The Pros And Cons Of Gun Control Laws

Gun control laws aim to regulate the possession and purchase of firearms by requiring registration, licensing, and identification restrictions. The current federal and state laws in place permit the ownership and purchase of firearms under certain limitations. The controversial issue embedding in this topic can be derived from the second amendment: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Some citizens argue that gun control laws are unconstitutional and violent their second amendment rights. The other side to this argument is that with a strict enforcement on gun control laws the United State’s violence and crimes will significantly decrease

The National Firearms Act (NFA), “places restrictions on the sale or possession of short-barreled shotguns, machine guns, and silencers.” In order for a citizen to purchase one of the previous firearms they must go through “an extensive background check, purchase a tax stamp for the manufacture of the firearm or device, and register the weapon with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' NFA registry.” New York and California are currently the only states that have prohibited the ownership of these specific devices and firearms. Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act regulates the citizens who are permitted to own a gun. If the following apply to you, you are unable to own a firearm:

Were convicted of a crime punishable by being in prison for more than one year.

Are a fugitive from

In the US, 71% of gunshot victims had previous arrest records; 64% of the victims have been convicted of a crime, as well as having an average of eleven prior arrests. This statistic provides evidence that firearms are a prime source of self defense. Many people make the misconception that firearms cause more violence and criminal activity, but actually firearms prevent an “estimated 2.5 million” crimes a year (without the firearm being fired). This means that each day over 6,000 crimes are prevented. Another common assumption made is that majority of crimes involve firearms, but in reality, 90% of all violent crimes do not involve firearms. “Two-thirds of the people who die each year from gunfire are criminals being shot by other criminals.” The United States has more guns per person than any other country in the world, but “[f]ewer than 1% of firearms will ever be used in the commission of a crime.” In the United States there are 88.8 guns per 100 people. Among other developed countries the United States has almost three times as many guns per 100 people as Norway and Canada, which are the 2nd and 3rd highest among developed countries. For every 100,000 people in the United States, an average 3.21 people are killed by firearms compared to Britain who only had only .07 people killed on average per 100,000