Until we get to the root of the issue, restricting guns and making it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to practice their right to bear arms it will not have the effect for which people are hoping.
In the U.S. Constitution, the 2nd Amendment says: “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
However, it seems violence and tragedies including the use of firearms have developed a negative connotation, and has many Americans asking for stricter gun laws. This should not be the case.
According to Forbes.com, two-thirds of the 179,000 homicides committed during the 2000s has made use of a firearm, usually a handgun. Along with killing sprees and mass-shootings that have occurred throughout the years, including the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, President Bar-ack Obama and organizations like the National Rifle Society have been under fire by the public about updating gun-control policies to try to stop or diminish gun violence.
Criminals by definition do not obey laws; so although the natural reaction of many Americans is to call for stricter gun laws, it will not be a beneficial solution, and simply does not make sense.
The Center of Disease Control lists heart disease as one of the leading causes of death in America, yet we are not banning cheeseburgers.
People are also making a conscious choice to drink before getting behind the wheel of a car, yet alcohol is not being banned either.Possessing and using guns is not any different.
Blaming the inanimate object for people’s intentions and actions will not help anything. A survey taken by CNN/Time Magazine/ORC International reveals that 55 percent of Americans say they favor stricter gun laws, while 39 percent say stricter gun controls alone would reduce violence.
Cities all over the United States are calling for stricter gun laws within their city limits, hoping to get a head start in implementing safety. New York is the first state to pass a gun-control bill since the Sandy Hook tragedy.
CNN reports that the New York law fortifies the state’s existing ban on assault-weapons, limits the number of bullets allowed in magazines and strengthens rules that govern the mentally ill, which includes a requirement to report potentially harmful behavior.
Although this is considered to be one of America’s strictest gun laws, it will be hard to regulate.
Magazines can hold anything from a few rounds, to a few hundred rounds depending on the firearm.
Magazines are not hard to obtain and could actually be made at home, if needed. So limiting magazines will not have the effect lawmakers want. Magazines can also be obtained illegally.
Also, it can be argued that reporting potentially harmful behavior from the mentally ill is common sense. The only way for that to happen would be completely banning guns. This would be dismissing and overriding the Constitution, which would ultimately not be allowed.
According to the FBI, the No. 1 weapon used in violent crimes is a baseball bat. Firearm homicides come after tobacco use, motor vehicle accidents, unintentional poisoning and unintentional falls in the rankings of the “Ten Big Killers” in the U.S.
Many argue that stricter gun laws would not cause the problem to completely go away, but would make it much more difficult for criminals to access guns as a result of more in-depth background checks and limited ammunition.
Adam Lanza, the shooter that claimed so many lives during the Sandy Hook shooting tried to purchase firearms the right way, and was rejected. However, because he was so determined, he stole the guns his mother owned to achieve his goal.
I do not agree with many of the new suggested laws concerning the use of firearms, but I do believe that assault rifles should be limited and only given to those who form a part of militia and law enforcement or are approved competition shooters.
