Gun Control: A Debate that Haunts America

By: Justin Zulu

Every year about 100,000 people are victims of gun violence in the U.S. and many lives are drastically changed due to shootings. Since the early 20th century it has been a common debate over what type of guns citizens can use, and what type of laws should be implemented. I believe stricter Gun Control laws must be put in place to ensure less violence.

Every year about 100,000 people are victims of gun violence in the U.S. and many lives are drastically changed due to shootings. Since the early 20th century it has been a common debate over what type of guns citizens can use, and what type of laws should be implemented. I believe stricter Gun Control laws must be put in place to ensure less violence. 

Most of these shootings occur in the United States, as the U.S. has 120.5 guns per 100 people, which is the highest total and per capita number in the world. 22% of Americans own one or more guns. Although, the second amendment only provides a limited right to own guns. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote, “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited, nothing in or opinion should be taken to cast doubt on long standing prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings.” 

When people abuse the right to own a gun, that is when problems arise. Emily Sanchez, a former student at Atholton High School even explains, “In many states, there are not enough laws to prevent someone who is mentally ill or has a criminal record to access a gun. If there were stricter laws then I would be able to focus more at school without the thought of losing my life”.

Also, more gun laws need to be added so that we can see a deflation in violent murders  done with a gun. According to CBS, there were 572,537 total gun deaths between 1999 and 2016. 333,579 of those were suicides (58.8% of total gun deaths), 213,175 homicides (37.2% of total gun deaths), and 11,512 unintentional deaths (4.0% of total gun deaths). If stricter gun control laws were created the total number of gun deaths in a 17-year span would be decreased drastically. Kayla Anderson, a current student at Mount Hebron High School says, “Considering Mount Hebron is one of the biggest schools in Howard County, I feel like there is not enough protection if a mass shooting was to occur at our school. Every day I go to school and worry that my well-being could be damaged by someone I know and am friends with.” Many other students across the nation share the same concerns as Anderson, and it is a reality that is becoming all too true. “Implementing federal universal background checks could reduce firearm deaths by a projected 56.9%; background checks for ammunition purchases could reduce deaths by a projected 80.7%; and gun identification requirements could reduce deaths by a projected 82.5%,”(Lancet).

Gun control laws need to be more strict around the size of magazines allowed because fully automatic weapons often turn a shooting into a mass shooting. “High-capacity magazines were used in at least 50% of the 62 mass shootings between 1982 and 2012. When high-capacity magazines were used in mass shootings, the death rate rose 63% and the injury rate rose 156%,”(Mother Jones). Many gang members use high-capacity magazines such as 30 or 90 rounds for more accuracy and to maximize the chance of harm. In many school shootings it is found that the attacker uses an assault rifle such as the AK-47 more than they use a handgun. An assault rifle is much more efficacious when trying to attack a group of people. John Harris, a former student at Centennial High School says that, “Stricter laws must be implemented on assault rifles because often when the police examine the weapon the attacker used to commit the mass murder, it is found that it was an assault rifle.” Without assault rifles, gun violence rates would decrease extremely. “65% of Americans believe banning high-capacity magazines would reduce gun violence,”(NPR).

In conclusion, Gun control regulations need to be more strict because the second amendment is not an unlimited right to own guns, more gun control laws would deflate the amount of casualties caused by a gun, and fully automatic weapons too often turn a shooting into a mass shooting.