Justin Raver Mrs. Gallos English 3 Honors 29 March 2018 Gun Violence: Should there be Age Restrictions on Guns? The questions surrounding gun control and age restrictions have heated up in recent weeks, and have been asked for years. Should the age requirement for guns be raised? Will the increase create a safer society or just cause an uproar and conflict? Everyone wants a safer community to live in, and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people is the number one goal. The policies that have been proposed to accomplish this have been diverse and debated. Two sides have formed on a specific procedure to lower the gun violence: those who want age restrictions on guns to keep them out of the hands of the younger generation …show more content…
Supporters of the age restriction increases believe that the young people are not able to fully grasp the importance of the safety when handling guns. According to The Washington Post, “... there are both cognitive and physical limitations in children that make it more difficult for children to understand and apply rules they are taught…” (In 30 States). This shows that while young may be taught the correct procedures and safety of guns, they are not able to fully understand and use the safety instructions. With this information, people argue that this may be a source of the issue. Many accidental deaths happen each year by guns in the hands of people who do not know gun safety. People are concerned that the amount of guns available have allowed gun violence to run rampant throughout the United States. An estimation of the amount of people in the U.S. shot each year is staggering, “The Brady Campaign to Prevent Violence estimates that around 144,994 people are shot each year in the U.S.” (8 Facts). This data shows that thousands each year are shot in the United States, which includes the deaths of those killed each year. According to the supporters of more age restrictions, the new laws will take some of the guns off the streets and decrease the amount of gun …show more content…
Opponents of the age restrictions believe that by increasing the age required to purchase and own guns, it violated a basic right held by all Americans. A belief held by these people is, “On the other side of the debate, lawmakers… opposed the new law, saying it trampled on Second Amendment rights” (Mazzei, Patricia). The Second Amendment gives the right to all people in the United States to bear arms (guns) and by increasing the age to purchase and own guns, the law would not allow 18- to 20-years-olds to arm themselves. This would violate the basic right of all the legal and law abiding citizens that fall within this age category, who are adults in the United States. By preventing them from getting the weapons and guns they wanted, these people will not be able to protect themselves from criminals and murderers with