Gun Control and What Needs to Be Done
Gun control has become one of the nations most important talking points for the past few years. Sparked by the Sandy Hook shootings, there has been large debates as to what needs to be done to prevent more shootings on that scale from happening. The Sandy Hook shooting occured in 2012 and since there has been an estimated 2,226 mass shootings since, with an estimated 283 having occurred in 2019 alone. This is a serious figure to consider, especially as it can be seen that nothing much has been done to help prevent these kinds of shootings. Now with the upcoming election cycle, the topic of gun control needs to be a major focal point for anyone running for a position of power in this country. In this article I will talk about some of the things that need to be done to combat this increased number of gun violence.
Gun Laws
The number one thing that should be done is to reduce access to guns. This reduction will have to take place by way of gun laws. Among the many laws that have been considered, background checks for those seeking gun ownership has been a top law to pass. Background checks would look for any information of a potential gun owner. This idea has led to the proposal of “Red flag” laws. This law restricts the person who may be considered a public endangerment from owning any guns. Although this is an important law that should be passed one day, there also needs to be a law as to what kinds of guns can be produced for the average citizen.
Ban on Assault Rifles
In all of the major mass shootings reported in the U.S., the type of guns used were often guns you would find the military using. This is a major oversight that is often seen by not just the news but politicians as well. With this accessibility to military grade weapons, it is easy to see why so many mass shootings are able to happen on such a scale. Limiting the average citizen access to these types of weapons would be key to prevent more mass shootings from happening. This along with improved background checks for those seeking to own a gun would greatly decrease the number of shootings that could occur.
Buy Back Program
Along with laws that will limit certain ownership rights of guns, there needs to be a mandatory buyback program. There have been a number of proposed buyback programs, with many following similar guidelines. This program would give a period for gun owners to sell their guns back to the government. Anyone who are to not have adhered to this program would be charged rightfully. This type of program would help decrease the number of civilians who possess guns, while at the same time providing a negative consequence for continued ownership of guns. Similar programs have taken place in a number of different nations, such as Brazil and Australia. It was estimated that the overall level of gun related violence was reduced since introducing the program.
Ban All Guns
The last major thing that could be done maybe seem a bit extreme for many who hold the right to bear arms to heart. This last thing would be to ban all everyone from having the right to own guns. Ultimately this would leave only law enforcers, such as police and those in the military with the ability to use guns. This is a heavy option to consider, but to ensure public safety, limiting as much as possible from having guns could greatly reduce the number of incidents involving gun violence. This option, along with the implications that could be put in place for those owning guns, would also help combat this issue. Although this view may seem extreme, there are a number of countries where gun ownership is completely banned. Some of these countries include China, Japan, India, Indonesia. Along with this ban, it can be found that the number of gun related deaths are much lower than that of the United States. So in the following nations were gun violence is an anomaly as opposed to the norm, as it is in the U.S., maybe banning guns outright may prove to combat the high number of gun violence
Two Sides
To end, the topic of gun control is one that can be very controversial for those who hold opposing views on the issue. Although many will stand on varying ends on gun control, there is no denying that there is an issue that needs to be solved when it comes to gun violence. When mass shootings no longer cause a shock to the public as the Sandy Hook shootings did, there is a problem. When gun violence is no longer shocking and is something that is expected to happen, there is a problem that needs to be fixed.
October 13, 2019 @ 12:06 am
I couldn’t resist commenting