Introduction
- Gun control and ownership: an item of constant discord in modern American society;
- Gun control regulations: no homogeneity across the states;
- Concealed carrying: a very common measure in most states;
- Necessity to abandon the idea of gun control;
- the only measure to resolve the conflict.
The question of gun ownership has been weighing on the agenda of the American social, political, and legal discourse for several decades, yet with no tangible outcomes. While gun ownership in the form of concealed carrying is allowed in all states, some of them are quite adamant about the necessity to control the ownership of firearms and prohibit the public display of owning it (Barna, 2019).
History
- Time lapse of gun ownership and control: unceasing debates for decades;
- Factors spurring the aggravation of the conflict: recent mass shootings and other gun-related crimes;
- Connecticut and Stoneman Douglas High School shootings (Barna, 2019);
- Current opinion: possession of firearms leads to rise in crimes;
- Logical fallacy: gun control laws may not impede the ownership of firearms.
While the issue of gun ownership has never been an easy dilemma in the first place, recent mass shootings in public places, including schools, have complicated the matter even further (Stansfield & Semenza, 2019). Overall, the consensus seems to be that the possession of firearms has begun to pose a significantly higher threat to public well-being, being a potential cause of death of innocent bystanders (Morain & Crifasi, 2019). However, the argument above seems to lack consistency. Nonetheless, the notorious and tragic events such as mass shooting at Columbine, as well as much more recent Connecticut shootings, have proven that the problem needs to be addressed immediately.
Problems with Gun Control Policies
- Absence of a consistent and coherent regulation for gun possession in most states;
- Presence of multiple half-measures that do not address the issue at its core;
- Age-related restrictions: efficient on paper, yet lacking positive impact in reality;
- Illegal gun trafficking: financially rewarding illegal activity that is unlikely to stop.
It is noteworthy that there are currently numerous half-measures that are believed to contain the threat of shooting-related crimes. However, on further analysis, these restrictions have very little effect. For instance, the current minimum age restriction, while being a very reasonable measure in the absence of gun control, does not prevent more crimes form taking place. Moreover, even with changes in laws, the process of illegal firearms trade is unlikely to cease since it is deemed as one of the most lucrative illegal activities.
Factors Affecting the Situation
- Current lack of a consistent gun policy: increase in mass shootings;
- Tighter gun control regulations: highly probable inefficiency;
- Case in point: Eric McGinnis, who printed out a 3-D gun;
- People will always find a loophole in the regulation;
- Therefore, tools for curbing the levels of threat are needed.
The lack of rigid laws establishing clear and rigid gun control does not help to curb the levels of violence and crime in the American environment significantly. However, imposing stricter gun ownership regulations does not imply that the society will be immune from gun attacks (“Texas man with 3D-printed gun and ‘hit list’ of lawmakers sentenced to 8 years,” 2019). For example, the recent case of Eric McGinnis, who printed out a working 3-D gun, shows that people will locate the means to bypass the law and get the hold of firearms, which means that tighter regulations are basically pointless.
Gun Ownership at Present
- Illegal firearms possession: one of the main sources of gun ownership;
- Hence the propensity to crime among owners of firearms;
- Legalizing guns: ability to control gun purchase;
- Reduction in the instances of gun trafficking.
To explore the problem of gun control, one needs to understand the main factors impeding from tracking down the purchase of firearms in the U.S. According to Corfield (2019), the international arms trade has been the gateway to obtaining firearms even for the residents of the states where their possession is viewed as legally questionable. The inability to control the purchase of firearms, especially the ones that were shipped into the U.S. illegally, complicates the management of the gun control issue. Thus, the problem of gun trafficking shows that control over legal purchase of firearms is unlikely to solve the issue.
Why Gun Ownership Is Supported
- Culture and traditions as the main argument in favor of gun possession;
- People’s perspective: guns are a part of the U.S. tradition;
- Taking guns away may cause an outrage among the proponents of gun ownership;
- Goals: increasing safety and reducing threats of mass shootings;
- Necessary changes: legal and social influences on people’s perception of gun use.
The appeal to culture and traditions is another impediment to the implementation of gun control policies in the U.S. setting. According to the article published in the USA Today, a substantial portion of the American population views keeping guns as a national tradition that needs to be encouraged (“Guns are a huge part of American society; taking them away won’t help: Today’s talker,” 2019). Therefore, the process of introducing changes and promoting safety in American society should imply a combination of legal and social influences that will shape people’s perception of gun ownership.
Opponents’ perspective
- Opposing argument: appeal to the Second Amendment suggests instilling outdated ideas;
- Changes experienced in the American sociopolitical setting: need to revisit the idea of gun possession;
- Need for personal protection: necessity to improve the current legal system.
Despite the evident threat that guns pose to people, the argument of the opposing side is also quite easy to understand. Specifically, opponents of gun ownership state that the appeal to the Second Amendment ignores the fact that the sociopolitical environment of today’s society is significantly different from the one of the 18th century. In addition, while the desire to protect oneself from criminals is understandable, the argument concerning high crime rates should be seen as the nod to the inherently flawed current system of crime prevention and management instead of the criticism of gun control policies.
Guarantees and Regulations
- Gun ownership: the right guaranteed by the Second Amendment;
- A constitutionally protected right that needs to be acknowledged;
- Therefore, less rigid gun control regulations are needed.
An important argument that can be used to support the idea of gun ownership as a solution to the present issues is the appeal to traditions and the principles set in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Indeed, the second Amendment contains the note that guarantees every American citizen the “right to bear arms” (). The specified amendment is typically referred to as the most common argument against tighter gun control policies.
Gun Control Policies’ Failure
- Gun control policies: flawed regulations with inconsistent logic;
- Gun control does not necessarily lead to rise in safety;
- Gun control does not resolve possession and trafficking;
- Instead, change in legal standards and sociocultural values is needed to ensure safety.
Overall, the arguments against gun possession are not immune from criticism. With the rise in the rates of crime and a subsequent decrease in the levels of safety, owning a gun may seem as comforting and even empowering, especially to vulnerable social groups (West, 2018). Moreover, the assumption that gun possession will immediately lead to its illegal usage is inherently biased since it fails to recognize the factors such as high level of compliance with law, sociocultural values, and other factors that define one’s choice to abstain from using a gun illegally.
Conclusion
- Multiple measures have been introduced to address the problem of gun violence;
- However, the problem remains unresolved;
- Gun control policies are unlikely to help due to the inability to address gun trafficking and safety issues;
- Therefore, alternative solutions to the problem have to be sought.
Despite numerous debates, the problem of gun control and ownership remains one of the most contentious talking points in American society. Although the need to protect oneself and the focus on traditions are understandable arguments, they fail to factor into the current sociopolitical environment. Therefore, due to the constant exposure of the public to the threat of an injury or death, guns should be outlawed on a nationwide level. In addition, rigid gun control will imply detecting the instances of counterfeits and other types of illegal smuggling of firearms and preventing these instances. Thus, safer environment can be created for the American population.
References
Barna, M. (2019). APHA: Ending gun violence requires tougher laws on guns, ownership. The Nation’s Health, (8), 2. Web.
Corfield, J. (2019). International arms trade. Salem Press Encyclopedia. Web.
Guns are a huge part of American society; taking them away won’t help: Today’s talker. (2019). Web.
Morain, S. R., & Crifasi, C. K. (2019). Time to pull the trigger? Examining the ethical permissibility of minimum age restrictions for gun ownership and use. Preventive Medicine. Web.
Stansfield, R., & Semenza, D. (2019). Licensed firearm dealer availability and intimate partner homicide: A multilevel analysis in sixteen states. Preventive Medicine, 126. Web.
Texas man with 3D-printed gun and ‘hit list’ of lawmakers sentenced to 8 years. (2019). Web.
West, C., Muller, R., Clough, A. R., & Fitts, M. S. (2018). Have Alcohol Management Plans Reduced Violence Against Women in Cape York, Australia?Violence Against Women, 24(14), 1658–1677. Web.