been cases of civilians opening fire on the public leading to unwarranted deaths. Stricter gun control laws would help eliminate some of these deaths as they would ensure fewer citizens have access to guns.
Secondly, gun control would reduce the number of civilians owning high-capacity magazines. Gun control laws should aim to ban ownership of these magazines since evidence has revealed that they often perpetrate mass murder. Evidence has revealed that more than half of mass murder shootings between 1982 and 2013 involved using high-capacity magazines (Laschever and David, 7). Due to their high capacity, these guns can cause debilitating harm when used improperly. When used to perpetrate murder, these magazines often turn the murderer into a killing machine that can wipe out many lives within a short period.
The third reason for advocating for gun control is that guns are rarely used for self-defense. The main reason the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution protects individual gun ownership is for self-defense. With research showing that very few gun holders use weapons for self-defense, gun control becomes justified. Evidence has shown that cases where guns are used to perpetrate crime and violence are more than cases where guns are used for self-defense purposes. For instance, in 2010, only about 230 cases of justifiable homicides were reported (Philpott, 7). On the other hand, 8275 cases of criminal homicides were reported in the same year (Philpott, 7). consequently, it appears that it may be safer not to have a gun.
Fourthly, gun control would potentially help protect women against domestic abusers. Evidence shows that five women die daily due to domestic gun violence (Laschever and David, 7). This figure presents an alarming level of killings and should ring bells concerning gun control. There exists evidence to show that the chances of a woman being killed during a domestic dispute inc...