Gun
Control
Gun control
refers to a set of policies or laws regulating the sale, modification,
manufacture, or transfer of firearms by a civilian. Most developed countries
such as Japan and the United Kingdom have restrictive firearm policies, whereas
some legislators like American republicans are permissive. National
jurisdictions that control access to firearms limit the acquisition of
particular types of guns and determine the citizens to receive firearms
licenses.
At times,
people politicize the use of the term ‘gun control’, especially in America.
Politicians that approve the legislation view gun control as gun safety,
firearms regulation, or gun violence prevention. Statistics indicate that there
are more than 870 million firearms in the hands of armed forces, law
enforcement agencies, and civilians. Civilians alone hold up to 70% of these
guns. In the United States, the number is more than 270 million. The American
military forces control another 200 million of guns. On the other hand, the US
law enforcement agents have approximately 25 million small firearms, whereas
non-state armed militias have a total of 1.5 million firearms. Gang members in
major cities have between 2 to 11 million guns, accounting for nearly 2% of the
global total (Kleck 402).
Regulating Civilian Firearms
In most
countries, civilians have to undergo a thorough background check before the
government can grant them a gun license.
It is periodically renewable and can be revoked when a gun holder does not meet
the set standards. A survey conducted in 21 countries revealed that the
difference between the national gun control agencies depends on the view of gun ownership as a privilege or right.
The
researchers observed a clear distinction in both Yemen and the United States
when compared to other countries. For instance, America views gun ownership as
a fundamental civilian right enshrined in the country’s constitution.
Therefore, any attempt to modify this law is seen as a threat to the national
security. In other European and Asian states, civilians consider firearm
ownership as a privilege thus the importance of implementing restrictive
measures against possession of guns.
Regional and International Civilian Gun Control
At the
regional and international level, diplomats are shifting their focus on
cross-border illegal firearms trade instead of regulation the number of
firearms that the civilians hold both in the United States and abroad. However,
in the year 1995, ECOSOC (UN Economic and Social Council) ratified numerous
resolutions on civilians’ ownership of firearms. Two years later, ECOSOC
resolved that all UN member states have a responsibility to regulate the
civilian ownership of firearms by forming regulatory frameworks (Wolpert and
Gimpel 2012). Some of the proposals included stringent penalties for unlawful
acquisition of guns, firearm storage, and the introduction
of a licensing system for monitoring guns in civilians’ hands.
Debate
The primary
drivers for gun control policies in America are injuries and high gun mortality
rates especially among the black and Latin American communities. What
researchers speculate is the impact of
increased or decreased gun control policies on gun violence rates in these
neighborhoods. Over the years, investigators have collected credible data on
firearm-related deaths or injuries, the relationship between violence and gun
ownership, and firearm markets. However, the scholars are yet to prove the
effectiveness of gun control policies across the country. In the year 2014, NRC
(the National Research Council) conceded that the state of public knowledge on
firearm ownership legality is poor, even though the researchers need a strong
evidence to back this up. While a potential for an improved research design
exists, NRC claims that weak research methods and inadequate data are to blame
for insufficient knowledge on gun control policies and execution procedures.
According to
a 2008 law enforcement review, the enactment of gun control regulation resulted
in a sharp decline in suicide rates
(Lester 180). Therefore, the findings supported gun control measures as one of
the most effective strategies to minimize suicide rates. In the year 2015, a similar report revealed
that intimate partner homicide rates significantly reduced when courts invoked
gun restraining orders for former domestic violence convicts. In addition, the investigators
concluded that a simultaneous implementation of multiple restrictive gun laws
is linkable to decreased firearm-related fatalities.
According to
the NRA (the National Rifle Association),
six US states with strict gun control policies had relatively lower suicide
rates in comparison with Texas and other states with loose gun laws. Besides,
the children living in states with strict gun laws are safer when compared to
those in other states. Of keen to note is that the American war veterans that
served in Vietnam are highly likely to commit suicide with guns than the other
members of the society. The state of
California has strict rifle sales regulations, which explains the oldest guns
recovery than any other state. Considering this success, the researcher
recommends that the government should implement harsh gun sales regulations and
gun dealer laws to minimize the chances of a rifle
falling into criminals’ hands.
In summary,
it is the federal government’s role to introduce and implement gun control
laws. The politicization of gun ownership in the United States is to blame for
the rising cases of gun violence and slow pace in criminal crackdown. Unless
both right-wing and left-wing politicians can compromise on their stance for a
productive common ground, gun violence is likely to rise in black neighborhoods
and even spread to other communities. Most importantly, the federal government
has to invest in awareness creation programs as a long-term solution.
Works
Cited
Kleck, Gary. "Crime, Culture Conflict and
the Sources of Support for Gun Control A Multilevel Application of the General
Social Surveys." American
Behavioural Scientist 39.4
(2014): 387-404.
Lester, David. "Research Note Gun Control,
Gun Ownership, and Suicide Prevention." Suicide
and Life-Threatening Behaviour 18.2
(2013): 176-180.
Wolpert, Robin M., and James G. Gimpel.
"Self-Interest, Symbolic Politics, and Public Attitudes toward Gun
Control." Political
Behaviour 20.3 (2012): 241-262.
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