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Introduction
Over the past years, the United States Congress has been engaged in protracted debates on the efficacy and constitutionality of federal regulation of firearms and ammunition. A number of federal laws have been enacted since 1934 to bolster such regulations. The issue of gun control has been a matter of discussion since time immemorial with gun control advocates advancing that such measures enhance the government’s efforts to ensure that juveniles, criminal gangs, and other high risk groups do not get access to guns.
These advocates charge that the only practical way through which availability of guns can be reduced is by enforcing federal regulations. They have even suggested that stricter policies such as near-prohibition of gun ownership by non-security personnel be enforced and that all persons who own guns should be registered. These advocates posit that such measures have several significant benefits on society.
The issue of federal gun control has also received a fair share of opposition. Opponents hold that legislation of federal policies cannot in any way help in keeping guns out of reach of high-risk persons but rather adds an unnecessary burden on law abiding citizens and security personnel. Moreover, they argue that such controls deny the citizenry the privileges of the Second Amendment. To them, widespread gun ownership only serves to decrease crime levels and tyranny by criminal gangs and government.
They further argue that state police powers should be strenghtened as opposed to enhancing federal policies. Some of the most noteworthy national statutes enacted to help in controlling firearms within the citizenry were passed in 1934 and 1968. The 1934 Act envisaged strict registration requirements and a transfer tax on machine guns and short-barreled long guns.
The 1968 Act not only made it illegal to purchase guns through mail, but also forbade interstate trade in firearms, their transfer to underage persons, and access to other dangerous weapons (Gun Control, para. 2). The Act also stipulated penalties and licensing requisites for manufacturers, importers, and dealers. Crime and mortality statistics have prominently featured in the gun control debate (US Constitution, 2011).
Statistics indicate that the number of homicides that have been committed annually with a firearm by persons falling in the age bracket of 14-24 years between 1985 and 1993 increased by 173%. Between 1993 and 1999, a decrease of 47% was realized. Fatalities attributed to firearms from all causes and for all age groups decreased by 22%. For minors, especially juveniles, a decrease of 40% was realized between 1993 and 1998 (Gun Control, para. 1).
This argumentative essay on gun control will endeavor to support its thesis with reasons and concrete evidence. The argumentative essay will use pathos-a form of emotional appeal to its audience sympathies and imagination. This will make the audience easily identify with the writer’s point of view. The essay will include at least 3 arguments and two refutations to counter these arguments. The essay will try to validate the arguments by engaging in both inductive and deductive reasoning.
Gun Control
Gun control is an emotive debate that has to be treated with a lot of caution lest people begin arguing with emotions that can be counterproductive. I have been somewhat ambivalent with regard to the issue of federal gun control. Many questions have always been asked pertaining to federal gun control. These questions include: does an individual have a right to own a gun? Does stringent gun control decrease violence and crime?, and, is self-defense a good reason for gun ownership?
With regard to whether an individual should have the right to own a gun, it is imperative that one knows that the right to bear arms is an individual and not a collective right. In the Heller v District of Columbia case (US Constitution, 2011), the court ruled that the right to bear arms has always been in existent and that the court only serves to affirm that right.
The court reiterated that the right to bear arms is not dependent on military service (Endersby, para. 1). The court ruled that the six plaintiffs in the court case were free to legally own the guns they were previously forbidden from holding. This ruling should be extended to the rest of the population and hence nobody should be barred from owning guns.
While it is true that stringent gun control laws can decrease violence and crime, the move can flop and can instead increase the black market trade in guns and other dangerous weapons. Increased sales therefore imply the black market for guns will become profitable to criminals and this will intensify criminal activities and dealings motivated by the drive to increase profits margins.
One point that should be made clear is that it is individuals who kill their fellows, not the guns (Malcolm, para. 3). Therefore, it should be noted that gun violence is instigated by sociological factors as opposed to the availability of guns.
When citizens are allowed to own guns, the activities of criminals will be deterred. A right thinking criminal would be very cautious when planning to steal from people they openly know are in possession of guns. Indeed, with or without guns, criminal activities will always be prevalent because guns are not the only avenue for committing crimes. Criminals who are determined enough will always find ways of doing what they intend to do.
Therefore, enforcing gun control policies cannot have a significant effect on crime and violence. Actually, low homicide and crime rates are not a direct cause of low gun ownership. Law enforcing officers have established that guns used in committing murders are not registered, therefore, enhancing gun protection through legal means cannot bear much fruit. In addition, guns used in committing crimes are not stolen from registered owners, therefore, there is a possibility that these guns are smuggled from other nations.
Hence, gun control policies can therefore do very little in limiting the use of these illicitly acquired and owned guns. Gun controls also infringe on individual citizens right to defend themselves when they are attacked. These same laws are not making any effort in trying to restrict criminal gangs from getting firearms from the black market. This leaves law-abiding citizens defenseless.
With respect to whether self-defense is a good reason for gun ownership, it is imperative to note that citizens have an inalienable right to use guns for self-defense when they are attacked by gun wielding criminals. Since the government seems ill prepared to protect its citizens from crime and criminals, the only option should be to allow citizens to protect themselves.
Therefore, individuals should not be deprived of the ability to come up with ways of protecting themselves. Denying defenseless citizens the freedom to carry guns to protect themselves against lawless criminals only leaves them at the mercy of criminals.
Indeed, in the Warren v District of Columbia case, the court ruled that there is no right to police protection as there is no contract between the local police and an individual. The implied meaning of the court ruling was that each and every person should be responsible for their own security hence the need to own a gun.
Refutations to counter arguments
As refutations to counter the arguments that have been outlined above, it is not enough for people to push for the ownership of lethal weapons just because they want to protect their property. The fact that a person has a right to protect his or her property is not in dispute, but yearning to own a gun to enhance protection of this property by killing one who intends to steal it is not the best way to guarantee this right.
The argument that citizens should be allowed to own guns to deter would-be criminals can only hold if the citizens do not have intention to take away life that is very sacrosanct. It is also improper to threaten somebody else just because one is protecting his or her property.
In light of whether a person should have a right to own gun, an individual should be allowed to bear arms because this helps protect against domestic tyranny (Kates, para 1). In fact, gun ownership by individuals helps in checking government and police excesses. Police are most likely to be irresponsible and brutal if individual gun ownership is restricted by federal gun control policies.
Allowing individuals to own guns may make police weary with regard to infringing individuals’ liberties and abuse of law. Hence, gun control laws should be done away with, however, persons who own guns must be registered or licensed to reduce instances of gun misuse.
Works Cited
Endersby, Alastair. Gun control. 2000. Web. <https://idebate.org/>
Gun Control. Almanac of policy issues. 2011. Web.
Kates, Don. Why a Civil Libertarian Opposes Gun Control. The civil liberties Review. 3(2), 24. 1976. Print.
Malcolm, Joyce. Guns and violence: the English experience. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2002. Print.
US Constitution. The United States Constitution. 2011. Web. <https://www.usconstitution.net/const.html>
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