U.S. Gun Control: History, Policy, and Societal Impact

U.S. Gun Crisis: A Glimpse

It’s no secret that gun control is a major issue and causes severe consequences. Gun violence is becoming more common and causes a high number of deaths nationwide. The United States has 88.8 guns per 100 people, or about 270,000,000 guns, which is the highest total number in the world (Should More Gun Laws Be Enacted, 2017). Almost every day, we see tragic stories on the news of gun violence across the country. We hear about mass shootings occurring in the U.S. more and more frequently.

In 2017, 2,239 people were shot in mass shootings, leaving 437 people dead. (Open Secrets, 2017) Although these horrible events continue to happen, little to no progress has been made to stop the violence. The government claims that the gun policies put into place protect its citizens, but are those policies hurting or helping us? This paper will expound on the Gun Control Policy of 1968 and gun violence issues that need attention.

America’s Gun History

We will examine reports associated with gun violence and show how reforming the gun policy could benefit the nation. We also will explore the historical Background of the issue, research students’ views on the issue, and discuss current issues in public debate. Historical Background of the Problem America’s pervasive gun culture stems in part from its colonial history, revolutionary roots, and frontier expansion. Guns were common in American colonies, first for hunting and general self-protection and later for weapons in war. Although guns were common in colonial America, so were gun restrictions. Some of the early gun control laws included banning the sale of guns to Native Americans and slaves.

The Second Amendment is critical regarding gun control; it states that: ‘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.” (ProCon, 2017) Although the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the right to bear arms and was intended to reduce gun violence, most people interpret the policy from their own level of understanding. When talking about mass shootings, the U.S. is tragically exceptional.

U.S. Mass Shootings: A Glimpse

There are more public mass shootings in the United States than in any other country in the world. Between 1966 and 2012, there were 90 mass shootings in the United States. The 90 U.S. mass shootings are nearly one-third of the 292 such attacks globally for that period. While the United States has 5% of the world’s population, it has 31% of all public mass shootings. (Christensen, 2017) The U.S. should not have a high number of mass shootings due to the Gun Control Act of 1968, but the issue is still extremely prevalent. Before the GCA, the Federal Firearms Act of 1938 was the most significant attempt to impose federal control for the possession of firearms.

The aim of the legislation was to create an independent federal policy banning the receipt of firearms (<span Zimring, 1975). The GCA was a pivotal point in the history of gun control. The implementation of gun control initially started in 1963 after the death of President John Kennedy, but no serious progress was made until after the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Several race riots occurred after Martin Luther King’s death; Black Panther members armed themselves with rifles and carried them publicly.

GCA of 1968: Foundations & Debate

The government felt that violence was near and that too many black people had access to guns, so Congress put an emphasis on passing the bill. (Rosenfeld&lt, 2013) The Gun Control Act of 1968 laid the foundation for how guns are currently regulated in the U.S. today. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into Law the act on October 22, 1968. Notably, the GCA put into Law a minimum age for gun buyers, and that certain individuals were prohibited from having a firearm.

If you were under indictment, convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, a fugitive from justice, an unlawful user of drugs, or mentally ill, you could not receive a firearm. <span GCA was also credited for the implementation of putting serial numbers on firearms. (Zimring, 1975) Current Issues in Public Debate Gun violence is obviously a serious public health problem. The U.S. has seen its fair share of gun violence over the years, but the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, was unique among others and generated national news coverage because it was the largest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Paddock’s Attack & Policy Stalemate

Stephon Paddock fired thousands of rounds of ammunition from the 32nd floor of his hotel, a quarter mile from the concert venue. This 64-year-old man had no known political, racial, or religious agenda, and there was no history of known mental illness or criminal behavior. He used his large arsenal of weapons to kill and maim more innocent Americans than anyone else has ever done. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2017) This mass shooting was horrifying, but it was the perfect opportunity to strengthen gun control policies.

Sadly, gun control still is not at the top of the public policy agenda; for years, Congress has been afraid to do anything about regulating guns, even those that are designed for mass shootings. This country needs more legislative action regarding this issue; it seems that our political leadership is not willing to enforce stricter gun control laws and continues to ignore the problem. In 2015, the San Bernardino mass shooting occurred, killing 14 people. The very next day, the Senate rejected a bill to tighten background check requirements for gun buyers. (Open Secrets, 2018) After that shooting, Senator Bernie Sanders sent out several tweets calling for universal background checks for guns and renewing the assault weapon ban.

Paddock’s Attack & Policy Stalemate

The amendment for background checks on all commercial gun sales called Manchini Toomey amendment first occurred in 2013, but it failed because several senators voted against it. (Open Secrets, 2018) After the 2015 San Bernardino shooting, no senators who were in office for the 2013 vote changed their position when the provision was brought up again, even though the Pew Center found that in 2017, 84 percent of Americans supported the Manchini Toomey amendment. (Open Secrets, 2018)

The majority of the 2016 presidential candidates favored gun rights over gun control, but Democratic nominee Hilary Clinton made it a focal point and promised to take executive action if elected as president. Republicans are against gun control, and Democrats are divided. (Open Secrets, 2018) Our leaders have an obligation to protect the safety and health of the citizens, but are they really doing everything they can to protect us?

Paddock’s Attack & Policy Stalemate

That’s hard to determine, especially when you have an organization like the National Rifle Association that is biased, in our opinion. The NRA has not protected black citizens the same as others. They only speak up only when the topic is important to them; any time black gun owners are harassed or killed for exercising their Second Amendment rights, the NRA is silent. For example, in the Philando Castile case, before Castile was killed, he told the officer that he had a legally permitted firearm, but when he reached for his wallet, his girlfriend said, the officer panicked and opened fire.

Castile&lt was just one in a long line of black gun owners to be misconstrued as a deadly threat. The Philando was the perfect opportunity to speak up, but the NRA had no comment. (Light, 2017) Even though the NRA has its issues, the organization does advocate for self-defense. They host seminars called “Refuse to be a Victim” (Light, 2017). Most citizens need to carry guns to protect themselves from danger.

Guns, Defense & Society: A Complex Discourse

Guns are needed for self-defense from threats ranging from local criminals to foreign invaders; gun ownership deters crime rather than causes more crime. Even though guns are rarely used in self-defense, it’s better to have them than to not. In our opinion, the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun. Gun ownership is the best way to defend yourself, and there are laws regulating proper self-defense. Each person in the U.S. is entitled to use self-defense if necessary, but each state has laws that determine when a person can defend themselves and when they can use a weapon.

The right to self-defense has become inviolable, fueling the spread of Stand Your Ground laws to almost half the states. Currently, 24 states have adopted “stand your ground” laws that expand traditional self-defense laws and extend to confrontations outside a person’s home. (Find Law, 2018) More gun control would reduce the societal costs associated with gun violence. According to American Bar Association, in 2012, gun violence cost each person in the United States roughly $645 and cost 8.6 billion in direct medical-related expenses alone, including for emergency and medical care.

Firearm injuries cost 174 billion in the United States. (American Bar, 2012) For example, the 2017 Las Vegas shooting created a massive, instant public health crisis, putting first responders at great risk, overwhelming hospitals and disrupting much of the medical care delivery in the city. Thousands of health professionals helped to cope with the horror, from emergency personnel to surgical trauma teams, to ICU staff, to the pathology professionals who dealt with identifying the dead. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2017) This tragedy put a financial strain on the government in Nevada due to senseless gun violence.

Crime Prevention, Responsibility, and Individual Safety

Gun control laws do not stop crime; gun ownership stops crime. Guns do not kill people; people kill people. This phrase has been used for years, but we believe it is true. You could argue that guns do not force people to fire them, but at the end of the day, guns are used as a tool to kill people. For example, if I am driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and I crash and kill someone, it is not the alcohol or drugs’ fault; it is my fault for driving.

People need resources to do things, guns enable large-scale killing, and killing lots of people quickly without a gun would not be easy, even though it is the person’s choice to do so. According to The Statistic Portal, in 2016, over 70% of murders and non-negligent manslaughter cases were carried out using a firearm. (Statista, 2016) Gun control laws infringe upon the right to self-defense and deny people a sense of safety. Every citizen deserves to feel protected regardless of whether that be by religion or by a weapon.

Gun Control, Self-Defense, and the Dilemma of Prevention

Enforcing more gun control laws would make it difficult for people to obtain weapons to defend themselves from threats. Many people believe that if there were no guns, you would not need a gun for self-defense, but we disagree. If a criminal really wants a gun, they will find it somehow; gun control laws will not prevent that. Guns prevent thousands of crimes a year; gun control opponents say that a massive number of crimes are prevented by armed citizens who shoot an assailant.

This happened 230 times in 2010. Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2 million times a year for personal protection and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. (New York Times, 2013) Whether guns are legal or not, people who want them will get them. The fact of the matter is if guns became illegal, people would still be able to own illegal arms just the same as now. So why tighten the laws? If guns are legal to own, they must be registered. This makes things safer because who these guns are sold to can be monitored.

References:

1. Should More Gun Laws Be Enacted? (2017). Just Facts. Retrieved from https://gun-control.procon.org/
2. Open Secrets. (2017). Mass shootings. Retrieved from https://www.opensecrets.org/
3. Christensen, P. (2017). U.S. Mass Shootings, 1966-2012: Data From Mother Jones’ Investigation. Mother Jones. Retrieved from https://www.motherjones.com/
4. Zimring, F. E. (1975). Firearms, violence, and public policy. Scientific American, 233(6), 40-47.
5. New England Journal of Medicine. (2017). Las Vegas Shooting. Retrieved from https://www.nejm.org/
6. Light, M. (2017). The Philando Castile case proves the NRA is not about freedom. New York Daily News. Retrieved from https://www.nydailynews.com/
7. Statista. (2016). U.S. Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter Cases by Weapon 2016. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/
8. New York Times. (2013). How Often Do Americans Use Guns for Defensive Purposes? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/
9. Find Law. (2018). Stand Your Ground Law. Retrieved from https://criminal.findlaw.com/
10. American Bar Association. (2012). The Health Care Costs of Gun Violence. Retrieved from https://www.americanbar.org/