Stricter Regulations On Gun Control

The issue with implanting strict gun control regulations in our society is that people will become vulnerable targets for criminals. Criminals will continue to conduct harmful crimes, despite the laws, and law-abiding citizens won’t have the necessary weapons needed to successfully defend themselves. For instance, “59% of the burglaries in Britain, which has tough gun control laws, are ‘hot burglaries’ which are burglaries committed while the home is occupied by the owner/renter. By contrast, the U.S., with more lenient gun control laws, has a ‘hot burglary’ rate of only 13%” (“Crimes and Guns”). The implementation of gun control laws will thus increase crime rates as people will become vulnerable targets for criminals. Even though gun control

However, a stricter regulation on gun control will not ensure people’s safety as gun control not only regulates aspects related to guns, but it also regulates a person’s ability to defend themselves. In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 49% of the people stated hunting as main purpose for owning a gun while 26% stated protection; however, in 2013 when the survey was re-conducted, the reasons changed as 48% of the people stated protection as the main reason why they would own guns rather than hunting, which was at 32% (“Why Own a Gun? Protection Is Now Top Reason”). Additionally, how can the government regulate the purchase of weapons from illegal trade/black markets, a resource criminal often uses to gain weapons? Therefore, gun-violence prevention must be sought through alternative means such as using metal detectors in schools like those placed in airports. “A 2000 study found in Chicago, metal detectors prevented 294 weapons, 15 of which were guns, from entering schools. A 1993 sample of New York City schools with metal detectors showed a deterrent effect because some students said they were less likely to bring guns to school” (Sherman). The presence of armed guards should also continue to increase to prevent more mass shootings from occurring. “The number of schools employing uniformed officers skyrocketed from about 13 percent in 1994 to over 51 percent in 2014, many funded through federal grant money, according to a study by Xavier University criminal justice professor Cheryl Lero Jonson” (Sherman). Therefore, the presence of more armed forces and metal detectors effectively help stop gun violence, rather than enacting gun control. Overall, compromising the safety of the American citizens to reach a fast solution for ending gun violence may prove to be very costly when crime rates don’t fall, and people become more