After watching bowling with
Columbine I now realize more than ever that America has a serious problem with
guns. There are many different beliefs as to what actually causes these
problems. People blame sources such as Gun Laws, the 2nd amendment,
and media.
Gun laws in the United States are
put in place to regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and
ammunition. However, maybe that is not enough. Carrying a concealed handgun in
public is permitted in all 50 states. Gun laws though, vary by state. Some
states do not even require a state permit for purchasing, allowing whoever
wants to buy a gun. Other states are much stricter and require state permits,
concealed to carry permits, firearm registrations, and extensive background checks.
Some stores now have a limitation of how much ammunition you can buy. But is
all that enough with the gun crime rate still soaring in the United States?
The 2nd Amendment's "right of
the people to keep and bear arms" purposes a diverse conflict within
America. Our forefathers made it a right for us to legally have and carry guns
so that our nation does not become too powerful and overexert its right of
control on the people. Those against the Amendment say most violent crimes are
committed with guns; thus, restricting gun ownership will likely reduce the
number of such crimes. But arguably enough, those for the right to bear arms
say criminals will always find a way to obtain their guns, leaving law-abiding
citizens without any weapons to use in defense if guns become illegal for
citizens to own. Many citizens feel like Obama is overstepping his boundaries
in his latest two executive orders for new gun control laws. Not only is he
violating our 2nd amendment to bear arms but under 4th
amendment it is stated that “The right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures, shall not be violated.” According to Obama’s newest
unconstitutionally enacted law, health care professionals now have to violate
HIPPA privacy laws and submit medical data to the government. They then will use the illegally obtained
data as justification for gun confiscation by the federal government.
A large amount of blame is placed
on media for gun violence. Today’s video games, television shows, movies, and
magazines all contain a large amount of violence. Parents say that they are
sending subliminal messages to their children. Subliminal messages such as:
violence is heroic, or leading them to believe that killing is a game. According
to the Center for Media Education, by the time children complete elementary
school, they will witness more than 100,000 acts of violence on television,
including 8,000 murders. These numbers double to 200,000 acts of violence and
16,000 murders by the time they complete high school. Exposure to gun violence
can traumatize children and youth not just physically, but emotionally as well.
Exposure rates such as these are believed to be a cause of children’s
aggressiveness and school shootings.
Do guns kill people or do people
kill people? I semi believe in the 2nd amendment. We as Americans should exercise
our right to bear arms. But what type of firepower is really appropriate for
the average American trying to protect himself? Certainly not things like assault
rifles, such as the M-16. I believe that people kill people mostly because: guns
don't kill people just like pencils do not misspell the words on your paper.
Guns cannot load themselves with deadly bullets. Guns cannot aim their barrel
at a target and pull their own triggers. People do the actual killing; guns just
make it so much easier.
We as Americans need to start
taking measures to make our schools and streets safer for our children. Parents
cannot always control what children are exposed to outside of the home, so they
need to take more action at home such as not allowing violent video games or movies
and blocking certain television channels. President Obama has introduced a four
step common sense plan that includes: Closing background check loopholes,
banning military-style assault weapons, making schools safer and increasing
access to mental health services.
The future of America’s right to
bear arms doesn’t look so bright. I believe that catastrophic shooting massacres
will continue to happen until our society feels so unsafe that we will run
straight into the direction of where our government wants us. To make guns
illegal for ordinary citizens.
Work Cited:
2. debate.org
4. ed.gov
