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Gustavo Paz

Gun Control

English Composition 1

Professor Guarneri

25 February 2022

Gun Control in America- Perspective Show

Gun Control legislation is a sensitive and controversial subject that has been debated for

generations. Studies by Suny-Albany show that prohibiting firearms leads to an increase in

crime. In an era of recent mass shootings, trying to find the solution to this problem has

desperately divided the nation. One side argues that firearms should be prohibited from the

public, including police officers. All law-abiding and mentally stable citizens of the United

States should be able to carry weapons to protect themselves from others who may want to harm

them. Prohibiting firearms entirely would not prevent criminals from obtaining such weapons;

instead, the already-existing black market will grow even more.

Criminals will not be deterred from obtaining weapons if arms and ammunition are

restricted. Whether or not regulations are established to limit criminals' access to weapons, it will

not prevent mass shootings. “The catalyst of shootings is not the guns, but the criminals behind

them. The problem is not gun control, but criminal control. Rather than creating more laws, we

should focus on enforcing the current ones, punishing the criminals who commit these types of

crimes, and encouraging responsible ownership” (Ammen 4). Therefore, criminals are already

intending to break the law, and as a result, they will use them in public regardless of the rules
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and regulations in effect. Criminals can carry out mass shootings largely due to the availability of

unlawful firearms on the market. As stated in “Anti-Crime `Solutions' are Misguided” by the

Chicago Times, “ …gun control will have no direct effect on the criminal's ability to acquire

guns. The small number of gun control proponents who have thought this issue through admit

this fact. They counter that, by increasing the price of guns on the black market, gun control will

serve to impede the access of criminals to guns” (Chicago Times, Agency). The population's

attempts to decrease mass shootings in public will have both positive and negative consequences

since gun purchases are bought on the black market. It will also cause the general people to

purchase illicit firearms on the black market, causing it to grow.

Another argument against enacting more and more rules to control weapons, in order to

decrease mass shootings is that, from the perspective of gangs and criminals, the more

limitations imposed on guns, the happier they are. This is because they know that the more

restrictions placed on the availability of firearms in the general population, the more probable

citizens will be unable to defend themselves in the event of an assault

Gun control advocates say that limiting gun sales in order to prevent mass shootings will

also reduce crime. “Statistics also show that banning guns only encourages crime. According to a

study by SUNY-University at Albany criminal justice professor Colin Loftin, Washington, D.C.,

banned handguns in 1976, and by 1991 its homicide rate tripled. Meanwhile, the national

homicide rate rose only 12 percent” (Hale). Despite the fact that the United States has had many

mass shootings in the last decade, prohibiting weapons will actually raise crime rates, as it has

already done in Washington, DC. To sum up, the statistics support the fact that banning guns

increases crime rates.

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In conclusion, it is clear from the points stated above that having stronger gun laws does

not always imply a reduction in the number of mass shootings and crimes. There is an inverse

association that has been discovered between states with stronger gun prohibitions and the

frequencies of crime and armed robbery in these cities. In order to prevent mass shootings,

effective tactics must be used rather than relying on the strategy of banning gun ownership by the

general public.
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Works Cited

"Anti-Crime `Solutions' are Misguided: [LATE SPORTS FINAL Edition]." Chicago Sun -

Times Jan 07 1994: 34. ProQuest. 8 Feb. 2022 .

Elijah Ammen, Home s. "AT ISSUE: GUN CONTROL - CON: [METRO EDITION]." The

Roanoke Times Mar 30 2005: 6. ProQuest. 8 Feb. 2022 .

Hale, Ellen. "British Fear Rise of 'Gun Culture' Report Points to Increase in Armed Crimes

After Weapons Ban Went into Effect in 1997: [FINAL Edition]." USA TODAY Aug

07 2001 ProQuest. 8 Feb. 2022