Ban on Gun Ownership
A ban on gun ownership What first comes to your mind when you hear the word gun? Do you feel happy, relieved and excited? If yes, then you had better seek help from a psychologist. A gun itself is not dangerous. It becomes a disastrous weapon when it is carried and misused by human. Gun-related tragedies in the US have always incurred controversy on whether guns should be banned. The recent news titled “Man shot five because of way wife cooked his eggs” demonstrates the urgent need to revise current gun control laws. (Jackson, 2010) The man could use the destructive weapon to shoot whoever he wanted. If the man didn’t carry a gun but a knife, the casualty would be much reduced as knifes are not as catastrophic as guns. The misuse of firearms can lead to dire consequences and endangers the lives of all citizens. Should the US government remain silent, showing no sign of sympathy towards the victims in these gun cases? Definitely not, the US government should abolish the right of gun ownership immediately. The right of gun ownership in the US was noted in the Second Amendment in 1791. The aim of this law was “to preserve and guarantee the pre-existing right of individuals to keep and bear arms.” (Kleck, 2010) It stated that “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, bear arms, shall not be infringed.” (FindLaw, 1997) From then on, peoples’ right of keeping and bearing arms was protected under the Second Amendment. By keeping arms, people can also defend against tyranny. Whenever the government is dishonest, they can still protect themselves and fight against the government as to strive for their own right and fabricate a stable and prosperous society.
However, the use of guns is counterproductive to the aim in protecting oneself and is mainly used for violence, putting citizen’s life into jeopardy. In April 1999, the Columbine high school massacre, which “resulted in the deaths of 14 students and a teacher”, has reflected on
However, the use of guns is counterproductive to the aim in protecting oneself and is mainly used for violence, putting citizen’s life into jeopardy. In April 1999, the Columbine high school massacre, which “resulted in the deaths of 14 students and a teacher”, has reflected on
Cited: Kellermann, Arthur L. et al., “Injuries and Deaths Due to Firearms in the Home,” Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 45(2) (1998): 263-267 Kellermann, Arthur L Kleck, Gary. "GunCite: Gun Control and Second Amendment Issues." 29 Aug. 2010. Web.http://www.guncite.com/gc2ndpur.html Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc Miller, Matthew, David Hemenway, Deborah Azrael, "Firearms and Suicide in the Northeast," Journal of Trauma 57 (2004):626-632. OpenSecrets.org. "Gun Control vs. Gun Rights " http://www.opensecrets.org/news/issues/guns/ Wiebe, Douglas, "Homicide and Suicide Risks Associated with Firearms in the Home: A National Case-Control Study," Annals of Internal Medicine 41 (2003):771-782 Zimring, Franklin, and Gordon Hawkins, Crime is not the Problem: Lethal Violence in America, New York: Oxford University Press, 1997