Legislation over the ownership of firearms by individuals as regulated by the laws of a country is a most diverse ideology, changing as you move from one country to another. The notion of whether or not firearms should be legalized in a country is an issue that has generated heated debates among the elite, the uneducated and people of different socio-economic, gender and religious backgrounds (Norwood, 2003). Critics have presented their opinions, both personal and data supported. An introspective consideration of these subjective opinions and objective statistical data would enable us critically analyses the topic before advocating an opinion.
To begin with, according to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, legalization of firearms is something that should be considered delicately. This is because, having a gun in the home poses a greater risk as compared to its perceived benefits (Faiola, 2011). The demerits mentioned include accidents, suicides, homicides, and intimidation. On the other hand however, the merits include deterrence of burglary, and self-defense. To buttress these points home, let us examine the following assertions.
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"Argumentative Essay On Legalization Of Firearms In Our Country".
First, legalization of firearms in certain countries has constituted serious gender-related issues (Venkataraman, 2011). This is because, despite the immense benefits of self-defense and safety it assures, an associated risk has been identified in female gender homicides. According to the Violence Policy Centre United States, an Analysis of 2012 Female Homicide Data, 1706 females were murdered by males in 2012 of which 93% were killed by a male they knew (Gun Policy, 2013). This revealed that women are at increased risk of domestic homicide by the legalization of firearms.
Next, let us examine the cases of accidental discharges of firearms. According to the Mortality Data of the CDC US 2011, a total of 591 persons were killed in 2011 in unintentional discharges of firearms. This is not to mention individuals who shot themselves or others by mistake in which no lives were lost (CDC, 2014).
Another issue is the increasing rate of suicide in our communities. Firearms have been identified as the weapon implicated in increased cases of suicide. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2011, a total number of 38285 persons committed suicides by firearms alone (CDC, 2014). This trend indicates that firearms are often employed in suicides and as such, its legislation need be reviewed.
Furthermore, government policies also creates an avenue for the benefits and risks associated with the use of firearms. This is because government policies regulate the distribution, acquisition, and possession of firearms (Muñoz, 2011). Take for instance, in the United Kingdom, the regulation of guns is categorized as restrictive. This implies that individuals are not permitted by law to acquire and own firearms except in very exceptional cases in accordance with the laws of the country. Conversely, in the United States; the regulation of guns is categorized as permissive (Wilcox, 2008). This implies that private gun ownership by law-abiding, responsible citizens is allowed for the deference of hearth and home in accordance with the Second Amendment of the country’s constitution, as permitted by the state and local regulations.
These differences in regulation has accounted for very different statistical data in gun-related deaths, be it homicide or suicides, bearing in mind the population of each country. The total number of deaths arising from firearms in the UK in 2011 recorded 146 whereas 19766 firearm deaths were recorded in the US in the same year of which homicides were 38 and 9603 for the UK and the US respectively (ViewCaps, 2013).
Moreover, examples of where firearms have constituted mayhem abound like the case of the three-year-old who shot and killed a one year old in Ohio on April 12, 2015 (Regan, 2015). These problems are not limited to one country only. There is also the case of a renowned South African athlete who shot the girlfriend on February 14, 2013 on a case determined as a culpable homicide (Phipps, 2014). Admittedly, people argue that these incidents occur as a result of violations of responsible use and storage of firearms but to argue the point home, if firearms were not made available in the first place, they would not be implicated in these heart breaking events (Henenway, 2011).
In summary, having weighed the pros and cons of legalizing of firearms in our society, I strongly agree legalizing firearms should be abolished. This is as a result of its associated ills. There has been an increased rate of suicides, homicides, accidents and the exposure of children to firearms. This does not bode well for the safety and survival of our country. Arguments abound regarding the perceived benefits to the use of firearms.
Notwithstanding, I believe it only creates a false sense of security. More guns in circulation will ultimately lead to more gun-related deaths, avoidable hospital visits, muggings, and thefts. I therefore, advocate for the abolishment of laws permitting the private ownership of firearms since a thorough and constructive analysis has shown that the glaring risks associated outweighs any potential benefits of gun ownership.
- CDC. (2014). About Underlying Cause of Death, 1999-2013. CDC. Retrieved 26 April, 2015 from http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html
- Faiola, A. (2013). Foreigners say they are no longer surprised by U.S. gun violence. Retrieved April 26, 2015 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/foreigners-say-they-are-no-longer-surprised-at-us-gun-violence/2013/09/17/efa00d2e-1f8a-11e3-9ad0-96244100e647_story.html
- Gun Policy. (2013). United States — Gun Facts, Figures and the Law. Retrieved 26 April, 2015 from http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/united-states
- Henenway, D. (2011). Risks and Benefits of a gun in the Home. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, DOI: 10. 1177/1559827610396294
- Muñoz, A. (2011). Violence in American Drama: Essays on Its Staging, Meanings and Effects. Retrieved APril 26, 2015 from https://books.google.com/books?id=Ybw3xpPQyS0C&dq=Americans+are+more+violent+than+foreigners&source=gbs_navlinks_s
- Norwood, B. (2003). Gun Control. Xlibris Corporation
- Phipps. C. (2014). “Oscar Pistorius trial: the full story, day by day.” The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April, 2015 from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/21/oscar-pistorius-trial-full-story-reeva-steenkamp
- Regan, H. (2015). “A 3-Year-Old Boy Shot and Killed a 1-Year-Old in an Ohio Home.” Time. Retrieved 26 April, 2015 from http://time.com/3818931/shooting-ohio-three-year-old-unattended-gun/
- Venkataraman, A. (2011). Why America Is More Violent Than Other Democracies. Retrieved April 26, 2015 from http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2011/12/23/why-america-is-more-violent-than-other-democracies
- ViewCaps. (2013). Gun Control: The Pros and Cons of the Issue. BookCaps Study Guides
