The Second Amendment guarantees law-abiding Americans the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. But over time, gun control laws have placed limits on that freedom. Some politicians and gun control proponents argue that these laws are necessary — even at the cost of infringing upon a fundamental American right. But the fact is, gun control doesn’t work the way advocates argue it does. What is Gun Control? Gun control is an umbrella term that refers to laws and ordinances that restrict how law-abiding citizens can buy, own, or use firearms. These vary at the federal, state, and local levels. This means that while the Second Amendment protects your Right to Keep and Bear Arms, there may be different restrictions placed upon that right depending on …show more content…
The Solution: Crime Control The simplest solution is crime control — enforcing existing laws aimed at criminals who carry and use firearms to commit their crimes. We know that homicides in cities trend down when elected officials encourage solid police work and harsh penalties for gun criminals. We’ve seen it work in past years in Chicago when the city gave additional resources to law enforcement. We’ve known for decades that crime control works. A good example is “Project Exile,” a program launched in Richmond, Virginia in 1997. Faced with a sky-high homicide rate, Richmond prosecutors began enforcing existing gun laws to the fullest, imposing lengthy sentences against drug dealers and other criminals who were carrying firearms illegally. The project was an enormous success. Law enforcement took hundreds of illegal guns off the street, and Richmond's homicide rate plummeted. [12] Other cities implemented the program with similar success. In short, "Project Exile" demonstrated beyond a doubt that focusing on gun criminals, not placing undue burden on law-abiding citizens, is the best way to curb violent crime and make the American people safe. Additional …show more content…
Landes, “Multiple Victim Public Shootings,” 19 Oct. 2000, https://ssrn.com/abstract=272929 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.272929 [7] Lott, John R., et al. “Confirming More Guns, Less Crime.” 9 Dec. 2002, https://ssrn.com/abstract=372361 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.37236 [8] Wright, James D., and Peter H. Rossi. ARMED AND CONSIDERED DANGEROUS: A Survey of Felons and Their Firearms, Routledge, 1994. [9] D'Onofrio, Jessica, and Craig Wall. “2020 Cook County Deaths Break Records Due to Gun Violence, Opioid Overdoses, COVID-19, ME Says.” ABC7 Chicago, WLS-TV, 2 Jan. 2021, https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-shootings-2020-shooting-crime-stats-statistics/9250374/#:~:text=Chicago%20police%20also%20released%20the,495%20murders%20tallied%20in%202019 [10] Stieb, Matt. “Homicides Surged in NYC in 2020.” Intelligencer, 29 Dec. 2020, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/12/homicides-surged-in-nyc-in-2020.html [11] Lott, John R., More Guns, Less Crime, University of Chicago Press, 3rd edition, 2010. [12] U.S. Attorney's Office — Eastern District of Virginia, “Project Exile,” OJJDP,