Lee Masters
Lisa Moore
English 102
22 November 2013
Gun Control: Can it Work in America, at the City, State, and National level, to reduce Gun Violence?
One of the most controversial and ongoing issue for Americans, is the issue of gun control. Gun violence has cut a path across America, from large cities to small towns. It has affected the rich as well as the poor. The citizens of this country want to feel safe in their homes, businesses, schools and other public places. The general consensus is that there has to be something done to reduce the ever present problem of gun violence. The Second Amendment, as interpreted by many, gives every citizen of America, the right to bear arms. The opposition to gun control believes that more guns in the hands of the citizens will reduce gun violence. The supporters, of gun control, believe that this will create havoc and lawlessness. To deal with this issue, a common sense approach that will address gun violence at the city, state, and national levels, can help reduce gun violence while maintaining the right of gun ownership.
In the past, the opposition and the supporters of gun control, there was a sense that the issue of gun control was good or bad. The positions were either yes we want gun control or no we don't want gun control at all. The idea that gun control violates the Second Amendment therefore, it must not become law, was the main point of contention by the opposition to gun control. The supporters of gun control argued that the Second Amendment doesn't give Americans the right to own weapons that are considered tactical or weapons meant for mass killing. The consequences of doing nothing isn't acceptable for many Americans but keeping
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the rights of the people are just important. Gun violence cannot be acceptable and ignored and something can be done with specific and existing gun control enforcement.
Law enforcement and community participation in awareness and educational programs at the city level will help identify the problem areas of gun violence locally. Increasing the enforcement of specific and existing gun control laws at the city level will help in reducing gun violence. Gun control has reduced gun violence in area where strong gun laws were enforced, according to studies conducted says Christine Watkins.
Two studies were conducted; the first was conducted by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, in 2008. It focused on the relationship of a state with weak gun laws and gun violence within that state. State with weak guns laws had the highest rate of gun violence. The second study, by The Violence Policy Center, in 2009, found that states with strong gun laws had a lower rate of gun violence. Putting the right laws in the right place and having strong enforcement doesn't punish citizens who obey the law. Americans own more guns than any other industrialized nation. The American gun laws are some of the most lax in the world. Most Americans support sensible gun laws, which can be implemented without taking away individual gun ownership rights.
Community participation in educational programs that identify the real cause of gun violence will help reduce gun violence. There is and has always been strong support for the need to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals. Citizens want safe neighborhood, businesses, and schools for their kids, Chris Frates. The issues of mental illness, drugs, domestic abusers, criminals, and various criminal activities, can all lead to gun violence. Educating the community, parents,
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teachers, business owners, and law enforcement can help identify problem areas of gun violence within their respective cities. This education will help to identify people who should not own firearms. Maybe some early intervention could help save lives.
At the state level changing gun laws, and providing assistance to law enforcement in the cities, will help in reducing gun violence. Identifying specific laws that will help the state with its own unique problems with gun violence is needed. Surveys conducted across America have indicated that states with higher number of household firearms have higher rates of homicides, Miller, Matthew, Azael, Deborah, Hemeneway, David. The likelihood of someone getting killed at home from a gun is very high when there is domestic abuse, alcoholism, etc., etc. The issue is to educate people about the underlining problems that lead to gun violence, in many cases.
Another topic of help at the state level is identifying the loop holes in gun control and helping the cities in enforcement. Upgrading and maintaining databases for background checks. Cities need a reliable system for identifying people for background checks. There are many other types of loop holes that need to be addressed as well. Working with the cities the states can come up with a system that addresses the problem areas of checking backgrounds. Leaving the background checks and other checks with the government to verify is a big problem.
Increase government funded enforcement resources to the cities. Provide help with enforcement of gun control to the cities. The cities can benefit from a serious upgrade of safety upgrades in schools and other public places. These resources can be anything from security locks to surveillance cameras, Chris Frates. The presence of more patrol officers in areas of high crime
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can help prevent gun violence. Many cities have little to no police patrols in some of the worse crime areas. Databases and database equipment upgrades can be of great help to law enforcement. Keeping track of guns being trafficked across state borders are of great concern, Chris Frates.
On the national level there should be funding provided for state law enforcement and educational programs. This level of help would probably be the hardest thing to structure, in a way that most of the American people would embrace. The fact of the matter is that politics play such a big part of what the government does and what it will not do. The reality of this problem of gun violence makes it necessary to do something, in regards to trying to reduce gun violence as much as possible. On the national level there should be funding provided for state law enforcement and educational programs. The states need assistance from the government with coming up with state specific gun control laws. Not every state will want or need the same laws as the other states. However, it should be some form of national continuity so that everyone is on the same page when it comes to fighting gun violence. There will always be some overlap in dealing with the gun control issue.
The government should supply help to the states to update enforcement resources, equipment, and databases, based on input from the states. The nationwide background system is broken. There have been many instances where the system failed to help prevent a serious crime. A cohesive system from the city level all the way to the national level is needed. Each part of that chain has to be updated so that the lowest level doesn't have to rely on the top for everything. The loopholes that the criminals use need to be closed, Christine Watkins. There
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will never be a perfect system but we have to do something. Across the state lines is another law enforcement issue that the government has to help the states with. Banning straw purchases, illegal trafficking of guns across state lines, can happen with strengthening our gun control laws and helping the states with enforcing gun control laws at their borders, Chris Frates. The gun shows and individuals selling guns without any paperwork is a real problem in many states. They need help from the government to enforce the gun control laws.
The national level can provide funding for enforcement and educational needs of the states, in regards the gun control. The funding and databases needed are very important to the overall efforts of gun control, Chris Frates. The funding for these gun control programs need to be monitored by the government to ensure proper usage and reporting of information in the database. The states would be required to submit reports and documentation for funding to continue. Fines or penalties could be handed out for failure to report or use the funding for what is intended for.
The most important thing in this whole debate about gun control is the fact we are talking about saving lives. The entire country is being destroyed by greed, useless killing and a deterioration of what we all want, which is freedom. The way to work on the problem of gun violence is to look at all the factors surrounding the problem, not just the gun. Everyone law abiding citizen has the right to own a gun. The right to bear arms should never be taken away. We do have a problem with some that use the power of the gun for death and destruction. We have to protect the right of life and when someone keeps taking life by the gun we must do something. Doing nothing is not the answer, taking guns from law abiding citizens is not the answer. So where do we go from here. I say we do the right thing!
