Brown 1

Ethan Brown

English 11 B

Dave Droski

17 Dec. 2019

Armed Americans

Guns, the pride and joy of many Americans today, and a large part of the second

amendment are being threatened by gun control activists who want “safety” in modern-day

America. If gun control is increased crime rates will increase and gun violence will continue

throughout the country because civilians will not be able to defend themselves from criminals.

The United States does not need more gun control because guns can help lower crime, gun

control won’t prevent school shootings, and people are the cause of all gun accidents and

violence.

Gun control has been a topic of serious debate for the past few years. This is due to the

increase in firearm-related deaths in the United States which, in 2017, reached an all-time high.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 39,773 firearm-related deaths in 2017

alone. This shows a dramatic increase from the 2016 report, logging only 38,658. Since 2014,

the firearm-related death rate has risen from 10.3 per 100,000 people to 12.0 per 100,000

people. There are two sides to the argument, those who support gun control and those who do

not. Supporters believe that tighter restrictions need to be placed on the sale of firearms. They

use the frighteningly high death rates in the United States compared to other countries who

have high gun-control. A study by the American Journal of Medicine showed that the United

States has higher gun-related homicides and suicides than over twenty-two other high-income

countries. Those who disagree with gun control believe that it takes away their second

amendment rights. The biggest supporter of no gun control is the NRA, which provides gun
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safety courses, which lobbies on behalf of firearm manufacturers and sellers. The NRA is a

political powerhouse and donates money to candidates in the election who support them. Many

critics disagree with how the United States handles legislation after mass-shootings, and often

compare it to the recent Mosque shooting in New Zealand. The days following the shooting saw

an instant ban on semi-auto firearms and the parts to make them. The Second Amendment

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.”, and this was added after the

Revolutionary war and allowed people to own guns because they formed their militias. Today

there are no militias around and it has been adapted that the Second Amendment allows any

person eligible to own a gun. The gun-control advocates of today argue that this is a different

time and there is no reason for any person to own weapons of war. There are some restrictions

on firearms today such as the ban on machine guns and sawed-off shotguns. In 1934 Congress

passed the National Firearms Act (NFA), the first major gun control legislation. Within the first

few years, this act established a requirement for registering firearms, imposed a tax on sales,

and banned the two gun types previously mentioned. The second major legislation came in

1968 when Congress passed the Gun Control Act, banning mail-order sales, and banned the

sale of guns to mentally ill, fugitives, illegal drug users, felons, and dishonorably discharged

people form the armed forces. There are still some loopholes in legislation that allow people to

get guns without these restrictions. Unlicensed sellers and black market dealers allow people

who were otherwise unable to obtain firearms. (“Gun Control”)

To begin with, studies have shown that guns can help reduce overall crime. In a study

done from 1977 to 1996, John Lott found, “Over the period of his study, gun ownership had

been increasing across the country—from 27.4 percent in 1988 to 37 percent by 1996—yet

crime rates had been falling. More specifically, states with the greatest decrease in crime rates
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were those with the fastest increases in gun ownership” (Luik). Lott’s study proves that when

guns are more prevalent, crime decreases. If more people have guns and can protect

themselves, then there will be fewer targets for criminals. If guns are taken away then everyone

will be more susceptible to crime and will be unable to defend themselves against groups of

criminals. Over the 30 years from 1974-2004, Don B. Kates recorded that: “...guns in circulation

doubled, but murder rates declined by a third. On a state-by-state basis, a 1 percent increase in

gun ownership correlates with a 4.1 percent lower rate of violent crime” (Levy). There is a

steady increase in the amount of gun ownership, and as this rises the amount of crime

decreases. Not only petty crimes are lowered, but violent crimes such as murder and armed

assault decrease. The main things gun control is trying to prevent are already decreasing

because more Americans are buying guns. This proves that guns are a necessity in the lives of

Americans because they help protect oneself and his family.

To continue, reducing the number of guns will not prevent school shootings. In a majority

of school shootings, the schools targeted have very high gun-restriction policies. For example,

“Lott and Landes further pointed out that, during the 1977 to 1995 period of their study, 15

shootings occurred in schools where access to handguns by adults was highly restricted, and

only one such shooting occurred where adults had ready access to handguns,” (Eisen). This

data proves that schools, where teachers have a gun, are less likely to be targeted than schools

that don’t. When access to guns is almost eliminated inside of schools there is a very slim

chance students and staff can defend themselves, but if responsible adults were allowed to

carry a handgun and received proper training, threats could be shut down in a swift,

professional manner. School shootings won’t just disappear, and if people learn how to handle

them the number hurt or killed will significantly decrease.

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Finally, people are the reason for gun violence and accidents. The problems of today are

not gun-related, they are problems with our mental health. The availability of guns was much

higher less than a hundred years ago, but the amount of gun violence was not near as high. In

the article “Shootings Are a Morality Problem, Not a Gun Problem” by Walter Williams states:

“The 1902 Sears mail-order catalog had 35 pages of firearm advertisements. Other catalogs

and magazines from the 1940s, '50s, and '60s were full of gun advertisements directed to both

youngsters and parents,” (Williams). Compared to the 1900s many guns have been banned

today, including automatic weapons and sawed-off shotguns, and if guns are being more

restricted but violence is increasing, the only possible explanation is that the people are

changing. David Kopel wrote an article called “Guns, Mental Illness, and Violence” and recorded

that New York Times did a study in 2000 and found that out of 100 rampage shootings 47 of

them were from mentally ill people who were noninstitutionalized. Almost 50% of the shootings

that happened before and in the year 2000 could have been prevented if people who were

mentally ill were given help. Guns are not the reason for people’s deaths, it is the person who

decides to pull the trigger.

Many gun control activists believe that guns should just be taken away and no one

should be allowed to have them. This would be the best thing if it were possible, but it is not

because people who want a gun for malicious activities will find a way to obtain it even if it

means breaking the law. If law-abiding citizens are not able to have a firearm to protect

themselves they will become easy targets for people looking to cause harm, especially due to

the slow response time of law enforcement. By the time help arrives at a scene it is usually too

late, and many people are either dead or hurt, but if someone in the crowd were to be armed a

shooter is much easier to stop. If guns are taken away completely more harm than good will

follow. Instead of banishing guns there should be an improvement in buying and selling.
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Background checks and other security measures should be taken to make sure the person

buying the gun is responsible enough to own it.

To conclude, the United States does not require more gun control because guns can

help lower crime, gun control does not prevent school shootings, and people are the cause of

gun violence. Crime rates lower when guns are present, gun-free zones are the easiest targets

for violence, and people are what take the lives of others. It doesn’t matter what gun activists

say or try to do, guns are the heart of a free America, and they are here to stay.
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Citations

Eisen, Joanne. "Gun Control Is Not the Answer to School Shootings." School Shootings, edited
by Laura K. Egendorf, Greenhaven Press, 2002. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010190213/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVIC&xid
=53b22290. Accessed 17 Dec. 2019.

"Gun Control." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In
Context: Opposing Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999212/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVIC&xid
=b0f48974. Accessed 26 Nov. 2019.

Kopel, David. "Guns, Mental Illness, and Newtown." Guns and Crime, edited by Noël Merino,
Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010015261/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVIC&xid
=cef315a4. Accessed 19 Dec. 2019. Originally published as "Guns, Mental Illness, and
Newton: There Were 18 Random Mass Shootings in the 1980s, 54 in the 1990s, and 87
in the 2000s," Wall Street Journal, 18 Dec. 2012.

Levy, Richard A. "Gun Control Does Not Reduce Violent Crime." Guns and Crime, edited by
Tamara L. Roleff, Greenhaven Press, 2000. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010015234/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVIC&xid
=d4222aab. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019. Originally published as "They Never Learn,"
American Spectator, 25 Apr. 2007.

Luik, John. "The Increased Availability of Guns Reduces Crime." Guns and Crime, edited by
Tamara L. Roleff, Greenhaven Press, 2000. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010015235/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVIC&xid

Malcolm, John G., and Jennifer A. Marshall. "Gun Control Won't Prevent School Shootings."
School Safety, edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing
Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010981212/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVIC&xid
=cfabc2cb. Accessed 4 Dec. 2019. Originally published as "The Newtown Tragedy:
Complex Causes Require Thoughtful Analysis and Responses," www.heritage.org, 18
Jan. 2013.
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Rapoport, Abby. "Guns—Not the Mentally Ill—Kill People." Mental Illness, edited by Noah
Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010154403/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVIC&xid
=3281a877. Accessed 5 Dec. 2019. Originally published in Prospect.org, 7 Feb. 2013.

Swearer, Amy, and Lucas Drill. "Guns Saved These Americans From Assault and Robbery in
July." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In Context:
Opposing Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/ARXXWN395321850/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI
C&xid=909accfa. Accessed 4 Dec. 2019. Originally published as "Guns Saved These
Americans From Assault and Robbery in July," The Daily Signal, 7 Aug. 2019.

Williams, Walter E. "Shootings Are a Morality Problem, Not a Gun Problem." Gale Opposing
Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/FWKUWO760095546/OVIC?u=lom_accessmich&sid=OVI
C&xid=306bd58e. Accessed 19 Dec. 2019. Originally published as "Shootings Are a
Morality Problem, Not a Gun Problem," The Daily Signal, 7 Mar. 2018.