Posted: September 9th, 2022

With the increased number of crimes

Name
Professor’s Name
Institution
Course
Year of study
Introduction
With the increased number of crimes committed by gunmen and women in the recent times, guns have become a major subject of discussion in almost every State especially the United States. Many death reports on homicide, suicide, and other deaths caused by negligence in the usage of guns have been attributed to guns. This has sparked arguments as to who should regulate guns in the United States between the federal government and the state governments. There have been arguments that gun control should be left to the states to regulate and not the federal government as that would be interfering with other government’s affairs. Bearing the foregoing in mind, it is this papers quest to discuss gun control in the United States.
Firearm Violence In America
It has been concluded that it is not unusual for Americans to be killed by gunmen in America (Bureau Of Justice Statistics 2012). As at 2014, gun manufacturers had been making more than ten million guns yearly which was an increase from the previous records of about nine million guns yearly. As such, gun violence has also been on the increase with gun violence crimes increasing to a tune of half a million victims as at 2011. To add on that, incidences that involved a gun have been recorded to stand at about four hundred and twenty thousand as at the year 2011. All these numbers of gun violence victims have been reported to be on an upward trend (Fuller 2014), simply because of the lenient gun laws that have received no proper solution because of the power struggles between federal and state governments. According to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) there has been almost three hundred million guns processed since 1998.
While processing the gun license applications, the body always looks at people’s likelihood of committing crimes among other things. It follows therefore, that there are more than three hundred million guns within the control of American citizens excluding those guns smuggled into the United States illegally. In the year 2015 alone there were close to four hundred mass shooting which involved shootings at schools. During the shootings more than in these close to four hundred shootings it is reported that about five hundred people were killed. Furthermore, hundreds of suicide cases were also recorded which involved guns contributing to more than one thousand gun-related crime deaths in the year 2015 alone. The number of deaths rose to a level higher in the following year 2016. Adding to the 2015 deaths, when people killed by the police and the killers in mass shootings who were also killed are included in the statistics it could propel the gun deaths to almost fourteen thousand.
Importance Of Firearms Regulations
From the foregoing, it is important note that gun licensing should be strictly enforced regardless of who enforces the laws between states and federal government. The number of firearms that people have should be reduced greatly if at all these killings have to be stopped. There is no doubt that presence of guns would motivate people with terrorist ideas to achieve their evil plans. This can be explained by the fact that it would be easier to commit a crime if you have the equipment to attain your desired results than when you don’t have the means to achieve maximum casualties. Take for instance one of the school shootings that took place recently. If the shooter had no access to a gun he would not have caused so much loss of lives. Shootings that happened in Malls and night clubs also wouldn’t have occurred if guns were kept out of reach of reckless people. Further, if there are more guns than the population of the people then that would be a problem when it comes to controlling the gun use. Having more than two hundred million guns would also expose children and suicidal youths to guns that may be carelessly left out by their parents.
Effectiveness of Firearm Regulations To Reduce Firearms Violence
Because of the rising crimes related to guns, many laws have been passed to the effect of taming the firearm violence rates. For instance, the effectiveness of the law that was enacted-the Brady Law in 1994 was measured in the year 2012 and the results were convincing. The requirement that background checks be conducted before licensing anyone ensured that only the qualified persons got access to guns. Measured by the number of denials it was established that close to three million criminals or possible criminals were denied access to guns hence the reduction of crimes to about three hundred felons daily.
Based on the statistics by the campaign dubbed the “Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence” it was found that such laws drastically prevented or reduced the rates of crime. It is noted that prior to the Brady legislation gun related homicides increased by about sixty percent for about a decade from the year 1984. The rise is attributed to guns only as there was a decrease in the homicides not caused by guns. Additionally, background checks also led to the reduction in firearm related murders and robberies by about thirty five percent since the inception of the Brady laws up to the year 2006. There was also a reduction in the number of women killed by their husbands or fiancées. Even assaults by use of firearms reduced to a considerable percentage of about forty five percent. It was also found that in countries that ran background checks before licensing, there was a reduction in offenses related to guns than in states that did not run background checks while licensing guns (Anestis 2015).
Existing Federal Gun Laws and Regulations
Despite there being complaints about the role of federal government in regulation of guns, there have been a number of laws and regulations that have been passed to bring sanity in the licensing of firearms. Adding to the prohibitory laws, we have a class of laws prohibiting a certain category of persons from buying arms. This is for instance, the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968 that is codified at 18 United States Congress 922. Among those to whom sale has been prohibited include underage persons, those convicted of felonies, fugitives, drug addicts, certified mentally challenged persons, persons who are committed to mental institutions among other persons (Gerken 2010). Another category of laws provides for who can purchase and who can possess a gun, also we have laws that regulate the sales and transfers of firearms. To add on that there are laws that makes provisions for guns in urban centres and public places. A conglomerate of other laws providing for firearms in vehicles, schools, registration of firearms, safety of requirement among other laws relevant to the effective and proper use of guns.
With regard to the last category, we have the requirements that safety pins be placed with the firearms. Such laws as the Federal Consumer Product Safety Act ensure that only proper firearms are produced and also imported to the country. Another legislation covering safety is the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act which was passed in the year 2005. The foregoing law came into force to ensure that manufacturers sold firearms that are safely packed.
As mentioned above, there has been evidence that such laws are effective in controlling crimes related to firearms. For instance the paper addressed the impact of the Brady laws on crime commission and rates over the years from 1994 to 2006. Whether if all laws are useful is a question that needs further insight into the matter but the fact remains that without these laws there would excessive deaths and shootings across the United States and the world generally.
Were it that there was no law on who can buy a firearm, everyone would be in possession of a gun including children and mentally challenged persons. Further, it would be disastrous to allow ex-convicts to have access to guns or the persons serving jail terms to have guns. However, even with laws requiring safe keeping of guns, it is worth noting that not all parents or owners of guns are keen on that requirement. Instances where children have been found having guns in schools are not unusual. Also, children who have accidentally fired their parent’s guns have been reported and some even killed themselves or someone close to them. Therefore, it calls for stricter penalties for parents who cannot keep their guns safely or properly stored with the safety pins intact.
Whereas there have been different positions of both the congress and other leaders on firearm regulation, former United States President Barrack Obama was straightly opposing the current gun laws. This came after the shootings of school children at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in the year 2012. Although he had initially allowed carrying of guns safely, the elementary school tragedy made him change his mind. It is on record that Obama shed tears when he recalled the incident that left scores of children dead. The incident informed his decision to restrict who should buy what kind of guns. However, despite his campaign he was not successful as the laws proposed did not go well with the Congress (Gillin 2017). Further, because shooters may target crowded places, there should be laws prescribing strict gun rules in crowded areas. Schools should be gun-free zones and anyone found with a gun near a school should be highly penalized as guns in schools may be used by either the owner or a stranger who may steal the gun and harm members of the public.
During the 2016 presidential debate, President Donald Trump agreed on a number of things. Among them he talked of not allowing guns to be held by persons who have been placed on the watch list. He further confirmed his support for denying people who have mental records to access guns. However, on guns in public places, Trump stated that everyone has to have a gun as it would help stop mass shootings. He went ahead to infer the Paris incident whereby he said that if the non-shooters had guns they would have retaliated the gunmen shooting at them (Fox 2016). Donald Trump also commented on concealed guns (Trump, 2015; Cf. Olson & Maltz 2001). He says that people should be allowed to carry concealed firearms wherever they go. He brings on scenario whereby everyone who has a valid driver’s license was allowed to drive in any state and argues that similarly, every country should allow concealed firearms.
Barriers To Effective Gun Control By The Federal Government
Inasmuch as there has been evidence that firearms control is effective in reduction of gun-related crimes, it definitely has not been easy for the federal government. There has been resistance from state governments that have argued that the federal government should give each state the right to exercise sovereign power with regards to its own affairs (Blocher 2013). As a result, the federal government’s hands have been tied to general regulations but cannot make laws as to what each state should do to regulate issue and use of guns. Also, other states have no strict enforcement of border inspection leaving the borders open to illegal smuggling of firearms into the United States. Consequently, this hinders the federal government’s efforts to curb gun –related crimes.
While it may be proper to leave some powers to the state machinery, it is important to note that the federal government acts on behalf of a larger population as opposed to the population within states. The magnitude of crime rates in the United States greatly threatens the security of the United States than just one State (O’Shea 2014). It is therefore important to leave the work of firearm regulation to the Federal Government for it acts for the overall good of the entire nation.
Many businesses have benefitted from the manufacture and sell of guns and have also argued against gun regulations. They posit that they should be allowed to do business without interference. However, this is not advisable as freedom to sell guns would bring no peace in the world. Further, allowing sale of guns for the sake of taxes is synonymous with selling a possible enemy a weapon to murder you with. It is common knowledge that lesser the number of guns in circulation countrywide, the safer our streets and malls. Further, allowing the weapons industry to make and sell guns freely would result into increased terrorism as groups such as the Islamic State and other terror groups would find strength to spread everywhere in the world and that is not a good idea.
In conclusion, it is important to regulate firearms in the nation. If guns are allowed to be accessed by anyone regardless of their age, mental status and criminal records, then there would be careless shootings and loss of life. The federal government which has the mandate to protect the entire nation should be given the sole mandate to regulate firearms as it serves the interests of the larger America as opposed to State governments. Further, it is the role of the president to protect the people of the United States hence should be given the sole mandate of enacting such laws. While it is important to respect sovereign rights of each State, it is more important to protect lives of innocent persons in the country which falls under the province of the federal government. It is also acceptable that allowing free movement of guns, it would be detrimental to the security of the entire nation as terrorism would rise tremendously. Through regulation by the federal government, the government would be able to decide who gets a gun and who does not. The federal government would also be in a position to know that certain persons have been disallowed from acquiring firearms.

References
Anestis, D.M. (2015). The Association Between State Laws Regulating Handgun Ownership And Statewide Suicide Rates, Am. J of Pub Health.
Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, 20 Years Of Brady Background Check. The Case For Finishing The Job To Keep America Safer retrieved from www.bradycampaign.org/sites/default/files.Brady-20-years.
Blocher, J. (2013). Firearm Localism. Retrieved from
http://www.yalelawjournal.org/article/firearm-localism
Bureau Of Justice Statistics, US Department Of Justice, Background Checks For Firearms Transfers, 2012-Statistical Tables accessed from www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5157
Crifasi, C.K. (2015). Effects Of Changes In Permit-To-Purchase Handgun Laws In Connecticut And Missouri On Suicide Rates, Prev. Med.
Fox Business 2016 Republican 2-Tier Debate January 14th 2016
Fuller, J. (2014). After mass shootings, the status quo reigns supreme in Congress retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/05/27/after-mass-shootings-the-status-quo-reigns-supreme-in-congress/?utm_term=.7af02cefebba
Florida, R. (2013). A Growing Divide In Urban Gun Violence. Atlantic Cities (January 2013) retrieved from www.theatlanticcities.com/neighbourhoods/2013/01/growing-divide-urban-gun-violence/4328
Gillin, J. (2017). Congress Blocked Obama’s Call For New Gun Laws After Mass Shootings retrieved from www.politifact.com.truth-o-meter/article/2017/jan/06/congress-blocked-obama-call-gun-control-mass-shoot/
Gerken, H. K. (2010). Foreword, Federalism All the Way Down, 124 HARV. L. REV. 4, 22-23 (2010).
Ingraham, C. (2015). There Are Now More Guns Than People In The United States. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/10/05/guns-in-the-united-states-one-for-every-man-woman-and-child-and-then-some/?utm_term=.46216b732944
O’Shea, P. M. (2014). Why Firearm Federalism Beats Firearm Localism retrieved from http://www.yalelawjournal.org/forum/why-firearm-federalism-beats-firearm-localism
Olson, D. E. & Maltz, D. M. (2001). Right-to-Carry Concealed Weapon Laws and Homicide in Large U.S. Counties: The Effect on Weapon Types, Victim Characteristics, and Victim-Offender Relationships, 44 J.L. & ECON. 747, 749 (2001).
Rudolph, K. E. (2015). Association Between Connecticut’s Permit-To-Purchase Handgun Law And Homicides,, Am. J Of Pub. Health.
Trump, D. (2015). Crippled America; How To Make America Great Again.

Order | Check Discount

Tags: With the increased number of crimes