Gun Control Debate
Gun Control: The Gun Control Debate
Introduction to Gun Control Debate
Proponents of strict gun control laws argue that reducing the number of crimes committed with guns would save lives. Each year in the United States, more than 35,000 people are killed by guns, a death rate much higher than that in any other industrial nation. Attacks involving a gun are five times more likely to result in a death than are similar attacks made with a knife. In 1997 guns were the weapon used in approximately 70 percent of the murders in the United States. However, gun control laws are controversial. While gun control laws may decrease criminals’ access to guns, the same laws restrict law-abiding citizens. About half of all U.S. families own at least one gun. The most frequent motives for gun ownership are protecting the home, hunting or target shooting, and collecting. Gun control laws aim to reduce the criminal use of guns as much as possible while not putting large burdens on legitimate gun users.
Opponents of gun control laws, including organizations such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), object to the inconvenience these laws may cause to law-abiding gun buyers or owners. Another objection to gun control laws concerns the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which reads
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.
Those who oppose restrictions on gun ownership find support in the language of the Second Amendment and believe that it should be interpreted to guarantee citizens free access to firearms. However, the courts have never struck down a gun control law because of this provision. In some cases the courts have interpreted the Second Amendment as applying only to militia weapons, and in other cases they have simply affirmed that the amendment does not bar government regulations on gun ownership. Nonetheless, the Second Amendment has been an important part of the debate on gun control.” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about Gun Control Debate in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
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