“How many more?” A phrase repeated by Hollywood stars in a commercial aired on TV. The commercial was intended to gain empathy from the viewer by listing the places where mass shootings occurred and also talks about loved ones lost. It was shown after the most recent mass shooting in Las Vegas at the Route 91 festival. The tragic incident sparked an uproar on the topic of gun control in America. Many Americans couldn’t agree more with what was said in the commercial, asking how many more and when will we come up with a plan; however, their solutions differ drastically. The commercial was made in support of stricter gun control but Pro-Second Amendment advocates would agree that there’s a problem. However, their answer is not gun control and people are speaking up about why we should protect the right to bear arms. I will discuss the most common beliefs amongst Pro-Second Amendment advocates, which are; gun control laws will not prevent criminals from obtaining guns or crime, stricter gun laws have proven ineffective and most importantly the right to bear arms is a necessary freedom of the American people.
First, stricter gun laws do not deter crime and will not prevent criminals, or those with malicious intent, from obtaining firearms. A gun rights activist, John R. Lott, Jr., once said “the problem with such gun control laws is that they take away gun rights from law abiding citizens, while would-be criminals ignore them” (ProCon, n.d.). A study done in 2013 found that between 1980 and 2009, at state level, assault weapon bans did not significantly affect murder rates. The study also found states with restrictions placed around concealed carry had higher gun-related murders (ProCon, n.d.). It is a fact that criminals do not obey laws, not just regarding guns, but laws restricting theft, sexual assault, or murder. Also, just because something is made illegal does not mean it stops people from getting a hold of it, most common example of this is drugs. Although drugs are illegal many Americans are still able to obtain them when needed. Many people who carry firearms not only believe, but hope, that due to fear of retaliation criminals will think twice before attempting to cause harm.
Second, stricter gun control laws have been proven to be ineffective. The following quote from TIME is a good example of how stricter gun laws were not the reason for a decrease in gun homicides. TIME shared this in an article written just days after the Las Vegas Route 91 mass shooting; “In 2004, Bill Clinton’s ban on semiautomatic rifles, known as assault weapons, expired. But rather than spiking back up, the rate of gun homicides continued to drop. From 1993 to 2014, that rate declined from seven firearm-related homicides per 100,000 Americans to half that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” (TIME, 2018). It is important that we take a look at the outcome of either specific states in the U.S. that have enacted stricter gun laws or other countries. Illinois is a state with one of the strictest gun control laws in the U.S. and continues to have over 1,000 shootings every year since 2012 (Buckley, 2018). By July 2018 there had already been 1,443 people who had been shot in Chicago (Buckley, 2018). Also, an analysis conducted by a statistician, Leah Libresco, shows Britain and Australia have not had fewer gun-related crimes or mass murders since enacting their very strict gun-control laws (Haskins, 2017). Therefore, there are multiple examples of how stricter gun control laws continue to prove ineffective.
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Lastly, the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution protects an individual’s right to own a firearm and states “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 upon” (US Constitution, 2A). It is a very popular belief amongst Pro-Second Amendment advocates that more gun control laws will without a doubt infringe upon their American rights. Stricter gun control would infringe upon a person’s right to not only protect themselves but their families, and homes too. According to a Pew Foundation report; 80% of female gun owners and 79% of male gun owners stated that owning a firearm made them feel safer. Also 64% of people living in a home where someone else owned a firearm felt safer (ProCon, n.d.).
In addition, the National Rifle Association (NRA) recorded that firearms are used for self-defense 2.5 million times a year. Not only does the Second Amendment provide citizens with a means of protection and feeling of safety, it is essential in maintaining liberty (ProCon, n.d.). A popular saying amongst Pro-Second Amendment advocates is “My Second Amendment right protects your first Amendment right.” Many believe that if there were to be stricter gun laws put into place the government would essentially be opening Pandora’s box. If the they were to infringe upon an American Citizens right to bear arms, what would be next? Gun Control laws would give too much power to the government and may result in government tyranny and the forceful removal guns from law abiding citizens.
In conclusion, stricter gun control laws should not be and never should have been the answer. Stricter gun laws would only effect law abiding citizens, leaving them unable to protect themselves, their families or their homes. Criminals will not become law abiding citizens magically, and they will find ways to obtain firearms illegally. It is crucial to America’s freedom that citizens have the right to participate in the militia to keep the peace and defend themselves and their country if needed. Now is the time to look into the real underlying problem for a rise in shootings, because there is a clear issue, but guns are not to blame.
References
- Chicago Tribune, Madeline Buckley. (2018). Number of people shot in Chicago this year surpasses 1,400. Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-weekend-shooting-violence-20180709-story.html
- Newsday, Justin Haskins. (2017). Strict gun control will never work in America. Retrieved from https://www.newsday.com/opinion/commentary/strict-gun-control-will-never-work-in-america-1.14453352
- ProCon.Org. (2018). Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted? Retrieved from https://gun-control.procon.org
- TIME. (2017). The Fight Over Gun Control Isn’t Really About Guns (Vol. 190, No. 15). Retrieved from http://time.com/magazine/us/4970260/october-16th-2017-vol-190-no-15-u-s/
