Tanner DuFort
ENG 112
Stuart Barbier
Guns: An Object of Merit or Malice?
Among the many arguments made regarding the state of America, one of the most controversial is gun control. Some people want total gun control, with many if not all guns taken away from the common citizen. On the other side of the spectrum, there are people that despise this idea, and want to keep their guns. There are an absurd amount of arguments and points made by each side, with few people ever changing their views on the subject. As you can see, there are extremists on both sides, but some people, like me, are more in the middle. Gun control shouldn’t mean that everyone has their guns taken away, but it should instead mean that stronger laws are enforced to prevent these guns from getting in the hands of the wrong people, along with certain regulations on guns to help prevent mass shootings. The idea of gun control will never have a perfect answer, but with some tweaking of the rules, a common medium can be found between both parties.
One of the most used arguments when it comes to guns is the amount of mass shootings that have occurred in America over the last 30 years. A mass shooting is defined by an incident where 3 or more people are killed by gunfire. Since 1984, America has had over 100 mass shootings, with 27 happening between the years 2005-2012. Due to these mass shootings, many Americans have called for gun control across the U.S., assuming this would solve the problem. Many pro-gun advocates counter this by saying something along the lines of “If everyone has guns, criminals would be less likely to commit crimes in fear that they would be killed themselves.” This does seem like a strong argument, as nobody in their right mind would want to break into a house knowing that there is a good chance that the owner possesses a firearm and can defend themselves. This is where I find guns to be a good addition to society. Self-defense is essential, especially in cities where crime is high. If there is an intruder breaking into your house who has a gun, you would be defenseless if you didn’t own a firearm of your own.
This argument is typically questioned by those who are for total gun control, stating that if nobody owned guns, there would be no crime, such as armed robbery, involving them. At first glance, this seems like a solution to all of America’s problems involving guns. But when you look deeper into the situation, you find that many guns used in mass shootings and other crimes of the sort are acquired illegally. How, you ask? The answer is simple, the illegal smuggling and trading of guns. An article on Politifact.com included a survey conducted in 2004 with inmates that had been convicted for a crime that involved a firearm. Forty percent of these inmates stated that they had acquired their gun illegally through the black market, from some type of gun dealer, or by stealing it. As Joe Scarborough, the host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, states, “About 3 percent...
