Gun Control Argumentative Essay

963 Words4 Pages

According to USA Today, Americans "own 42% of 650 million civilian firearms worldwide". Recently, the debate regarding gun control has risen due to the shocking number of school shootings. Gun control, or gun regulations, "refers to the laws that restrict the possession and use of guns" ("Collins"). Currently, the United States has no major limitations on firearm purchasing. This has allowed unstable individuals to acquire dangerous weapons. A harder access to guns could prevent most criminals from committing their crime. People may claim gun regulations would take away their right to gun ownership, as the Second Amendment protects them. However, numerous amount of people have shown that they are not using guns for their actual purposes. It …show more content…

According to Audrey Carlsen and Sahil Chinoy, authors of "How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries", the US only requires two steps to buy a firearm. "Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence, and immigration status," and second, "Buy a gun" (Carlsen, Chinoy). The process is just too simple. Once again, background checks should be in depth. There should be some kind of device to provide gun shop owners the mental health of a buyer. Technology is advancing day by day; it is possible. If one wants a gun, they should realize it will be a long process and decide if they are willing to go through with it. In addition, age restrictions should be stricter. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) affirms, "Under the Gun Control Act, shotguns and rifles. . . may be sold only to individuals 18 years of age or older". Yet the age required to buy a handgun "may be sold only to individuals 21 years of age or older" ("ATF"). Rifles are deadlier than a handgun. The NRA themselves have claimed rifles are easier to shoot and only require 2-6 pounds to trigger while a typical pistol requires 5-12 pounds ("NRA Blog"). There is no common sense into why individual citizens must be 21 or older to buy a less deadly gun than a rifle. Even still, many people think this is taking away their right to own a