RUNNING HEAD: guns in america
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Guns in America
Tyler Thomas
April 30, 2014
English 1010
Guns in America
In America, the issue of gun violence is increasing more each day. Gun related crimes have always existed within society; however the amount and severity of these altercations are growing. There was a point in time when mass shootings were unheard of, yet now these tragic events continue to happen. News reports seem to be filled with fatal stories of shootings that have taken place across America. Many Americans argue that in order to stop the violence a ban on firearms is necessary; however, the remaining percentage of American citizens believe that by making certain weapons illegal crime rates will significantly increase.
After a shooting that occurred in December of 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, many officials began calling for a gun reform. In regards to the Connecticut shooting President Barack Obama stated, “nothing is powerful than millions of voices calling for change” (Cohen, 2013). Over the months between the shooting and present day, many Americans have rallied for the government to ban certain types of guns such as assault rifles or weapons that hold more than five rounds at a time. As with any other public outcry for change, government officials have attempted to pass bills that would infringe upon the Second Amendment that states “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” (Second amendment, 2013).
In response to those who are pulling for firearm restrictions, there are Americans who believe that any sort of weapons ban would not only be a violation natural born rights that are set within the constitution, but it will also be a cause for more crime, murders, and mass shootings within American societies. Those who are against bans on weapons compare it to bans on drugs, although they are illegal, criminals are still capable of possessing them. If guns bans were successful, many pose the question how the government will guarantee that criminals will be unable to retain firearms.
Any form of gun control within American would cause more harm that the good law makers are trying to promote. Although guns may be used in many gruesome crimes, it cannot be argued that guns are the problem. Behind every gun is a person who is willing to pull the trigger. If guns were inaccessible to criminals, it is quite likely they would find another means of carrying out their crimes. Many Americans are using guns as a scapegoat to avoid addressing the bigger problems such as repeat criminal offenders and mental health. As with any nationwide ban on particular items, it would be nearly impossible to take guns off the streets completely. The government cannot ensure that every gun that is currently legally owned is turned in, nor can they affirm that guns are not being privately manufactured after a ban was in place. Due to the lack of certainty that a ban would be effective, many argue that a restriction of firearms in America would be dangerous and ineffective.
Issues that should be addressed by the American government when it comes to protecting America should be issues such as mental health and repeat criminal offenders. In many cases of gun related violence, those who commit these gruesome crimes are either a repeat offender, meaning they have been previously incarcerated, or they are mentally ill. In the case of the shooting that occurred in Tucson, Arizona, Jared Laughner shot and killed six while injuring thirteen, including congress woman Gabrielle Giffords (A guide to mass shootings in America, 2013). In this case, among many others, it was apparent the Laughner’s mental state was impaired. Laughner was dismissed from Pima Community College after making a somewhat disturbing video as well as acting strangely on campus and in class (Crandal, 2013). After his dismissal from school, it was recommended by school officials that Laughner seek medical help, as well as it being suggested to his parents that any weapons be secured and out of reach to Jared (Mello, 2013). In this case alone, mental illness was apparent prior to any incident involving gun related violence.
In order to cease the amount of gun related violence within America, several changes need to be made, yet those changes do not include a ban on firearms. With mental health being such a large issue among those who execute mass shootings, stricter laws need to be in place in order to track and monitor the mental state of American citizens. In many cases of mass shootings, the guns were obtained illegally. To prevent those who are showing signs of mental instability from purchasing deadly weapons, the mental state of individuals needs to be taken into account. The first step that needs to be taken in order to track mental illness is the creation of a national database that shows the type of mental instability an individual has experienced. Parents, friends, and family will also need to be asked to be vigilant of people in which they are close to. Mental illness will not be able to be properly tracked without accurate reporting. A database of the mentally ill will be beneficial to those selling firearms to evaluate whether a customer is fit to own a gun, as well as being helpful to local law enforcement when handling certain types of altercations. Background checks are currently required within the state of Utah to purchase a firearm, however this is not a requirement in every state in America. Background checks are only effective if an individual has a criminal history, if no criminal history is known, then a potentially dangerous individual can still legally purchase a weapon.
In order to put a national database of the mentally ill into effect, a government department would need to be created in order to maintain this database. The job functions of those within the department would include but would not be limited to: sorting reports of the mentally ill and categorizing them effectively, monitor the status of the mentally ill individual, offer counseling choices to the families of the mentally ill, and act as a mentor to individuals who may be considered potentially dangerous to prevent them from harming others. In order to create a government department that will manage this database, monetary funding will be necessary. The best place for the government to find these funds would be the sales tax on firearms and ammunition. The majority of sales tax from firearm and ammunition sales is currently applied to hunting and conservation (Salisbury, 2011). Due to the severity and frequency of gun crimes in America, it seems all but appropriate to redistribute these funds in order to create a safer environment for citizens in the United States of America. For a proposal such as this, it will take cooperation and understanding from other government agencies and officials in order to build such a database. However, if put into effect, a national database of the mentally ill along with background checks can prevent a number of mass shootings and save many innocent lives.
Guns are not the problem within America. In order for a gun to successfully fire, there must always be an individual willing to load the gun and pull the trigger. Although many would like to think that a ban on guns will fix all of the problems in America that are related to gun violence, which is just not the case. Mental health is one of the largest factors in shootings across the world. If taken into account that mental health can be tracked and monitored, a solution towards ending a large portion of gun related violence should not be difficult to put into place.
Reference
A guide to mass shootings in America. (2013). Retrieved from Mother Jones:
Cohen, T. (2013, March 29). Obama: 'Shame on us' if Newtown doesn't bring new gun laws. CNN politics, p. 1.
Crandal, D. (2013, February 15). SLCC instructor, Criminal Justice. (T. Thomas, Interviewer)
Mello, C. C. (2013, March 27). Reports detail Jared Loughner's behavior before Tucson shooting. Retrieved from Los Angeles times:
Salisbury, L. (2011, September 01). High School Teacher, wildlife biology. (T. Thomas, Interviewer)
Second amendment. (2013). Retrieved from Cornell University law school:
Cohen, J. (2014, April). Gun control, nra second amendment. Retrieved from Fair.org: -nra-and-the-second-amendment/
Lampo, D. (2014, April). Gun control myths and realities. Retrieved from Cato.org:
Levinson, W. (2014, April). A war not a conversation. Retrieved from Americanthinker.com:
Winkler, A. (2014, April). The second amendment is for all gun control. Retrieved from The daily beast.com: