Gun Control in America

Gun Control in America

In America, gun ownership is one of the most cherished and oldest traditions. However, today, gun ownership is not as common as it was 230 years ago. The right to keep and own firearms was identified as an essential aspect of liberty, and therefore, it comes second in the bill of rights after the freedom of expression. This second amendment in the U.S gives its citizens the right to own guns. Three adults in a group of ten own guns since most adults feel that owning guns is essential to their freedom. There have been many cases of gun violence, whereby ordinary citizens use their firearms to commit crimes. The presence of a gun in a household can be dangerous to women and children due to cases of gender-based gun violence. There have been many cases of mass- shooting and murder cases, which results in debates in the state legislatures and Congress about limiting the access to guns among citizens. Data on the number of suicide and murder cases in 2017 shows that up to 40,000 Americans were victims of gun-related violence.

Firearms are regarded as tools for hunting, sports, bonding generations, among other things. In cities such as Texas, firearms are used as tools for hunting, and they bond generations whereby parents take their children to hunt (Abrams and Vick). These guns are then passed down to their ages.A firearm can be a good thing depending on the person owning it. The people who live in the cities find guns to be artisanal due to its material, which is a combination of tooled steel, banished walnut, and its exquisite balance. Parents giving instructions to their youth about handling guns is regarded as a right of passage into adulthood, which is a tradition in some people. However, few Americans learn about using weapons in the woods. The culture of guns in the rural parts evokes individualism on beliefs and therefore results in resistance to regulation freely since they argue that gun ownership is their constitutional right. Most of them live in the suburbs, yet the culture of owning a gun connects the city and the country. Most gun owners are gun fanatics, and usually, they own more than one weapon (Sanjurjo).

According to the research,  America has the highest gun population in the world, yet a small number of people own guns. Research conducted by Pew research center and Gallup surveys show that roughly 40% of people in America live in households where they own guns but only 30%  own guns (Abrams and Vick). Other researches show that there is a low percentage of personally owned guns of about 22%, and only 4.4% of young adults who are over 16years hunt using weapons. These findings are different in the cities. For example, in St Louis, there is a high population in the suburbs, and they experience the highest rate of murder cases to gun violence. African Americans have high incidences of gun violence as compared to Whites, and therefore community leaders associate gun culture with unemployment, lack of opportunities, and education.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, mass shootings are a common occurrence. Its findings show that on an average day, about six children die or are injured because of unintentionally shooting. In the period from 2012to 2016, an average of 35,000 Americans were victims of gun violence each year (Abrams and Vick). Homicides by gun were 31% between 2014 and 2016. In 1996, research shows that Congress limited the scope of gun violence. There is a lot of disagreement on the criteria of counting Mass shooting in America because there are a minimum number of victims, which can be referred to as a Mass. The numbers keep increasing, whereby the most deadly shooting in US history was claimed lives of 49 people, which took place at Orlando’s Pulse Night Club in 2016. Later in 2017, 58 people were slaughter in Las Vegas at a music festival.

There has been an increase in the frequency of school shootings, which takes place in public. Many kindergartners’ are familiar with active shooter drills, which has been frightening parents in the suburbs. However, parents in the cities are used to school shootings. School shootings are not talked about among politicians (Abrams and Vick). According to the poll conducted by Gallup’s survey, 67% of Americans voted for more strict laws concerning the sale of firearms, which is the highest percentage since 1993. About 97% of Americans supported universal background checks. However, Congress has not passed a proposal on gun measures issued by Manchin Toomey to expand background checks. This measure was introduced after 20 first grade children were killed in 2012. State representative of Texas Jonathan Stickland wanted to remove the requirement for a permit on people who own guns using an approach called Constitutional Carry (Ghez). The representative of North California proposed that gun owners should sell their military-style semi-automatic assault rifles to the government using a procedure called Mandatory by Buyback.

The opinion and beliefs of Americans concerning gun violence; to some, a gun is a symbol of tradition in a family while others take it as a symbol of death or fear. For this reason, it is difficult to talk about issues concerning guns. Some people are strong supporters of the second amendment. Obama’s regime was against the second amendment (Abrams and Vick). He launched 23 modest executive actions to ensure responsible gun ownership campaign among other safety measures. He received criticism from the Republican side. Political system divides the people on concerning gun regulation; it supports the second amendment and shapes the idea of advocating for imposing limits of guns. The system should let the public justify the rules on firearms. Citizens should come together and educate each other on matters of responsibility and the need for extraordinary care in dealing with weapons to find common ground.

A research conducted by Webster on public opinions about gun control reported that there are variations by gun ownership or political party affiliation. Another study showed that 64% of Democrats were in favor of stricter gun control laws, while 52% of Republicans supported some form of gun control. Gun ownership is highly connected to racism (Abrams and Vick). A study conducted by Kerry O’ Brien reported that symbolic racism was related to a significant extent to an increased likelihood of owning a gun and a considerable opposition in gun control. This evidence was based on ideologies, political affiliations, and resistance to government control. Racism is a predator of attitudes towards gun control. Biases and opinions of the White Americans influence policy decisions. In America, it is dangerous for black people to own guns. As holding a gun is a constitutional right, it results in issues among African Americans, such as mistaken identities and wrongful convictions. There are many protests in black communities concerning gun violence and killing black people (O’Brien, Forrest, Lynott, and Daly).

Research shows that Firearm ownership results in gender-based gun violence. Firearms are reported to be a contributor to intimate partner killings and intimidation in America. The presence of funs in a household increases the risk of women being killed by their partners (Abrams and Vick).  Gun ownership demoralizes and threatens the safety of women by exposing them to sexual coercion. Abusers who own guns are five times likely to kill their partners and exert coercive control over them. Nearly one million women have reported being shot by their intimate partners. These acts affect children who witness the action or those who live with it (Celinska).

In conclusion, gun control remains a significant challenge in America. Some people take guns for tools, while others see them as a deadly weapon. United states constitution gives its citizens the right to own guns, which in many ways has adverse effects on the people. Gun ownership has resulted in increased levels of gun violence in America. Many cases such as murders, suicides, racism based violence, mass shootings, and other related crimes. There have been political divisions concerning laws on gun control. While Democrats call for more strict rules for gun control, Republicans suggest such actions amount to the denial of the constitutional rights of Americans. The former argues that the fact that few individuals use these weapons to commit crimes should not be used as an excuse to infringe on the rights of innocent Americans. There are many divided opinions surrounding gun ownership, as some communities feel threatened. Black people die every day from gun violence and mistaken identities due to gun violence. Generally, gun ownership is dangerous to ordinary citizens in America. The government should come up with stricter laws to govern gun ownership to reduce the rate of gun-related violence.