On April 28,1996, a gunman opened fire on tourist in a seaside resort on Port Arthur, Tasmania.By the time he was finished, he had killed 35 people and wounded 23 and more. It was a horrible mass murder in the history of Australia.Gun control has been a big part of our world today, but not big enough. It should be illegal to own guns in the U.S and I will tell you why. In this essay I will be providing you with reasons and evidence that will help me convince you about owning illegal guns. This matters by less accidents or murders to happen by guns.
First of all, many people own guns mostly adults, but many teenagers, it turns out, also have guns.In Chicago`s, Harper High School, Linda Lutton interviewed young teenagers about gun control and their responses were unbelievable . In the article “Get your Gun” it says “Chicago has strict gun laws but, obviously, teenagers are somehow getting their hands on guns. Lots of guns. We've all heard about straw purchasers and gun shows but 15-year-olds aren't spending hundreds of dollars to buy guns, or exploiting gun show loopholes. Reporter Linda Lutton gathered together a group of Harper boys and asked them: where do you get your guns? They told her not only where they got them, but also where they keep them, too”. Lutton shows how many teenagers already carry and hide firearms without people knowing where they got them or how, and god knows how they are going to use them. This is why we should regulate guns.
My second reason for tighter regulations is that too many deaths are related to guns and suicides. In “gun control pro-con” it shows how if we put more laws into place fewer deaths will occur. In the article it states: “More gun control laws would reduce gun deaths. There were 464,033 total gun deaths between 1999 and 2013: 270,237 suicides (58.2% of total deaths); 174,773 homicides (37.7%); and 9,983 unintentional deaths (2.2%). Guns were the leading cause of death by homicide (66.6% of all homicides) and by suicide (52.2% all suicides). Firearms were the 12th leading cause of all deaths, representing 1.3% of total deaths topping liver disease, hypertension, and Parkinson’s , as well as deaths from fires, drowning, and machinery accidents. David Frum, Daily Beast and CNN contributor, stated, "American children under age 15 were nine times more likely to die of a gun accident than children in other advanced wealthy countries… About 200 Americans go to emergency rooms every day with gunshot wounds." A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that "legal purchase of a handgun appears to be associated with a long-lasting increased risk of violent death" as you can see by putting more laws into effect, you reduce deaths and suicides.This can help our society be a better and safer place to live in without worrying about deaths or murders.
Lastly, more and more guns have been stolen and been used in criminal actions.In “gun control pro-con” says that most of the stolen guns have been used by large number of criminals. In the article it says: “Legally owned guns are frequently stolen and used by criminals. A June 2013 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report states that "Almost all guns used in criminal acts enter circulation via initial legal transaction." Between 2005 and 2010, 1.4 million guns were stolen from US homes during property crimes (including burglary and car theft), a yearly average of 232,400. Ian Ayres, JD, PhD, and John J. Donahue, JD, PhD, Professors of Law at Yale Law School and Stanford Law School respectively, state: "with guns being a product that can be easily carried away and quickly sold at a relatively high fraction of the initial cost, the presence of more guns can actually serve as a stimulus to burglary and theft. Even if the gun owner had a permit to carry a concealed weapon and would never use it in furtherance of a crime, is it likely that the same can be said for the burglar who steals the gun?" (gun control pro-con) This tells you how many guns are being used in murders, theft, and much more. And maybe how many more are going to be stolen and used.
Not everyone agrees that more gun control would reduce suicides and murders. In the article “gun control pro-con” it says, “ More gun control is unnecessary because relatively few people are killed by guns.According to the CDC's "Leading Causes of Death Reports," between 1999 and 2013, Americans were 21.5 times more likely to die of heart disease (9,691,733 deaths); 18.7 times more likely to die of malignant tumors (8,458,868 deaths); and 2.4 times more likely to die of diabetes or 2.3 times more likely to die of Alzheimer's (1,080,298 and 1,053,207 respectively) than to die from a firearm (whether by accident, homicide, or suicide). The flu and related pneumonia (875,143 deaths); traffic accidents (594,280 deaths); and poisoning whether by accident, homicide, or suicide (475,907 deaths) all killed more people between 1999 and 2013 than firearms. Firearms were the 12th leading cause of deaths between 1999 and 2013, responsible for 1.3% of deaths with 464,033 deaths. Internationally. The claim that the United States has a major problem with firearm homicide is according to these sources . The United States is ranked 28th in international homicide rates with 2.97 gun murders per 100,000 people in 2012”. But what if deaths from guns impact a person or family member more than them dying from a natural cause like the flu? When it comes to suicide it was their decision to end their life instead of dying naturally.
Finally by putting more gun control laws into place opponents argue it won't help reduce armed robberies or gun theft. In the article “gun control pro-con” it says “Gun control laws will not prevent criminals from obtaining guns or breaking laws. Of 62 mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and 2012, 49 of the shooters used legally obtained guns. Collectively, 143 guns were possessed by the killers with about 75% obtained legally. John R. Lott, Jr., PhD, gun rights activist, stated, "The problem with such [gun control] laws is that they take away guns from law-abiding citizens, while would-be criminals ignore them.” According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics May 2013 report, 37.4% of state prison inmates who "used, carried, or possessed a firearm when they committed the crime for which they were serving a prison sentence" obtained the gun from a family member or friend.Despite Chicago's ban on gun shops, shooting ranges, assault weapons, and high capacity magazines, in 2014 Chicago had 2,089 shooting victims including at least 390 murders.Approximately 50,000 guns were recovered by police in Chicago between 2001 and Mar. 2012. The guns came from all 50 states, and more than half came from outside of Illinois.”But what happens if they just find more and more guns? If they just go somewhere far far away from their home town or city and get guns by stealing them or buying them or just having a family member that owns one.This shows how many people like getting their hands on guns.
However, there is still hope. Gun control today in the United states is one of the most complex and divisive issue we face, and now it needs to stop. By people supporting the laws and paying more attention what happens around them they can possible save lives. You could save a life if being alert around you and spreading the word and making the world a better and safer place for children and families.
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