Abstract
What would you feel if approached by a man with a gun having insane appearance and full of decisive spirit to apply his gun anywhere, in any direction, on any person or moving object just to cope with his bursts of anger? This moment one of the very first ideas to come into one’s mind is connected to gun control, and the necessity to change the policies controlling these matters. In fact, the policies existing in the United States regulating the rules of gun control can be evaluated as sort of frivolous and, thus, causing a row of problems for people’s safety. Nowadays the debate around gun control is gaining momentum in the United States. The most common ideas discussed within a framework of this debate are connected to the issues of permission to keep firearms at home, having them while visiting public places and a total ban on the use of firearms by any person rather that the representative of policing organizations. Judging on a row of critical issues which are rife with the problem of gun control, it seems that a better solution for this problem may come out of stricter rules for keeping firearms by civilians.
Introduction
With regards to a variety of problems which are rife in connection to gun control, it should be stated that too many issues are behind this matter. First of all, this is the issue of safety in society; and it is no wonder especially taking into consideration innumerable cases when guns were applied by insane shooters against civilians. According to Sugarmann (par. 45), “handguns are the number one weapon for both murder and suicide and are second only to auto accidents and leading cause of death due to injury”. In addition, “roughly 16,272 murders were committed in the United States during 2008. Of these, about 10,886 or 67% were committed with firearms” (Agresti apr.39). Further, according to Agresti (par. 43),
Based on survey data from the U.S. Department of Justice, roughly 5,340,000 violent crimes were committed in the United States during 2008. These include simple/aggravated assaults, robberies, sexual assaults, rapes, and murders. Of these, about 436,000 or 8% were committed by offenders visibly armed with a gun.
This sad statistics shows how important it is to restate regulations concerning keeping firearms by civilians. During a few last decades people came to have more and more psychological and psychic problems. As a result, more and more cases of cruel shooting happens when someone wants to express one’s feeling of bitterness, anger and disappointment with the others. More than this, the cases when insane individuals shot at peaceful civilians on a random basis come to strike the minds of people more and more often. The reports in news about some mad man who started sudden shooting in some public place being motivated by nothing but a desire to entertain himself appear on TV on a regular basis. All in all, these disappointing statics is a sure reason for adopting new policies concerning gun control.
On the other hand, one more important issue is connected to personal safety of individuals; this concern may be connected to the desire of people to have means for personal protection which they see in firearms. With regards to this, guns are, of course, important as they guarantee an opportunity to stand up for oneself (Thomas 45). Facts show that firearms do play their critical role in offering people a way to protect themselves: “a 1994 survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Americans use guns to frighten away intruders who are breaking into their homes about 498,000 times per year” (Agresti par.56). This point of the problem of gun control definitely makes it much more difficult for solving as people have not invented any better way for self-protection by now. It appears that this contractor issue connected to gun control is the most difficult in the whole course of the problem.
Proposal
Evaluating innumerable evidences along with endless chain of sad occurrences, it seems that there exists no better solution for the problem of gun control as adopting the most strict rules which are possibly practicable. Of course, there exists a big group of people who will have a different position as to having more strict rules on firearms possession. Such people will claim that criminals do not care whether there exists law on gun control or not; they would claim that their very nature is in breaking the law, and that will definitely be the truth (Halbrook 36). And still, if the regulations for gun control will be made more rigorous the problem of finding firearms for criminals will be more difficult, and this problem will also appear even more challenging for ordinary civilians having no connection with unlawful mechanisms of getting things including firearms.
What is more important, in such case children who are often reported as injuring or killing themselves as a result of free access to guns will be more protected as firearms will not be in their free admittance. In so many other countries of the world the problem of gun control is not that critical, and this is explained by more severe rules on firearms ownership. It also seems that American people should change something in their mentality as the idea to solve every problem by means of a gun can be probably evaluated as the main problem behind this whole situation. How many wise people including Jesus said that all those who take the sword would perish by it (Lester 52). With regards to this strongest idea existing in the world for thousands of years, it seems that American nation came to a point when its values including the love to firearms should be reestablished. All in all, the proposition to adopt the policies which will be as strict as possible in the area of firearms possession appears to be the most sober minded, judicial and sensible.
Conclusion
Concluding on all the information related above, it should be stated that the issues that are connected to gun control are extremely complicated, and require deep understanding along with a wise and sober minded approach. In particular, there exist a lot of doubts about the scale of restrictions on firearms ownership. The opponents of severe restrictions claim that gun is the best means for self-defense, and, thus, is not to be forbidden for free ownership. The proponents of strict gun control regulations argue that so many cases of shooting at peaceful civilians for no reason along with casualties happening to children is the reason for adoption policies which would lessen the opportunities to have a gun to a minimum.
Works Cited
Agresti, James. 2010.Gun Control Facts. 2010. Web.
Halbrook, Stephen. That Every Man be Armed, Albuquerque: University Of New Mexico Press, 1984. Print.
Lester, David. Gun Control Issues and Answers, Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas, 1984. Print.
Sugarmann, Josh. 2009. Keeping Track of Killings by Concealed Handgun Permit Holders–85 Dead So Far.2009. Web.
Thomas, Andrew Peyton. Crime and the Sacking of America: The Roots of Chaos, Washington: Brassey’s, 1994. Print.