Gun control and gun policies have always been a topic of numerous heated debates across the United States. The roots of the given issue lie in the Second Amendment, which is a lawful right of every American citizen to possess and use a firearm in the USA. Although damaging and criminal gun use is punishable by the justice system, the Stand Your Ground Law enables citizens to use deadly force firearms in order to protect themselves without any necessity to flee from the situation. This law is a part of defensive gun use (DGU), which has led to numerous incidents with fatal outcomes (Murray, 2014). For example, Kay Dickinson case is a perfect illustration of defensive gun use, which resulted in oppressor being killed in North Carolina. WWAY reported that “Dickinson had just gotten off work and was going into her apartment at Colonial Parke when she was attacked” (Hawkins, 2014). The suspect used physical force to beat and humiliate the victim; however, she was able to set herself free and use a gun. The given incident clearly shows how gun laws that allow gun possession and defensive use can be life-saving under certain circumstances.
Another representative incident happened on January 12th, 2017, when a gun permit holder able to use a firearm against a suspect. Arizona State Trooper was seen being beaten by a suspect, who had shot Trooper for more comfortable humiliation. According to Breitbart “The permit holder ordered the attacker to stop, then shot him dead after he refused to comply” (Hawkins, 2014). The situation is an illustration of Stand Your Grown Law due to the fact that the permit holder preliminarily warned a suspect, but an oppressor refused to stop humiliating the victim. After the permit holder found out that the suspect possessed a gun, he used deadly force to take his life.
Nevertheless, the Stand Your Ground Law can pose itself as a dangerous tool to legally murder potential victims. The main problem lies in the lack of necessity of escaping the situation of danger; therefore, it encourages to promote the lethal use of guns. However, the benefits of the law outweigh the negative ramifications due to the safety measures allowed for gun holders (Murray, 2014). The opposite would be true if guns were not permitted and the Second Amendment did not exist. There numerous cases where defensive gun use was shown to be highly useful against thieves, burglars, and mobsters.
Finally, I feel much safer under the Stand Your Ground Law due to the encouragement of self-defense against criminals. Illegal gun holders are going to exist regardless of defensive gun use law changes, therefore allowing to both possess and use the deadly force against potential oppressors brings a great deal of safety. In addition, the Stand Your Ground Law will make future offenders more restrained and less eager to use a firearm because the victim can be highly dangerous with a gun (Murray, 2014). Therefore, the risk and reward factors will shift the motivation of an oppressor to avoid committing a crime due to increased hazard levels. Lastly, the Stand Your Ground Law equalizes the chances of surviving criminal attacks, and it can bring immediate justice under certain circumstances. Gun control will remain as one of the central issues of the United States. However, the Second Amendment has proved numerous times to be useful and life-saving during dangerous moments.
References
Hawkins, A. (2017). With 2017 quickly drawing to a close, Breitbart News thought the timing right to review the top 25 defensive gun uses (DGUs) of 2017. Breitbart.
Murray, D. R. (2014). Handguns, Gun Control Laws and Firearm Violence. Social Problems, 23(1), 81-93.