Do Guns Kill People or Do People Kill People?

Do Guns Kill People or Do People Kill People?

Gun and assault rifle violence has been a serious issue over the past several decades, and remains a controversial topic in our nation today. The United States is one of the top ranked nations in violent crimes and homicides involving firearms. Of course, the numbers can be supported by the violent actions that have struck fear in our nation, such as the school shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Sandy Hook, even the in shootings in Aurora, Colorado at a local movie theater, and down to the terrorist attack at Fort Hood. All of these acts of violence have millions of concerned citizens demanding solutions, for example, to increase current federal laws, and diminish or eliminate the total sale of automatic assault rifles to the public. Despite the violence and criminal activities, on the other side of the fence, law abiding citizens are concerned of their constitutional rights and laws to own firearm are fading away and the potential threat of business, jobs, and money being lost.

America is the most heavily-armed nation in the world and the reason why Americans personally own so many guns is because of the second Amendment, in the Unites States Constitution, which states we have "The Right to Bear Arms". This amendment guarantees U.S. citizens the right to own personal firearms. Currently the nation and her states currently have regulated laws governing individual ownership and use of firearms. Unfortunately, some state gun laws differ widely from loose regulations in many southern, western and rural states, all the up to restrictive laws in larger cities. Political focus on U.S. gun control laws took growing interest during the sixties, after the John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinations. Throughout the years, the government established well knows laws and agencies today, such as the Firearms Act requiring licensing for gun dealers. The Gun Control Act, which expanded the licensing and record keepings, banned felons from buying, and banned mail order sale of guns. Even the famous Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) was created to oversee federal gun laws. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act requires dealers to run background checks on purchasers in a nationally established database. Even with laws and agencies already established, how do we solve the disturbing gun violence?

On one side, American citizens scream to make stricter gun control laws due to the increase in violence and random acts of terror and mass murdering plaguing our nation. These measures to tighten up control of firearms could possibly reduce the gun-related crimes and homicides; further preventing felons, and criminals from getting their hands on firearms. Believing that with sturdier personal background check requirements, this could mean no loop holes for bad people to get their hands on firearms. These stricter background checks would be required not only by dealers, but private individuals sales as well. For example, the detail in backgrounds checks would reach gun show expos where personal deals, trades and sales can take place. Compare these expos too a large flea market or garage sale for purchasing, selling, and trading of firearms between private individuals. Pro-gun control law citizens state that criminals can easily go to these expos currently and purchase firearms without even showing identification or getting a simple background check.

In contrast, voters against the stricter gun laws argue that increasing or limiting gun control laws by now is a too late with the already major current circulation, manufacturing, and distributing of firearms and assault rifles. The current world has a wide range and an extremely large armory of weapons distributed in the world. This possible action to try to control firearms that is already mass produced and that has been sold for over the span of several years now is impossible. Even increasing the gun laws, criminals do not follow the laws anyways, that is why they are criminals. Studies show that most criminals obtain their guns illegally, often by theft or underground purchases, such as the black market. Even with stricter laws, criminals will figure out new loop holes and illegal ways to acquire firearms.

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