An Argument for Gun Control

Guns Really Do Kill People

There is a popular saying in today’s society. “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” To that statement I say this: wrong. People with guns kill people. If we get rid of the guns in this equation, then the number of people killing other people will drastically decline. In this country, gun violence has become a serious issue, but organizations like the NRA have hindered any kind of measures to counteract this growing plague. Everyday, people are killed by guns, and everyday, someone in this country is buying a gun, be it legally or through subversive means. I propose that a new law be established to help take action against the increasing number of gun crimes in the United States. I propose that this new law increase overall gun control by increasing security and background checks on gun sales, the banishment of all assault weapons for any means other than police and military, and lastly, the establishment of a (or additional funding of an already existing) task force within the ATF or other government agencies to fight the black market sale of guns.

I believe the pinnacle of this new law will be the tighter restrictions on the sale of guns, and the more thorough background and security checks. In this country, gun violence has plagued us all. In the past ten years, the number of annual gun deaths has ranged from 40,000 in 1993, to a low of just under 29,000 in 1999, according to the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (EFSGV). It’s astounding that we consider just fewer than 29,000 deaths a “low.” Overall, the security surrounding the sale of guns in this country is far too lax, especially considering the high occurrence of gun violence. The standard background check at gun stores is fairly good (three days or more), but gun shows and private sales are completely unmonitored. I think that the monitoring of all gun sales should be mandatory. If this is done, then the likelihood of a gun being sold to a felon will be drastically reduced. Between 1994 and 2000, over 700,000 illegal gun sales were prevented by the Brady Act (Bowling 135), which requires background checks at gun stores. Imagine how that number would increase were that law to be expanded to all aspects of gun sales. Of course, this will not stop gun violence completely, because not everyone that buys guns is a criminal. However, the fact that all the sales are monitored might be enough of a deterrent for most potential criminals. If that is not enough, then the punishment for such an offense should be fairly strict as well. Depending on the type of weapon that was sold, or the level of the offense, the punishment can range from a stiff fine (perhaps $5,000+), to actual jail time. Determining the punishment for this law is difficult because of the wide spectrum of ways to break the law. However, probably the most difficult aspect of this part of the law would be the actual establishment of monitoring the gun sales.

The most efficient and effective method of instituting this plan would be to make registration of all gun sales mandatory. For instance, say someone wants to sell his .50 caliber hunting rifle to his or her buddy. Before the transaction can be done, the supplier of the gun would have to register the sale (which includes type, price, when, where, to whom, etc.) within a particular agency of the government. Then this agency can do the proper background check on both the vender and buyer to make sure the sale is legitimate. This type of licensing has very good support in this country. According to the EFSGV, 81% of registered voters, 71% of gun owners, and even 66% of NRA members support the licensing of guns.

In the case of assault weapons, such as M-16s, AK-47s, and other heavy weapons, a total ban would be put in place under this law. The reasoning behind this ban is quite simple. Nobody in this country, other than the military and police forces, has any need for such weapons. Honestly, why would a common citizen need an M-16? I certainly don’t think the Communists are going to be attacking anytime soon, so there is no need to be prepared for such an event. Also, you do not hunt with an AK-47, so there is no need for them there either. Lastly, the fact that criminals are often times more heavily armed than the police is highly disturbing. There has been a case where two, yes that’s right, two bank robbers held off several dozen police officers in a shootout, wounding and killing a handful of police officers before they were finally taken down. Of course, they were able to do this with heavy assault weapons, and had such a law been in place to prevent the acquisition of these weapons been in place, this event probably could have been avoided. However, there is always the case of the black market sale of weapons, which is the next topic for discussion.

It is estimated that, worldwide, over 500 million weapons are sold illegally or through the illicit sale of arms, as stated by the United Nations. Unfortunately, the United States is one of the many countries facing this Black Market for Arms. The only way to combat this threat is to found an agency to deal with this type of situation, or, if one is already in existence, increase funding to that division. Another alternative could be to centralize this agency, instead of having the FBI, Customs Department, and the ATF divide the duties between them. This centralization would help increase the efficiency of finding and putting to justice those who attempt to smuggle and sell weapons illegally.

A law like this would do a great service to this country, since gun violence has been a major problem in this country for decades now. Too long have many citizens of this country been paralyzed by the fear of drive-bys, muggings, and homicides. Too long have we let convicted felons buy guns without having to be subjected to background checks. And too long have assault weapons been used in committing violent crimes in this country. We have to stop this onslaught of violence. We have to have such a law, and we have to enforce it with the utmost vigor. After all, people with guns too often kill other people in this country.

Acknowledgements

1. Bowling, M., et al., Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2000, Bureau of Justice Statistics, July 2001 (NCJ 187985).

2. The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence/The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence. 1996. The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence. <http://www.gunfree.org/>.