FREE ESSAY ON GUN CONTROL

GUN CONTROL

The Second Amendment to the Constitution states that, 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, and the definition of gun control is; government regulation of
possession and use of firearms by private citizens(Levinson, 5). Gun control only takes
guns away from law-abiding citizens and it does nothing to stop criminals from buying
illegal guns, who are unlikely to obey the law and register their guns(NRA 238). I feel
that the term gun control is improperly used. The government is using it as a way to take
our right to bear arms. Why would anyone want to own a gun? Piece of mind is the main
reason I have a gun. I feel a lot safer at home knowing that I am close to my best line
of defense. Guns provide a source of psychological reassurance even among citizens who
are not especially concerned about the fear of crime of being victimized("Firearms" 64).
In a survey given about guns, "self-defense was the primary reason given by one out of
every five gun owners for firearms"("Firearms" 61). "The right of self-defense and the
right to use firearms for defense of self and family are the cornerstone of individual
rights enumerated in the US Constitution("Self-Defense" 26)." Why does the government
make it harder to protect ourselves? Police cannot always protect everyone. There are
only about 500,000 police officers throughout the country, which figures to around only
125,000 police officers are on duty at any given time to protect the whole country(Lee
9). Only seventeen percent of Americans give the police a great deal of confidence in
protecting them, while forty-six percent said they do not give them very much
confidence("Carrying" 32). "Other than a bodyguard or a law enforcement officer at one's
side twenty-four hours a day, the most effective deterrent to criminal attack is the
criminal's fear that the prospective victim is armed and prepared to defend him or her
self"("Carrying" 33). Courts have ruled that there is no constitutional right to be
protected by the state against being murdered by criminals or madmen, which means that
police have no duty to protect the individual citizen(Tahmassebi 66). After hearing this,
I trust the police even less. What is the likelihood of being successfully attacked when
you are armed? Criminals fear armed citizens("Self-Defense" 22). Victims who used guns
for protection were less likely either to be attacked or injured than victims who
responded in any other way, including those who didn't resist at all; and victims no
resisted robbers with a gun were less likely to lose their property. When victims use
guns to resist crimes, the crimes usually are disrupted and the victims are not
injured("Self-Defense", 24). A good example of firearm deterrence comes from a rape
experiment done in Orlando. Orlando offered a training course to women on hand-gun self
defense, which was taken by 6,000 women("Firearms" 64). A year after the program began,
the rape rate in Orlando dropped almost ninety percent("Firearms" 64). The police force
went on strike in Albuquerque, New Mexico; during this time, the crime rate decreased
because frightened citizens armed themselves and protected their homes and
businesses("Firearms" 69). Criminals "had no stomach at all for facing indignant citizens
protecting their own property with the same force the criminals used to steal
it("Firearms" 69). Handgun ownership averts thousands of victim injuries and deaths that
would not have been avoidable given the tactical advantages that criminals have over
unarmed citizens(Lee 7). Who would you rather have protecting you? In Chicago in a
typical year, more criminals are shot by store owners and other armed citizens than by
the entire police force("Firearms" 69). In April 1984 three terrorists attacked a cafe in
Jerusalem with automatic weapons, intending to kill everyone in sight; they were able to
claim only one victim before they were shot by a handgun-armed Israelis(Lee 3). In 1980,
between 1,500-3,000 felons were legally killed by armed civilians in self-defense or for
related-legally justified reasons; and additional 8,700-16,600 criminals were legally
wounded under the same circumstances. If these figures are accurate, then civilians kill
and injure far more felons annually than do police officers, i.e., criminals have more to
fear from armed victims than from the police("Firearms" 63). Everyone knows that police
officers are trained to ask questions first and shoot later, but I personally feel that
if I was in a questionable situation I would probably shoot first. That is most likely
how many other citizens feel and that is probably why that figure is so high. Why doesn't
the Constitution protect us from gun control laws? The Second Amendment states, "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"(Levinson 5). Infringed means to
violate or trespass. The Constitution has never been described as a marvel of clarity,
and the Second Amendment is probably the most unclear amendment in the bill of
rights(Levinson 5). It is not easy to understand why the Second Amendment, or the notion
of liberty, should be viewed as creating a right to own and carry a weapon that
contributes so directly to the shock of murders in our society(Levinson 7). "It is hard
for me to see how one can argue that circumstances have so changed as to make mass
disarmament constitutionally unproblematic(Levinson 9). What have gun control laws done
for citizens? No study of the effectiveness of gun laws has shown any positive effect,
yet some studies have shown a negative effect(NRA 238). The obvious effect of gun bans is
to deny law abiding citizens access to firearms for their defense(Tahmassebi 65). The
black market is open to anyone with money without discrimination of age, race, gender, or
background. Criminals do not bother to with obeying the law, for a criminal by definition
is someone who disobeys laws(NRA 240). Gun control laws do not even pertain to criminals,
unless they try to work through the legal system. The only people who are affected by gun
control laws are law-abiding citizens who are trying to protect themselves. What does it
take to carry a concealed handgun? To legally carry a concealed handgun, in most states,
a license must be obtained. To get a concealed and carry license one must take a
concealed handgun course. Once the course has been taken, you have to apply for the
license from Austin, where they conduct a extensive background check to see if you have
any criminal record. Many people have invested lots of money in handguns and handgun
classes, then have been rejected when applying for their license. In 1996, 1321 license
applicants were denied the right to carry a concealed handgun in Texas("Texas Concealed
Handgun License Statistics" 1). Why does it have to be so hard for the good guy to get a
gun? Why does the government insist on making the criminal go through the legal system so
that it slows it down for the good guys? There are many questions to ask, but there are
not enough answer to give out. Our Founding Fathers gave the citizens of the United
states the right to bear arms, and our new government is slowly trying to take it away.
The fight to ban gun control is going to be a difficult one. "The longer gun control
advocates distract the nation from this task by embracing that single siren song, the
longer it will take and the more difficult the job will be"(NRA 242). So practice your
right to protect your country and vote against gun control any time you can.
Bibliography "Carrying Concealed Firearms Who Will Protect The People?" 29-35. "Firearms,
Self-Defense and Deterrence." 1-11. Lee, Robert W. "Gun Control Would Not Reduce Crime."
1-5. Levinson, Sanford. "The Second Amendment and Gun Control: An Overview." 1-9. NRA.
"Gun Control Would Not Reduce Violence." 238-242. "Self-Defense The Right and The
Deterrent." 22-28. Tahmassebi, Stefan B. "Gun Control Would Not Reduce Crime Against the
Poor and Minorities." 59-66. Texas Concealed Handgun License Statistics As of December,
27 1996. 1. Internet. www.ghg.net/mav/stat.html.