Gun Control Issues Continue


 
 

Gun control in the United States is controversial in nature. The constitution specially gives Americans the right to bare arms, but many believe that even if this is a fundamental right for us, it also needs to be controlled. The growing number of deaths due to the use of guns has been increasing over the years from mass murders to suicides. The rise of approval of gun control laws has recently been sparked again due to the recent shootings in Charleston. This constant debate on whether gun laws should be more strict has raised many studies and research projects for and against gun control.

Savannah’s criminals don’t necessarily steal their guns. They buy them. The overwhelming number of firearms traced by Savannah Chatham police over the past year came from gun sales, adding fuel to the ongoing debate about the need for background checks. Just 12 percent of the guns that came into police possession were connected to theft reports, which is at odds with the widely accepted theory that criminals steal their weapons.

Passed in 2014, the law allows licensed gun owners to bring weapons to bars and houses of worship, unless forbidden by proprietors. Legally-owned guns also are allowed in unrestricted areas of airports and government buildings, and may be carried at schools and in colleges if permitted by officials.

Several other states allow guns in bars or churches, but Georgia’s “Safe Carry Protection Act,”, is unusual in that it expanded gun rights in multiple places with one omnibus law.

40-45% of households in the United States have firearms in their homes, but despite this growing number many still believe that gun control is a necessity. Along with this, the statistics say about 67% of individuals say they own guns for protection and 58% say it is for hunting.

According to the United States crime rates, about 16,272 murders were committed in the United States during 2012. Of these, almost 10,886 or 67% were committed with firearms. Another statistic is that cities with a larger number of households who own guns directly correlate with more children homicides. According to the Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence, guns cause about 31,000 deaths per a year in the United States, and the economic damage due to guns averages about 3.7 billion per year.

Despite these unending facts the National Rifle Association, NRA, is adamant on its stand against gun control. They also make a valid argument despite the high number of individuals against their opinion. They present the facts that despite being first in the world on gun ownership, we are only 28th in gun murders per 100,000 people. Chicago a city in the United States that has some of the more strict gun laws in the Nation is considered “the deadliest global city”, having about as many murders as the entire country of japan in 2012. And the City of Kennesaw, GA passed a law that every household was required to own a gun. This law over the last 23 years has lowered crime rates by over 50% and 89% deterioration in burglaries.

Despite the compelling arguments on both sides of debate it’s almost impossible to determine what a gun will be used for once purchased. It could range from protection, murder, hunting or suicide. Gun control will continue to be controversial debate because there is not a clear concise answer available to control the consequences that guns arouse .Most, it seems, get them through purchases.


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