Provide a 5 pages analysis while answering the following question: Gun Control in the US. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is required. According to Congressional Digest, there «has been ongoing tension between the right of an individual to own and use firearms and the responsibility of government to prevent crime». While the initial intention of mass gun possession was the prevention of crimes and lowering the level of risk both for gun owners and non-owners (Cook& Ludwig), in reality, it has increased risks of gun misuse. The advantages and disadvantages of gun ownership/control were laid on the basis of mass nationwide debate.
As far as gun ownership was entrenched in the constitution as one of the fundamental rights, motivated by the need for equal opportunities of self-defense for all U.S. citizens, this remains the main advantage of legalized gun ownership and – at the same time – the main argument against stricter gun control laws. Permission to own a firearm gives law-abiding citizens an opportunity to protect themselves against crime and predation, while a ban on gun ownership would deprive them of protection leaving them at the mercy of criminals, who will still be able to find illegal guns. Moreover, the right for self-defense becomes crucial as police forces prove to fail in preventing all the crimes. therefore, there is a great chance that police will be unable to prevent assault or murder if the potential victim him/herself has no means of protection, i.e. firearm.
Another positive aspect of gun ownership in the U.S. implies that, with legal permission to carry guns, crime rates are likely to decrease. With the new legislation of the early 1990s, crime rates went down, whereas a considerable increase in privately owned guns was observed. Particularly, there was a decrease in the nationwide murder rate and overall crime rate.
Finally, as practice shows, the level of violence doesn’t directly depend on gun control policy and the number of guns owned privately, as the human factor weighs much in this respect. Finally, people kill other people, not firearms. therefore, banning gun ownership or restricting it to a minimum wouldn’t act as a deterrent for crime. instead, a ban would spark a boom in illegal firearms trade and spreading, which would result in even higher criminal activity. On the other hand, guns owned by people who have passed a thorough background check is believed to provide safety for households.
