Introduction
Because of the recent tragic events in Florida and other locations, as well as all of the subsequent discussion these killings have sparked and continue to unfold, the topic is gun control. Remember to adhere to the pragmatic format that we have been using since the 3rd week (5 essay format), and make sure that you have at least 4-6 strategies.
Debate Over Gun Ownership
In the Constitution of the United States of America, the Bill of Rights was legislated for the people to have their own rights. It was passed to protect their basic and fundamental rights, for instance, freedom of speech and expression or protection from unreasonable searches of one’s property, etc. The Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights is that a citizen is permitted to bear guns and firearms to protect himself or herself. There has been a heated debate going on about this topic for quite some time now, and it has been debated heavily after the recent shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, which is in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed by the former student, Nikolas Cruz. There are many other incidents of people bearing firearms and killing people in public places such as shopping malls or schools.
There are two sides to every coin, and in this debate, there are people who advocate firearm regulation and give the argument that allowing every citizen to bear guns implies the government cannot protect its citizens, and if it is unable to do that, then it cannot be trusted with anyone. Instead of giving weapons to citizens, their argument is that the government should concentrate on solidifying security in places such as shopping malls and public conventions, etc. The gun rights activists’ stance is that citizens should be prepared for every kind of scenario because, in the end, the lives of American citizens are of utmost importance, and they should have some kind of weapon to protect them from burglars or street thieves. People who oppose this notion claim that it creates a more aggressive environment all around. Strict control of guns would result in a much safer community.
The supporters of firearms regulations argue that there is no need for a student or any teacher to bear a weapon. Rather, the police force and the number of guards present for public protection should be increased. They purport that it will reduce violence, but it is not the case. A study was conducted showing that from 1980 to 2009, there was not a significant reduction in crimes from banning weapons. Gun rights activists argue that criminals will have no problem obtaining weapons illegally, and the victim will not be able to defend himself/herself.
Both sides have their pros and cons. The arguments of the side that opposes the Second Amendment are more logical, especially after witnessing some of the horrific incidents that occurred recently. But there are people who think that by banning weapons, there will be more violence than there is right now. At this juncture, there is a middle path to implement, and that is coming up with strategies to curb gun violence instead of this never-ending debate about whether weapons should be banned or not and what the pros and cons of this are.
In order to reduce gun violence, one strategy is to make people bear tools that cannot cause mass shootings in public places (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). For instance, if people advocate that it is necessary to carry weapons for protection, then people should be allowed to carry weapons that are safer in public, unlike a machine gun.
The weapons people own should be licensed every two or three years, with the permits being renewed. There must be a background check of police indictments on every weapon owner. This should be done at the state level. In this way, people would be more reasonable before going on a killing spree.
The influx of weapons into each state should be checked and controlled. There should be a limit on firearms in every state, and each weapon should be registered to an adult.
Mental Health and Eligibility Screening
The mental condition of a person is very important to check. There should be a full background check on people’s mental conditions and their environments. People who have a tendency to be aggressive and violent should not be allowed to own weapons. Sometimes the environment plays an important role in a person’s way of behaving. People having a background of drug violations or petty crimes should not be allowed to own firearms.
Training or a test to use a gun must be conducted to see if the person who wants to own a gun is sensible enough to handle a weapon. Many times, people, especially teenagers, get hold of a gun and do not know the protocols or the methods to use and handle it.
There should be an age limit to bear a weapon. The recent shootings have suggested that former students of schools have gone to school and committed atrocities. A strict age limit should be implemented with rigorous training and questioning of the people trying to own the weapons.
Weapon Restrictions and Preventive Measures
The states should ban semi-automatic and several other military weapons. The prohibition of these weapons’ import would make people buy fewer weapons. The government should initiate a program that allows people to give up their firearms for a considerable amount of money. The Australian government initiated this program, and surprisingly, many people gave up their weapons for money, and it reduced gun violence (RAND Corporation, 2023).
Other than banning particular weapons and stringent control of guns, there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration. For instance, there should be strict regulations on alcohol consumption. People tend to be more belligerent after drinking and are more likely to cause violence than they are when they are normal.
There are other strategies that can be employed, for instance, an increased police force and security in places where drug activities are on the rise, or the age limit for dropping out of school should be increased. Students drop out of school and get involved in crimes.
Implementing the above-suggested strategies would help reduce the violence and shootings that have plagued the entire nation.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Firearm injury and violence prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/firearm-violence/about/index.html
RAND Corporation. (2023). The science of gun policy (3rd ed.). https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy.html
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