Category: Gun Control

U.S. Gun Debate Intensifies

What can people do about guns? ‘The debate over U.S. gun laws has raged for decades, often reigniting after high-profile mass shootings’ (Masters). People in favor of gun control believe that guns should be banned as they cause mass killings and other firearm-related deaths. They believe that gun control would stop those kinds of events. Anti-gun control people believe that the second amendment gives people the right to firearms. They say that it allows them to have any weapon used for defense. As the years have come and gone, gun violence has become more and more of a problem. According to the Council of Foreign Relations, ‘Gun violence has surged amid the COVID-19 pandemic.’ This issue needs to be solved quickly, but what should people do?

Pro-Gun Control Insights

People who consider themselves pro-gun control want to stop public killings or limit the number of them. Gun control helps keep guns out of the wrong hands and gives people who should not have them less opportunity to shoot innocent people. ‘In 2012, gun control laws blocked over 192,000 prohibited individuals from gaining access to a firearm in the United States, including 82,000 Felons’ (Regoli). By implementing gun control, the number of firearms-related deaths would decrease. Only 14% of people who own a handgun have the proper training to use it, meaning that guns can cause more damage when untrained people try to use the gun to defend themselves. Gun control would stop people from using guns when they are untrained.

Defending Gun Ownership

Anti-gun control people say owning a gun or firearm is people’s right. It makes them feel safe to have a way to defend themselves. When appropriately trained, guns are not dangerous. They are safe and are used to protect people. ‘The United States has less than 5% of the world’s population, but it controls up to 50% of the world’s civilian-owned guns’ (Masters). This statement shows that most people in the United States own a gun. The gun laws in the United States are not weak; they are good laws. Gun laws are only ineffective due to how the government enforces them.

Seeking Common Ground

Pro-gun control and Anti-gun control both have much common ground. Both sides are in argument in the interest of the public. The only difference is their view on how to keep the public safe. They both want to make sure people feel safe. ‘In 2000, 67% of people on a gun control survey stated they support some form of gun control. In 2016, that figure dropped to 46%’ (PEW). Both sides agree that gun laws should be in place and properly enforced to keep people safe. Both sides also want violence caused by firearms to decrease. What can we do to compromise so everyone feels safe?

Compromise & Vigilance

One way to compromise is to keep current laws on handguns, shotguns, and rifles the same. Then to increase the control of assault weapons, making it harder for people to get them as they are the most dangerous. In order to do this, background checks need to be mandatory when buying any gun, and they need to do mental assessments on people trying to buy them. All guns should also be registered and reregistered every few years as ‘the vast majority of states do not register guns. There are over 400 million guns in the United States. Over 300 million guns in the United States are not registered. Most were never required to be registered’ (Weingarten). The government must vigorously enforce gun laws and more steps taken to ensure that guns cannot go into areas where they do not belong.

References:

1. Masters, J. Title of the Article/Book. Publisher or Journal Name.
2. Council of Foreign Relations. Gun violence in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. Regoli, R. Title of the Article/Book. Publisher or Journal Name.
4. PEW Research Center. Public Views About Guns.
5. Weingarten, D. Title of the Article/Book. Publisher or Journal Name.

Gun Control: A Dual Perspective

What are gun arguments all about? They are mainly about the pros and cons of handling a gun. Guns are weapons that are neither good nor bad; it just depends on who is controlling them. Gun control has been an ongoing issue for several years. There have been so many protests about guns throughout the years. There are protesters trying to get rid of guns because they don’t feel safe, and people who own guns feel safer because they can protect themselves. This essay will show an ongoing issue of gun control by using research articles. The articles will let you know how they are testing their gun control experiments.

Decoding the Gun Survey

The article “Attitude Measurement and the Gun Control Paradox” is about how Howard Schuman and Stanley Presser conducted a gun control experiment. They started this research for their experiment in 1959. They started their experiment in 1775. They used surveys to get their information for their experiment. There was only one question on the survey, which was, “Would you favor or oppose a law that would require a person to obtain a police permit before he or she could buy a gun” (427, Schuman, Presser)? They wanted to research how many people would approve of guns and how many would want to get rid of them. They also wanted to know the reasons why people approve or disapprove of guns. They tested three different hypotheses.

The first hypothesis was about the survey not giving enough information for this experiment. The second one was about a survey showing more people were against guns than for them. The third one was there would be a lot more information when Howard and Stanley talk to people and get their opinions than just the survey itself. When they tested their experiment, they would go to the mayor’s office and many courthouses in many different states to get the surveys out or talk to people that were walking through the doors. After several years of testing their gun control experiments, they found out people were more in favor of guns than against them.

Howard and Stanley tested gun control experiments eight times with different numbers of people, and the outcome stayed the same. The scores never went under sixty-eight percent or went over seventy-eight percent on what side people chose. They would also change the survey questions a bit and add more information on the topic. After seventeen years, they ended the gun control experiment knowing a lot more than what they started with. They ended their experiment in 1976 but never published this until 1977.

Dickey’s Impact on Gun Study

The article “Pros & Cons of Guns Violence Research: Gun Safety versus Second Amendment Rights” is about the 2019 research on gun violence. The 1990 something -gun research was approved by Congress. The CDC researched this project until federal funding was stopped in 1996 by Congress because of the Dickey Amendment. The Dickey Amendment is the United States federal government.

The CDC cannot use the funds for injury prevention and control during the experiment and cannot promote gun control. After Gabrielle Giffords gave her speech about guns which was “Americans demanding action can breathe a little easier with this momentous step toward a gun-safe America,” and the shooting of the 2011 constitute meeting shooting. The government went and looked for the loopholes in the Dickey Amendment to see if it could get the research back on track, not knowing what that amendment meant.

Congress, CDC, and Gun Research

In 2018, Congress cleared up the Dickey Amendment. It never said that the CDC couldn’t do the research. They just have to use the money for this gun violence research, nothing else. They also can’t promote gun control. Congress didn’t supply the funding for the research until 2019 when Trump signed the letter saying to conduct the research on gun control. For this research, Congress approved $25 million to split between two companies in researching gun violence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as the CDC, and the National Institutes of Health, also known as NIH.

The CDC researched all the articles made from 2016 all the way to 2020. They found out that fifty percent of the death in 2016 was related to the gun valance. In the 2017 article research they conducted, they read about several deaths that were caused by guns. They came up with 40,000 people dying in 2017 from guns in the United States. They researched as much as they could between the time from December 2019 till May 2020, when this article was published.

References:

1. Schuman, H., & Presser, S. (1977). Attitude Measurement and the Gun Control Paradox.
2. Unknown Author. (2019). Pros & Cons of Guns Violence Research: Gun Safety versus Second Amendment Rights.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Gun Violence in the United States: A Five-Year Review.

U.S. Gun Crisis: A Glimpse

It’s no secret that gun control is a major issue and causes severe consequences. Gun violence is becoming more common and causes a high number of deaths nationwide. The United States has 88.8 guns per 100 people, or about 270,000,000 guns, which is the highest total number in the world (Should More Gun Laws Be Enacted, 2017). Almost every day, we see tragic stories on the news of gun violence across the country. We hear about mass shootings occurring in the U.S. more and more frequently.

In 2017, 2,239 people were shot in mass shootings, leaving 437 people dead. (Open Secrets, 2017) Although these horrible events continue to happen, little to no progress has been made to stop the violence. The government claims that the gun policies put into place protect its citizens, but are those policies hurting or helping us? This paper will expound on the Gun Control Policy of 1968 and gun violence issues that need attention.

America’s Gun History

We will examine reports associated with gun violence and show how reforming the gun policy could benefit the nation. We also will explore the historical Background of the issue, research students’ views on the issue, and discuss current issues in public debate. Historical Background of the Problem America’s pervasive gun culture stems in part from its colonial history, revolutionary roots, and frontier expansion. Guns were common in American colonies, first for hunting and general self-protection and later for weapons in war. Although guns were common in colonial America, so were gun restrictions. Some of the early gun control laws included banning the sale of guns to Native Americans and slaves.

The Second Amendment is critical regarding gun control; it states that: ‘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.” (ProCon, 2017) Although the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the right to bear arms and was intended to reduce gun violence, most people interpret the policy from their own level of understanding. When talking about mass shootings, the U.S. is tragically exceptional.

U.S. Mass Shootings: A Glimpse

There are more public mass shootings in the United States than in any other country in the world. Between 1966 and 2012, there were 90 mass shootings in the United States. The 90 U.S. mass shootings are nearly one-third of the 292 such attacks globally for that period. While the United States has 5% of the world’s population, it has 31% of all public mass shootings. (Christensen, 2017) The U.S. should not have a high number of mass shootings due to the Gun Control Act of 1968, but the issue is still extremely prevalent. Before the GCA, the Federal Firearms Act of 1938 was the most significant attempt to impose federal control for the possession of firearms.

The aim of the legislation was to create an independent federal policy banning the receipt of firearms (

GCA of 1968: Foundations & Debate

The government felt that violence was near and that too many black people had access to guns, so Congress put an emphasis on passing the bill. (Rosenfeld&lt, 2013) The Gun Control Act of 1968 laid the foundation for how guns are currently regulated in the U.S. today. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into Law the act on October 22, 1968. Notably, the GCA put into Law a minimum age for gun buyers, and that certain individuals were prohibited from having a firearm.

If you were under indictment, convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, a fugitive from justice, an unlawful user of drugs, or mentally ill, you could not receive a firearm.

Paddock’s Attack & Policy Stalemate

Stephon Paddock fired thousands of rounds of ammunition from the 32nd floor of his hotel, a quarter mile from the concert venue. This 64-year-old man had no known political, racial, or religious agenda, and there was no history of known mental illness or criminal behavior. He used his large arsenal of weapons to kill and maim more innocent Americans than anyone else has ever done. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2017) This mass shooting was horrifying, but it was the perfect opportunity to strengthen gun control policies.

Sadly, gun control still is not at the top of the public policy agenda; for years, Congress has been afraid to do anything about regulating guns, even those that are designed for mass shootings. This country needs more legislative action regarding this issue; it seems that our political leadership is not willing to enforce stricter gun control laws and continues to ignore the problem. In 2015, the San Bernardino mass shooting occurred, killing 14 people. The very next day, the Senate rejected a bill to tighten background check requirements for gun buyers. (Open Secrets, 2018) After that shooting, Senator Bernie Sanders sent out several tweets calling for universal background checks for guns and renewing the assault weapon ban.

Paddock’s Attack & Policy Stalemate

The amendment for background checks on all commercial gun sales called Manchini Toomey amendment first occurred in 2013, but it failed because several senators voted against it. (Open Secrets, 2018) After the 2015 San Bernardino shooting, no senators who were in office for the 2013 vote changed their position when the provision was brought up again, even though the Pew Center found that in 2017, 84 percent of Americans supported the Manchini Toomey amendment. (Open Secrets, 2018)

The majority of the 2016 presidential candidates favored gun rights over gun control, but Democratic nominee Hilary Clinton made it a focal point and promised to take executive action if elected as president. Republicans are against gun control, and Democrats are divided. (Open Secrets, 2018) Our leaders have an obligation to protect the safety and health of the citizens, but are they really doing everything they can to protect us?

Paddock’s Attack & Policy Stalemate

That’s hard to determine, especially when you have an organization like the National Rifle Association that is biased, in our opinion. The NRA has not protected black citizens the same as others. They only speak up only when the topic is important to them; any time black gun owners are harassed or killed for exercising their Second Amendment rights, the NRA is silent. For example, in the Philando Castile case, before Castile was killed, he told the officer that he had a legally permitted firearm, but when he reached for his wallet, his girlfriend said, the officer panicked and opened fire.

Castile&lt was just one in a long line of black gun owners to be misconstrued as a deadly threat. The Philando was the perfect opportunity to speak up, but the NRA had no comment. (Light, 2017) Even though the NRA has its issues, the organization does advocate for self-defense. They host seminars called “Refuse to be a Victim” (Light, 2017). Most citizens need to carry guns to protect themselves from danger.

Guns, Defense & Society: A Complex Discourse

Guns are needed for self-defense from threats ranging from local criminals to foreign invaders; gun ownership deters crime rather than causes more crime. Even though guns are rarely used in self-defense, it’s better to have them than to not. In our opinion, the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun. Gun ownership is the best way to defend yourself, and there are laws regulating proper self-defense. Each person in the U.S. is entitled to use self-defense if necessary, but each state has laws that determine when a person can defend themselves and when they can use a weapon.

The right to self-defense has become inviolable, fueling the spread of Stand Your Ground laws to almost half the states. Currently, 24 states have adopted “stand your ground” laws that expand traditional self-defense laws and extend to confrontations outside a person’s home. (Find Law, 2018) More gun control would reduce the societal costs associated with gun violence. According to American Bar Association, in 2012, gun violence cost each person in the United States roughly $645 and cost 8.6 billion in direct medical-related expenses alone, including for emergency and medical care.

Firearm injuries cost 174 billion in the United States. (American Bar, 2012) For example, the 2017 Las Vegas shooting created a massive, instant public health crisis, putting first responders at great risk, overwhelming hospitals and disrupting much of the medical care delivery in the city. Thousands of health professionals helped to cope with the horror, from emergency personnel to surgical trauma teams, to ICU staff, to the pathology professionals who dealt with identifying the dead. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2017) This tragedy put a financial strain on the government in Nevada due to senseless gun violence.

Crime Prevention, Responsibility, and Individual Safety

Gun control laws do not stop crime; gun ownership stops crime. Guns do not kill people; people kill people. This phrase has been used for years, but we believe it is true. You could argue that guns do not force people to fire them, but at the end of the day, guns are used as a tool to kill people. For example, if I am driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and I crash and kill someone, it is not the alcohol or drugs’ fault; it is my fault for driving.

People need resources to do things, guns enable large-scale killing, and killing lots of people quickly without a gun would not be easy, even though it is the person’s choice to do so. According to The Statistic Portal, in 2016, over 70% of murders and non-negligent manslaughter cases were carried out using a firearm. (Statista, 2016) Gun control laws infringe upon the right to self-defense and deny people a sense of safety. Every citizen deserves to feel protected regardless of whether that be by religion or by a weapon.

Gun Control, Self-Defense, and the Dilemma of Prevention

Enforcing more gun control laws would make it difficult for people to obtain weapons to defend themselves from threats. Many people believe that if there were no guns, you would not need a gun for self-defense, but we disagree. If a criminal really wants a gun, they will find it somehow; gun control laws will not prevent that. Guns prevent thousands of crimes a year; gun control opponents say that a massive number of crimes are prevented by armed citizens who shoot an assailant.

This happened 230 times in 2010. Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2 million times a year for personal protection and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. (New York Times, 2013) Whether guns are legal or not, people who want them will get them. The fact of the matter is if guns became illegal, people would still be able to own illegal arms just the same as now. So why tighten the laws? If guns are legal to own, they must be registered. This makes things safer because who these guns are sold to can be monitored.

References:

1. Should More Gun Laws Be Enacted? (2017). Just Facts. Retrieved from https://gun-control.procon.org/
2. Open Secrets. (2017). Mass shootings. Retrieved from https://www.opensecrets.org/
3. Christensen, P. (2017). U.S. Mass Shootings, 1966-2012: Data From Mother Jones’ Investigation. Mother Jones. Retrieved from https://www.motherjones.com/
4. Zimring, F. E. (1975). Firearms, violence, and public policy. Scientific American, 233(6), 40-47.
5. New England Journal of Medicine. (2017). Las Vegas Shooting. Retrieved from https://www.nejm.org/
6. Light, M. (2017). The Philando Castile case proves the NRA is not about freedom. New York Daily News. Retrieved from https://www.nydailynews.com/
7. Statista. (2016). U.S. Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter Cases by Weapon 2016. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/
8. New York Times. (2013). How Often Do Americans Use Guns for Defensive Purposes? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/
9. Find Law. (2018). Stand Your Ground Law. Retrieved from https://criminal.findlaw.com/
10. American Bar Association. (2012). The Health Care Costs of Gun Violence. Retrieved from https://www.americanbar.org/

Introduction

Gun control is a very controversial topic these days. Throughout the years, gun violence has increased dramatically, leading up to serval firearm deaths and injuries and causing danger in Texas. In Texas, the gun law only requires an individual to be at least 18 years old to purchase a rifle, shotgun, ammunition, or any type of firearm. There have been many different perspectives regarding gun control and whether the Texas government should take action or not.

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Escalating Concern: The Rise of Gun Violence in Texas

There are many different viewpoints of citizens surrounding this topic. Many oppose that the governor should ban guns completely. Meaning no teenager or adult should have the right to own a gun. In addition, other individuals disagree that the governor should make stricter rules on owning a gun. Some citizens argue that removing guns violates the 2nd Amendment of our rights and won’t be able to protect ourselves in case of a kidnapper, thief, or intruder. 2nd Amendment allows any citizen unconnected with service in a militia to be able to use that gun for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense.

On the other hand, many gun control activists want to improve stricter requirements for purchasing guns, and more strict laws will improve the gun violence problem. Some believe the removal of gun purchasing from citizens will keep our state safer because police officers should be the only ones to carry guns. Many believe love and kindness are all the world needs to function, not including guns. Either side has a strong opinion on why or why not oppose gun control. Gun violence has caused many horrific events in Texas in the year 2018.

Diverse Perspectives: The Debate Over Gun Control

Therefore, gun violence caused many events, such as Santa Fe High School shooting on a Friday morning which resulted in 10 individuals killed and another 13 wounded. This tragedy occurred on May 18, 2018, when the shooter was Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a 17-year-old student. Dimitrios admitted he didn’t shoot any of the people he liked or had problems with, except he shot the ones he disliked. This an example of how firearms should not be used; just because you don’t like anyone doesn’t approve of anyone shooting that individual.

It was very easy for this student, who was a minor, to get a gun in his hands even though he was 17 years old because his father was the one who owned the gun. The father did not secure his firearms in a safe place where a minor or anyone could steal them, which shows an example of how a gun owner did not show responsibility for owning a gun. This shooting became the second-deadliest school shooting in the United States this year. Thanks to the first responders, they were able to get every student to safety.

Another example is San Antonio First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, which occurred on November 5, 2017. An intruder opened fire during a church service and killed and injured many individuals. The gunman was identified as a 26-year-old named Devin Patrick Kelle. Devin killed 26 people and injured 20 others. A 26-year-old male didn’t have the right mentality to even own a gun and was not a very mature man at all. Also, on July 11, 2018, a very common situation in Houston in which a drive-by mass shooting led to 4 or more victims being injured.

The group that opened fire was not captured, which meant the individuals were on the loose. Many drive-by shootings occur around neighborhoods or parks where families and children are usually an easier target. Drive-by shootings are so common in Houston that many civilians would report it to the police, and later on, the police wouldn’t be able to do anything about it because there was no evidence. All these three main events with different types of situations could have been prevented if there had been stricter gun control. Anyone owning a gun or purchasing a firearm should have a more detailed long process, whether the individual is approved to get a hold of a gun.

Tragic Outcomes: Examining Gun Violence Incidents in Texas

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is 60 years of age, has served since 2015. Greg Abbot agrees he should have more control over guns. Texas Governor’s future plans on gun control are limiting who can buy and keep guns through narrow ways meaning longer processes and stricter background checks. Gregg Abbott from the republican party will not take guns out because he truly does defend the 2nd amendment rights but will make an effort to keep guns out of people’s hands who may pose a risk to those around them. He also made a campus law in which only 21-year-old individuals can carry a gun or any weapon if it is concealed and the owner has a license.

Furthermore, he wants to establish during campus hours more cops making sure everyone is safe and armed marshals. Also, the Texas governor will make sure criminals will be put behind bars and not even have a hold of a gun in the first place. Governor has said he will do anything in his power, but without violating the freedom to bear arms. He agrees our schools should be a safe environment in which parents should not worry about their kids’ safety, such as passing the Governor’s school and firearm safety action plan, which this document offers more than 40 specific recommendations on ways to make our schools and communities safer.

The plan includes more than 120 million dollars in funding strategies to help schools implement this solution immediately with no cost to the school. Wherever we are, we should not be afraid of any mass shootings to occur nor scared to step foot outside our homes.

Conclusion

In my perspective, guns aren’t the problem of violence. It is the person who has a hold of it. Gun control must be in action; if not now, then when? I agree Texas Governor should not ban guns because it’s for our safety to protect ourselves, instead of enforcing more gun laws in Texas. All the citizens should work as a team in order to address this issue of violence. More mandatory training for those who own a gun means the required training should include recurring education to renew permits, with a graduated licensing process at least as stringent as for driver’s licenses. Have secure storage to keep a gun. We can all make a difference on the subject of gun control if we start this change to decrease gun deaths.

References

1. Jones, R., & Jivraj, S. (2019). Gun Control Legislation and Firearm Mortality in the USA: A Cross-sectional, State-level Study. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 42(5), 1004-1013.
2. Kalesan, B., & Galea, S. (2015). Gun control in the United States: a public health imperative. The Lancet, 385(9977), 848-850.
3. Jacobs, C. S. (2017). Gun Violence and the Second Amendment: An Analysis of District of Columbia v. Heller. The Yale Law Journal, 120(2), 283-312.
4. Siegel, M., Ross, C. S., & King, C. (2013). The Relationship Between Gun Ownership and Firearm Homicide Rates in the United States, 1981–2010. American Journal of Public Health, 103(11), 2098-2105.
5. Tyler, T. R., & Huo, Y. J. (2002). Trust in the Law: Encouraging Public Cooperation with the Police and Courts. Russell Sage Foundation.

Introduction

There are many reasons why guns hold so much weight in our world and why they are such a big deal, “what kind of guns should be available for sale to the public?” “who should be allowed to buy them?” “where can they be carried?”. These questions create the debate about gun control, which causes many articles to be formed on just this one topic.

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The Pervasive Impact of Guns

Gun control has been around since the 20th century; this has always been a hot topic and a major issue. Guns tend to cause a lot of problems, for example, crimes, suicides, and more. The power of a gun is limitless; as people worldwide continue to stock guns, many others are at risk of beings harmed. Although guns are necessary to protect yourself, the gun control law helps decrease violence, suicides, and all types of other accidents. However, the government should be in charge of who can receive a gun and what type of gun is distributed to the people. Most of the time, people who decide to harm others or themselves with a gun have mantel issues and are at more risk of harming more people.

Many people think that gun control is just deciding who should or shouldn’t be allowed to carry or have a gun. That’s not the case; Gun control is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Gun control is something that has been around for a while now.

Gun Control: Striking a Balance Between Rights and Regulation

Just giving anyone the possession of a gun could cause many people’s lives to be endangered. In fact, it already has; many school shootings have already happened just this year. The one that grabbed most people’s attention was the shooting in Parkland, Florida, which was one of the worse ones we had this year. That grabbed many people’s attention because of the way it happened and the way it ended with seventeen people dying and fourteen others being wounded badly (CNN).

According to many articles on the Parkland shooting, the shooter himself was mentally disturbed, and many people who choose to harm others or their selves with a gun are most of the time mentally disturbed. School shootings are just one of the reasons why issuing a gun to just anyone isn’t a great idea. Guns can cause someone to harm themself, even taking their own life away with the very thing that causes a high death rate just in a year, a gun. Parkland, Florida is just one city that had a major shooting; there are many more, and some have this problem on a daily.

Another city with high crime rates that includes gun violence is Chicago. Chicago has consistently had more total killings than any other U.S. city. Twenty-seven people were killed just at the beginning of August of this year (Stef W, Kight, Michael Sykes). Most of their shootings, or, as some would say, “shootouts,” are gang-related. Twelve of the poor neighborhoods are accounted for fifty percent of Chicago’s shootings, often being attributed to gang activity, according to a study by Northwestern University. Gun violence is everywhere, but there are a few cities that have it the most, and it is decreasing our population every day.

A neighborhood on the Westside of Chicago called “Austin” had 215 shootings in the first seven months of the year. Things like that happening on repeat every day can cause lots of people to be harmed and to feel unsafe in the very place they call home. Gun violence is something that must cease, if it continues to happen, many more people will die or be harmed, and many families will go through the pain of losing a relative. Many families in Chicago have lost many of their family members due to gun violence; either someone Murdered them, or they took they’re on life, or they got hit with a stray bullet.

Chicago isn’t a safe place for anyone and is not for little kids to just be roaming around by their selves. You shouldn’t have to walk around your hometown looking over your shoulder to make sure nothing is happening or to make sure nobody is trying to walk up to you with a gun; that isn’t what you should have to live. Gun violence must come to an end, or many people will continue to die, and many families will continue to feel the hurt and pain of losing a loved one. Chicago families have it most rough, having to worry if they are going to live to see another day or if the children go out and play will they make it back safe and sound.

A mom in Chicago lost four of her children due to gun violence (Melissa McEwan). All her children died from either someone murdering them on purpose or a stray bullet. Gun violence must stop! This is not ok and shouldn’t be tolerated at all. The government plays a role in this and should find a way how to stop this or at least slow it down to the point where it is not happening as much.

Uniting for Change

The government should be able to reduce gun violence in America so people won’t get harmed or even attempt to harm themselves in any way, type, or form. Some ways they could make that happen is by maybe reducing firearm access to youth and individuals who are at risk of harming themselves or others. Mental health people are most of the time the ones to commit suicide or murder someone using a gun.

Another way the government could reduce gun violence is by making the sentencing for committing these crimes longer. This idea could possibly work because no one wants to go to jail for a long period of time, let alone at all. The government could do a lot of things to reduce gun violence, but they aren’t doing enough. Maybe if they increased the price of the guns, that could possibly also help. Gun violence must come to an end.

Conclusion

To conclude, gun control has impacted the world in many ways. Guns impacted schools and all over the world. Guns were supposed to be used for protection now people take advantage of them. We all need to come together to stop gun violence for good. If we can come together to stop gun violence, there will be less harm. We need to help with gun violence because it’s putting people at risk. Innocent people are getting hurt; we can come together once in for all.

References

1. John Ashman 12/29/2012
   https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.mic.com/articles/amp/21387/gun-control-laws-10-better-ways-the-government-can-reduce-violence Stef. knight
2. Michael Sykes 8/14 https://www.axios.com/chicago-gun-violence-murder-rate-statistics-4addeeec-d8d8-4ce7-a26b-81d428c14836.html
3. John McCall 2/14/18 https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna848101
4. Melissa McEwan 1/29/13 https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/29/shirley-chambers-gun-violence-deaths

Abstract

Schools have gotten safer over the years but students still fear every day. Acts of violence can disrupt the learning process and have a negative effect on students, the school and the community. In this paper I will explain the different violent behaviors that students and staff have to deal with on a day to day basis; bullying, fighting, weapon use, cyberbullying and gang violence. Also, how these different behaviors affect children when it’s occurring and how it later influences their adult life. The effects of school violence can lead to division and severe mental and physical trauma for both perpetrators and victims alike. Together the schools, at home and the community need to create a safe and supportive environment for students to prevent the rise of violence.

School Violence and How It Affects Children

Bullying at school is an age-old problem and until recently, many took the “kids will be kids” attitude towards the problem. Students, staff and parents all have an important role in promoting school safety. Violence is widespread in the United States. It can differ in magnitude depending on the community and demographic group, negatively impacting all that is involved. It can occur in both passive and physical forms, causing both bodily and psychological trauma. Passive forms of violence include verbal threats, intimidating and cyberbullying. Physical forms include fighting; punching, kicking, biting, slapping and can involve assault with a weapons or gang violence. What makes a child want to bully another? I ask myself this when I hear the news and find out there was another school shooting or an injured child due to violence.

What would trigger a child to be violent towards another person? Bullying is a distinctive pattern of harming and humiliating others, specifically those who are in some way smaller, weaker, younger or in any way more vulnerable than the bully. Bullies are very often people who have been bullied or abused themselves. Sometimes they are experiencing life situations they cannot cope with, that leave them feeling helpless and out of control. Many times, a bully wants to feel powerful in a way that their peers respect them, in occasions turning that respect into fear. Being feared feels like a power to them it’s a way to gain followers or friends that look up to them. Most of their “friends” follow and do as the bully says, they fear the bully and don’t want to be the next victim. Though bullying is a learned behavior, genetics can play a part. For instance, some people are more predisposed to violence and aggression. However, not all people with these tendencies become bullies. Some are able to find ways to take out their aggression and anger in more manageable and healthy ways. It can be a simple matter of nature versus nurture. Another commonality in bullies is that they are attention seekers. Though the attention they receive is negative they still crave it as often it is the only attention that they receive. Home routine and how the child’s parents or people in their life deal with stress and everyday problems can also trigger the way a child behaves. Some children may have parents who do not care about their behavior and may even encourage them to continue acting that way. On the other hand, some parents might be fearful of their child’s actions and may not know how to disciple them or make their behavior change. If the parents can’t manage to discipline or encourage them to change their behavior the child learns they can get away with their behavior. Children need to be disciplined in a consistent way, and learn the rules of conduct and respect for authority.

Today’s teens are more exposed to weapons right in their homes, particularly guns. More than 150,000 students attending at least 170 primary or secondary schools in the United States have experienced a shooting on campus since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which is sometimes cited as the first in a string of modern mass school shootings (Strauss, 2018). What happens to students after such a traumatic experience? How are they affected? For those involved in a mass shooting or some other violent event not only can they suffer from physical injuries they may also have to deal with the psychological trauma it leaves. “Mass shootings are a first-line traumatic event that can potentially trigger post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people who are directly exposed, as life and limb are under direct and violent threat. Children, in particular, are even more vulnerable; multiple studies have shown that childhood trauma has more lifelong and pervasive effects on young developing psyches, both in terms of their psychological worldview, and their physiological systems that handle stress and anxiety. On a secondary level, the threat of mass shootings throughout schools is also damaging to mental health; safety and security are always paramount to a child’s healthy psychological development, and this constant anxiety and sense of danger will disrupt that sense of security, and put all children at risk of developing anxiety and mood disorders.” (Jean Kim, MD). Witnessing a traumatic event is not easy for anyone, adults and children involved need all the care and support to overcome such a disgraceful event. Allow the child time to heal, reassuring them that they are safe. Watch for any changes in behavior or demeanor and get them the help they may need. It can also be stressful on the parent or guardian, thinking they failed their child for not being there to protect them. Everyone involved needs to work together to reassure each other’s wellbeing and safe recovery from the physical damages or psychological traumas caused by the event.

Child and teen bullying are at the all-time high. 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied on school property in the last year. Bullying is among the most commonly reported discipline problems in public schools. Nearly 12% of public schools’ report that bullying happens at least once a week. Reports of bullying are highest for middle schools (22%) compared to high schools (15%), combined schools (11%), and primary schools (8%). More than 15% of high school students report being cyberbullied in the last year (“Preventing Bullying,”2019). Common types of bullying include physical, emotional and/or social. Physical type includes hitting, kicking, punching, spitting, tripping or pushing. Emotional types can be teasing, name calling, inappropriate sexual comments or verbal/ written threats. And lastly, social type is excluding someone, spreading rumors or making embarrassing comments. Some consequences of bullying can result in physical injury, emotional distress, low self-esteem or even suicide. When you do not feel wanted around your peers it can increase the risk for depression and anxiety, lower academic achievement or result in dropping out of school. These acts can and often do, have lasting lifelong effect on the victim changing their life and outlook on the future. If a child continues being a bully till they are teens, there’s an increased risk for substance abuse or experiencing violence in adulthood. If the bully is not stopped and treated then the chance of them stopping is very slim and their behavior will continue into adulthood, affecting the type of life they lead.

No one will ever know the exact reason as to what causes more extreme cases of school violence however, prevention is key. Bullying does not have to be a reality that one must live with. Bullying is preventable. If a person is being bullied they should tell someone; a parent, teacher, or counselor. Parents must take an active role in their child’s life and safety. If a parent knows that their child is bullying, then they must take steps to stop this behavior. Going to counseling can help get to the root of the issue and help the bully to change their behavior before it is too late. If a person is a witness to a bullying event, then it is their responsibility to step in whether by taking up for the victim or by getting an adult right away. The bystander effect is no excuse and can cause further future damage to the victim and the bully. Saying nothing is almost as bad as committing the bullying acts itself. Here is a list of strategies from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on preventing the start of bullying: promote family environments that support healthy development, provide quality education early in life, strengthen youth’s skills, connect youth to caring adults and activities, create protective community environments and intervene to lessen harms and prevents future risk. Rather than focusing on what is behind violence in schools or what can happen as a result of it, we all need to become focused on preventing the violence. It may not be happening to you personally, but it is everyone’s responsibility to help stop it.

References

1. Strauss, Valerie. “How Mass School Shootings Affect the Education of Students Who Survive.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 20 Feb. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/02/20/how-mass-school-shootings-affect-the-education-of-students-who-survive/?utm_term=.84fd179eb4e1.
2. Jean Kim, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at George Washington University, Medical Officer at the FDA
3. Preventing Bullying. (2019, April 25). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/bullyingresearch/fastfact.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Fyouthviolence%2Fbullyingresearch%2Findex.html

‘Attention please. Lockdown. Locks, lights, out of sight.” (Tasneem Nashrulla, 2019). This alarm is repeated for a long 20 minutes as high school students, of a STEM school in Colorado, do their best to hide as silent as possible and pray for themselves, and their classmates, to live for another day.

School was created to teach children. School was created to help them grow. School was created to be an environment of safety. However, school is a place where we learn lock down drills, dissolve into the crowd, and learn how to fear the unknown. School safety has changed and so the way it is approached must change along with it. School shootings not only change the culture of students, but leave them with mental health issues that will linger throughout their lives.

In the past 180 years, 517 schools have lost “594 people” and have affected students and communities that fear the same fate will come to their own schools. (Jo Detz, 2019). The increasing number of school shootings have places a cavalier attitude which forces a negative connotation to school. It normalizes the effects of shooting to a place where they are expected to occur. This unprecedented attack on the younger generations leave their communities with “deep emotional scars” that will always remind them of their unguaranteed safety. (Ariella Iancu, 2019)

This culture has not only placed a strain on communities but also on the individuals directly impacted by this violence. Conditions such as depression and anxiety are expected to arise in the aftermath of such a traumatic event. As school shootings continue to grow, students are finding it difficult to properly cope and work through these new feelings and issues. In turn, students are found to lack the ability to maintain focus in these distressed environments. Lower test scores and dropping attendance are one set example of the deepening and lasting effects of school shootings. School shootings are disabling students to the effects of mental health in a way that is preventing them from functioning normally in society.

Likewise, students who have been directly affected by shootings continue to struggle with mental health with every reminder of these events. It can take months or even years to be free from the damage shootings can cause in one’s mind. Thus, when one goes through such trama, they are at a high risk of other issues such as PTSD. Post traumatic Stress Disorder, is a mental issue that is caused by severe stress in the event of trauma. PTSD illustrates the very root issue of how students are being affected by fear. Not only do students feel a “resistance” to school, emotional stress is taken on as they leave the classroom. Which opens the door to feelings such as, “anxiety, absence of security, and anger” at home, where these feelings cloud their minds (Jessica Hamblen, 2007). Even though PTSD is a condition that can be addressed it does not change the fact that this one event can change the outlook of a person’s life and increase difficulty that, before these events, were simple tasks.

School shootings continue to leave a long lasting effect on a student’s health and an imprint on schools safety policies. In the aftermath, precautions were put in schools to try to make a mask of safety to hide the reality of not knowing how to protect one another. In turn, this is not increasing the safety of our schools but rather encouraging fear. In some schools “active shooter drills” are taken beyond the extent of teaching children how to act, instead, they “seem designed to traumatize students” by instilling fear. (​Evan Gerstmann​, 2019) They send an actor on campus with a fake gun that shoots blanks, pretends to shoot teachers, knocks hysterically on doors, all the while forcing kids to hide in a dark, locked room. For example an unannounced drill in Henrico County, replicated ever mom’s biggest nightmare, thinking their are receiving their last “I love you” text from their children. This continued fear is extending the effects that shootings instill in students. (John hirschauer, 2019). This exposure to violence to young, impreational minds, will increase the fear and panic connected to schools shootings.

School shootings not only affect students as a collective body, but furthermore, causes serious stress and or mental health issues. Schools was a place of promised safety, but with school shooting, safety must be something that is sought at an emotional level and then from there attacked. Mental health is brought with tragedy but as Amy Novontney put it, society must think about, “what happens to the survivors”, and how these communities will rebuild this sense of security that was the foundation of school. Instead of fearing the unknown, schools must focus on using these tragedies as a tool of growth and learning to find solutions to these mental health issues.

Work Cited

1. Detz, Jo. “U.S. School Shootings: Just the Facts.” EcoRI News, EcoRI News, 9 Sept. 2019,​www.ecori.org/public-safety/2019/9/7/us-school-shootings-just-the-facts​.
2. Gerstmann, Evan. “Why Schools Should End Active Shooter Drills Immediately.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 7 Sept. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/09/07/why-schools-should-end-active-shooter-drills-immediately/#343ee43d2a92​.
3. Hamblen, Jessica. “PTSD in Children and Adolescents – (National Center for PTSD).” www.georgiadisaster.info, 22 May 2007, www.georgiadisaster.info/Schools/fs%207%20school/PTSD%20in%20Children%20&%20Adolescents.pdf​.
4. Hirschauer, John. ‘The Needless Trauma of Active-Shooter Drills: Why are we terrorizing children over an exceptionally remote possibility?’ National Review, 11 Nov. 2019, p.20+. Gale OneFile: High School Edition, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A603845380/STOM?u=j057905034&sid=STOM&xid=0be02221. Accessed 14 Jan. 2020.
5. Iancu, Ariella. “After School Shootings, Children And Communities Struggle To Heal.” After School Shootings, Children And Communities Struggle To Heal | Health Affairs, 19 July 2019, ​www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20190717.855810/full/​.
6. http://www.ecori.org/public-safety/2019/9/7/us-school-shootings-just-the-facts
7. http://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/09/07/why-schools-should-end-active-shooter-drills-immediately/#343ee43d2a92
8. http://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/09/07/why-schools-should-end-active-shooter-drills-immediately/#343ee43d2a92
9. http://www.georgiadisaster.info/Schools/fs%207%20school/PTSD%20in%20Children%20&%20Adolescents.pdf
10. http://www.georgiadisaster.info/Schools/fs%207%20school/PTSD%20in%20Children%20&%20Adolescents.pdf
11. http://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20190717.855810/full/AP Language Arts January 2nd, 2020
12. Novotney, Amy. “What Happens to the Survivors.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, Sept. 2018, www.apa.org/monitor/2018/09/survivors.
13. Nashrulla, Tasneem. “This Is What It Sounds Like Hiding In A Dark Classroom During A School Shooting.” BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed News, 30 May 2019,
14. www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/colorado-stem-highlands-school-shooting-texts-video-lockdown​.
15. http://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/colorado-stem-highlands-school-shooting-texts-video-lockdown
16. http://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/colorado-stem-highlands-school-shooting-texts-video-lockdown

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been researching gun control trying to find why it’s useful in America. Having many accounts of gun violence in America, many Americans say that the second amendment is outdated and that we need stricter gun laws. In reality states with stricter gun laws have more accounts of gun violence. This proves that stricter gun control doesn’t work.

California is ranked as A in gun control yet has more accounts of gun violence in their state, while Texas is ranked F yet has fewer accounts of gun violence or mass shootings(Swearer). This is important because the percentage of shootings in Texas is 6.6% of their population, and if it was compared to the state of Washington which is ranked a B the percentage is 8.9% of the population(Swearer). This just proves gun control doesn’t work. If that doesn’t convince you then, let talk about this so-called outdated amendment. According to a reporter for the new dealer, they say that our founding fathers created the second amendment when guns weren’t so strong during that time and were never expected to get this powerful. The statement is true guns weren’t so powerful and advance back then, yet they were able to advance and America was able to win wars. Without this use of advancement, I can conclude America would be one of the weakest countries in the world. Civilization has evolved with cars, medicine, and weaponry. Everyone should have the right to bear arms just in case another revolution was to take place. Instead of restricting gun control, how about the gun laws may be modified to be able to decrease the mass shooting of each state.

Gun control is another myth that people believe would decrease the number of school shootings or patients with mental illnesses opening fire in a public location putting the lives of many in danger. Modifying the laws that are already given can change the probability of having a school undergo fire by someone. For example, if gun trafficking was actually looked at by the government then guns being sold illegally to minors would decrease. According to the Gifford law center, about 40 percent of guns entering us are from unlicensed sellers that aren’t required to give background checks. This proves that gun trafficking exists and guns are falling into the wrong hands. If the laws were modified this wouldn’t be a problem, having stricter gun control wouldn’t affect that because criminals would still be able to obtain guns. The only thing that would work is modifying laws to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands.

When guns get to the hands of kids and teens then it goes bad. Without the proper guide on how to use a gun many deaths occur. There is a reason why there are laws that prevent kids to have guns, but sometimes guns are let loose in homes and children are able to get their hands on them and the first thing they do is point it at their face. This sometimes may lead to them pulling the trigger and either dying or killing someone else like their father or mother. According to the Guardian, a four-year-old found a gun under a mattress and shot his own mother in the face. Everyone who owns a gun should be given a safe to be able to keep their guns out of reach from children to prevent situations like this. Having laws modified can change the percentage of deaths in America.

For far too long, gun control and the banning of firearms have been the topic of intense debates and more and more citizens are on the side of banning firearms. Gun control restricts which types of firearms can be sold, bought, as well as who can sell them to passing them to family members or if said person can sell his or her gun. Gun control also requires any firearm purchase and sale to be reported to the government. It also specifies how much and which types of ammunition can be used as well as how many rounds a magazine can hold to making sure background checks are given. Mass shootings, terrorist attacks, criminals, kill people, not guns. I’ve held and shot many guns before and after setting them down, not one has gotten up, walked away, and pulled its own trigger. Tightening gun laws or banning firearms will not put an end to citizens, or anyone, from obtaining guns. With such strict gun laws and the talk of banning them outright, citizens will feel vulnerable if they cannot protect themselves, and lastly, banning guns is a violation of the people’s second amendment. Emotions and feelings get in the way of logical thinking and although some laws are necessary, gun control laws have become too strict, especially in states like New Jersey.

To start, while banning guns might work in the short-term aspect, eventually a ban will prove to be ineffective seeing as how there will always be other avenues for people to obtain guns. There is the black market, 3-D printing, one can build his or her own gun as well buy guns from the internet. The guns that are being 3-D printed and/or built by someone, usually do not have serial numbers. So, not only would people still have firearms, but if they were to get lost, stolen, or even used in a crime, they would not be able to be tracked. So, instead of trying to tighten the gun laws or ban firearms, lawmakers should look into safer gun ownership. Offer more gun safety classes and inform gun owners of Smart Guns, which use fingerprint technology which only allows the owner to fire it. In a study conducted in 2014, out of 5.9 million violent crimes, approximately ten percent contained gun involvement and this is including robberies, assaults, and murder crimes. For ninety percent of violent crimes, people either used a different weapon or no weapon at all. But, hasn’t there been a decrease in gun crimes since the laws have been tightening? Simply put, no. The crimes actually started to decrease in the 1990s when more people started to purchase guns and even with a decrease in gun deaths, and stricter gun laws, it has not done much to reduce gun violence in New Jersey. Also, research has found that New Jersey has more firearms deaths than those states who have weak gun laws.

Moreover, if guns are banned, there will be a lost sense of safety. In an article I read by Pew Research Center, they stated, ‘The vast majority o gun owners say that having a gun makes them feel safer and far more today than in 1999 cite protection [than other activities].’ If gun laws are made stricter and/or firearms are banned, many feel as though it would be difficult to protect themselves and their families. The gun laws in New Jersey are extremely strict. For example, in-home and during one’s travels, the gun and the ammo must be separated in different cases, the case must be locked and stored away in one’s trunk. For law-abiding citizens, this already poses a threat. Intruders, robbers, criminals already have an advantage due to the fact that it’ll take too long for one to load his or her gun but imagine not even being to protect yourself at all. Banning guns will cause victims to be harmed and/or possibly killed. Tightening gun laws and the talk of banning firearms itself creates fear. For example, when Obama called for the tightening of gun laws, guns sales spiked- they nearly doubled. President Obama has actually been the best salesman for firearms, Brian W. Butterbur. Even with something as minor as increasing background checks, fear was instilled, and guns sales rose.

Lastly, the second amendment is in place to protect citizens against these kinds of laws. Banning would be an infringement especially since it is the people’s right to bear arms. The governor of New Jersey has already infringed upon the second amendment when he decided to lower the magazine capacity from fifteen to ten rounds. Increasing the prices and making it more difficult to obtain a firearm is also an infringement. Although this is a violation, the Circuit Courts are allowing him to create and pass these laws.

All in all, while I side with the importance of gun control, to a certain degree, I believe it is most unfair and does not do what lawmakers claim will be the end result. Citizens, people, will always find other means to obtaining guns, some of which are illegal. For a state and nation that wants such strict gun control, its government is only pushing people to purchase untraceable firearms.

November 15th, 2015, around 12 pm, I watched all the students in my Math class run in the corner of the classroom and crouch down under the big table after the voice in the speaker went, “We’re going on lockdown”. Not knowing what to do, I followed them since it was my first time encountering such things. Confusion took over me; my head was filled with thousands of questions. Not long after, our teacher who was wearing high heels earlier was tip-toeing as slowly approaching us. The room went dead silent after she whispered, “This is no longer a drill; an armed man was seen wandering around our school”. I was shocked. Soon, I came to realize that the thoughts in my head were no longer curiosity, rather it was horror and the concern whether we will make it alive. Two hours passed by, no sign of the shooter at our door; no sound of violence was heard. Right when we thought we were safe, there was a knock. Everybody began to panic and my hope of returning home alive faded away. A man with a gun appeared in front of our eyes but to our surprise, it was the local police officer who had come to make sure we were okay. He informed us that no such man was found around the area and concluded it to be a prank call. We were relieved. The following semester, I was introduced to the Bill of Rights in my American History class and realized how easy the constitution made it for people to bear arms. Back then, the passing of such a right made perfect sense to me because it was for self-defense. However, three years later, I started to question it when seventeen kids were killed in Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Questions like how do people like Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old, get to purchase guns in America? Is there any background check? Why are mass shootings more frequent around here in America than in any other countries and what policies is the government taking to reduce mass shootings? Is banning guns an option? After some research, I found out that the number of mass shootings has been increasing massively over the past few years, and Congress has finally taken the issue of gun violence into account. They’re still debating about which laws may be effective in reducing it. On the other hand, after the Parkland shooting in 2018, there have been new laws passed in some states by the state legislatures. These include raising the age limit on gun purchases, stricter background checks, and seize guns from those who seem to pose dangers to themselves and others (Maledez, S, 2019). However, even with all these new laws, someone was still able to shoot up a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, leading to the death of 22 people in August 2019. Therefore, based on my research, I can argue that such laws of doing strict background checks, seizing guns, or raising the age limit aren’t helping reduce mass shootings, and the best way to prevent it would be to completely ban the possession of guns from the American society.

While looking for the answer to my first question, I found out a strict background check is conducted during the selling of guns, however, it has a loophole that fails the entire purpose of it which is not handing in guns to murderers. I decided to start my research by visiting the Wayne State Library website. I went to Summon, and typed in my first question, how are guns purchased in the United States. As soon as I pressed enter, hundreds of articles appeared on the screen. One of the articles titled Trump endorses background checks for gun purchases: USA SHOOTINGS caught my attention, and I decided to skim through it. As I started reading, I came across the fact that not all gun purchasers needed their background checked. According to the article, “In February, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill mandating federal background checks for all gun purchases, including those made online or at gun shows, which are largely unregulated. But the leader of the Republican majority in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, has refused to bring the measure to a vote in the upper chamber” (EFE News Service, 2019). This means that the purchase of guns at gun shows or online is available to everybody. Anyone who has enough money could easily walk out with a gun without even having their background checked. This anyone can range from people buying it for self-defense to people who are mentally ill and are planning on a massacre. Such a law of doing “background checks” is not safe and it brings danger to everybody.

As I continued with my research, I learned that some states consider raising the age limit of gun purchases to be effective in reducing the number of mass shootings. As an attempt to further my knowledge on the ways the states are trying to resolve this issue besides the background check, I typed in “solutions to the mass shooting in the USA” in Summon. Unfortunately, the articles that popped up didn’t seem to have the answer to my question. But I needed answers, which is why I decided to google my question. While scrolling down, I found the article The Effects of Minimum Age Requirements which stated that raising the age limit can be a solution and that two states had already implemented it. It further stated “by restricting youth access, minimum age restrictions could reduce rates of firearm suicide or unintentional shootings by the affected age group” (Rand.org, 2019). But the previous article about background checks says otherwise. As I mentioned earlier, the federal law made guns easily accessible to people if it’s bought from a gun shop or online, and no actions have been taken against them yet. It doesn’t require any background checks, therefore anyone, even those who have been denied access due to their young age by their states, will have access to it. Thus, raising the age limit of gun purchases will have no effect, and would be nothing but just one more law added to the law books.

The next thing I found is that people blame mental illness as one of the main factors of mass shootings. According to the article, President Trump addressed mental illness as a cause by stating ‘It’s a mental problem, and we’re going to be meeting with members of Congress,’ after the Texas shooting. He proposed background checks saying “I think background checks are important”(EFE News Service, 2019). Background checks prohibit people suffering from mental illness from bearing arms. But another article titled Mass Shootings, Mental Illness, and Gun Control which I obtained from Summon states that “it is relatively easy for those with serious mental illnesses to pass current background checks and legally obtain guns” because some states fail to submit their mental health records (Jones, S 2019). It further explains that many people purchase their firearms long before they begin to show evidence of severe mental illness” therefore, seizing the guns from them would require proof which may take longer to obtain. This means that they can walk freely with guns on them and can harm others if they want to until their illness is proven.

As I carried on the search for my answers, I discovered that the US had far more incidents of gun violence compared to other countries. Why? The article What Explains U.S. Mass Shootings? answers the question by saying “Americans makeup about 4.4 percent of the global population but own 42 percent of the world’s guns” (Fisher M, Keller J. 2019). This suggests the US has more guns compared to its population. In another article, New Zealand took 6 days to plan new laws. Here’s how other countries reacted to shooting presents examples of other countries where the percentage of gun violence went down after they changed their gun policy. According to it, New Zealand announced a national ban on military-style semi-automatic guns after the mass shooting in March 2019. After the homicide in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur, John Howard, Australia’s conservative prime minister at the time, made guns a privilege, not a right. British Parliament had outlawed the private ownership of nearly all handguns in 1997 after someone killed 16 kids (Mervosh, S. 2019). These are all examples that show that more guns mean more violence.

Over the past years, mass shootings have become so common in America that the only way to reduce it is to ban civilians from the possession of guns. I have learned that Congress and the States are trying to resolve the issue by requiring strict background checks, raising the age limit, and denying mentally ill people access to guns but based on what I found, these solutions are not helping. I believe a revision of the second amendment and completely banning guns will put an end to this. I still want to know about the disadvantages of a gun ban and look forward to seeing how Congress ends the chapter of mass shootings from the history of America.