Gun Control Laws

Guns are extremely powerful weapons. They can cause destruction, harm or even death. They can be used to defend and protect or threaten and kill. Any way you look at it, guns are powerful tools not only physically but socially. As college students it is important to stay abreast of the current events and issues circulating our country today, one of which is the controversial issue of gun control. It is extremely important to pay attention to where gun control laws are headed. The directions they take not only affect our nation and society but our future as well as we all move to communities and begin to rise.

One of the most controversial issues in our society is gun control legislation. Violence associated with guns is increasing every year and something must be done to stop it. Gun legislation varies in every state in some states gun policy is stricter than in other states. Gun legislation should be abolished in favor of federal gun legislation. To examine the issue with gun violence today we must understand the gun laws that are in effect. The gun legislation in the United States is mostly based on a state level. One federal law for example prohibits the manufacture of all plastic guns.

The federal government tightly restricts fully automatic guns. Most manufactures stamp serial numbers for law purposes. The government also has regulation on importation on guns brought into the country. Also, most states restrict the purchasing of long guns the age of 18 and 21 for the purchase of hand guns. Most states prohibit the purchase of guns if you are; a convicted felon, alcoholic, drug addict and mentally ill person, alien, or a fugitive from justice. Some laws required prospective gun buyers, to get a purchase permit which comes with applicant posing background checks.

A few states even require that all persons possessing guns must have license to do so, even in their homes. Some states do not ban guns from addicts this is a problem. At in the course of the crime either by the police or by the victim. The likelihood of social disapproval could be a negative factor. It has been known that one half of every household has at least one gun. If you restrict a victim‘s options on limiting households guns, crime could rise highly. This new policy on gun control should help lead our nation in the right direction.

The massacre at the empire state building was an example of how our gun control legislation must be changed. The new federal gun legislation will provide equality among all states. Criminals will not have the option of buying a gun in a state with weak gun legislation. This new policy on gun legislation will cut down on violence dramatically. The issue of guns and gun control takes on a proportion of extreme magnitude. Weighting the rights and liberties of the individuals against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act.

In the United States, gun control sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the provision for such rights are in the constitution. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified. As citizens of the “Land of the free”. Possessing a gun is a fundamental right and may even be a necessity. Anti –gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and gun related crimes in effort.

The political approach on gun control deals with the issue of laws and political organization that surround the debate. The government is where the critical laws are made concerning gun control, which in turn affects the entire country. And therefore is important to look at as a key player in the debate. There are two major sides or parties in the political arena that are lobbying either for or against gun control. These two would of course be the Democrats and the Republicans, the two dominating parties in the country today.

The republicans have long been supporters of the pro-gun movement, largely due to both their conservative nature as well as an increased backing over the years by the National Rifle Association, a powerful force in the pro-gun movement. During the elections the NRA gave 92% of its congressional campaign contributions the republicans giving the party ample ammo to promote their cause. Democrats are known to be largely for gun control but as public support has waned , in part due to an increase in gun sales the 9/11 attacks so has the Democrats enthusiasms to bring the issue.

This is an important question to everyone involved in the issue and extremely important to society as a whole. Guns play a role in everyone‘s lives to some degree, whether it be your own possession of hunting rifle, or a pistol in the hands of a youth in your neighborhood we as Americans values our rights to freedoms granted to us by our forefathers , which includes the possession of firearms as stated in the second amendment. As citizens we must ask ourselves, do we really want gun control laws which are created to protect us, to take away our basic rights as citizens? Gun Control Laws