Pros And Cons Of Gun Control

The Current Debate Over Gun Control

The United States of America is a nation which consists of a broad range of different peoples and ways of life. Along with this entails varying values, beliefs, and opinions. It is virtually impossible that all citizens will ever unanimously agree on a given issue. One of the most discussed and debated issues of today is guns. There are some who are extremely dedicated to their cause on boths ends of the spectrum. On one end we have The Brady Campaign, an organization that works to diminish the presence of guns and gun violence. And on the opposite end we have The National Rifle Association, an organization that fights for the rights of Americans to keep and bear arms. We are going to be investigating

Their mission statement located on their website is as follows. “ The mission of the Brady organization is to create a safer America for all of us that will lead to a dramatic reduction in gun deaths and injuries (About Brady).” Regardless of one’s stance on gun control, it is evident that guns pose a threat to the wellbeing of America. The US has had 51 mass shootings since 1997 (A mass shooting is defined as 4 or more random deaths) (Guns in America vs.The rest of the world). In total, since 1997, there have been approximately 540,000 firearm deaths. That is more than WW1 and WW2 combined (Guns in America vs.The rest of the world). And in only the first 48 days of 2016, 1,556 people have died as a result of gun violence (Guns in the US: The statistics behind the violence). Based on these hard hitting facts, it is not hard to see why The Brady Campaign is working to change the status of

The NRA is an organization that defends the constitutional amendment, the second amendment, as an essential tool for American citizens in securing their freedom. Union war veterans Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate formed the NRA in 1871. Their goal with this was to improve upon the lack of marksmanship shown by their troops (A Brief History of the NRA). A shooting range was initially established in the state of New York but eventually was relocated to Sea Girt, New Jersey. Here they held annual matches and encouraged young men to join their youth groups. These youth groups are still a fundamental part of the NRA today. They also still host the annual matches which involve thousands of competitors entering into pistol, smallbore, and high-power events. They remain one of the biggest sporting events held in the country. The American Rifleman is the magazine that members of the past and present receive with news about new gun models but also legislative facts and analysis of guns. This was the initial way the organization encouraged its members to get involved in retaining the rights they so deserved. In 1975, do to a growing concern with the infringement of the second amendment, the NRA established the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) (A Brief History of the NRA). Ever since, the NRA has made a shift from merely a campaign for marksmanship towards a politically active