Arguments Against Strict Gun Control in America

 In modern day America there are many instances where guns are used to commit a crime that resulted in the death of one or more people. This is a problem many people across the nation strive to change. Politicians such as Beto O’Rourke desire to see guns being prohibited in many aspects of life while an organization called the NRA (National Rifle Association) is working to make sure that guns will not be outlawed and gun control will not be imposed in America. But you don’t have to be an outspoken politician like Beto or a heavily followed organization like the NRA to share your opinions on this issue. Lori Alhaldeff is an activist for gun control after her 14-year-old daughter was shot and killed in a school shooting in February of 2018. She fights for stricter gun laws and even proposed a specific law that would require every school to have panic alarms that would call the police if activated (Alyssa’s Law). Many of her daughter’s classmates have since then participated in the activist organization that fights for strict gun control called March for Our Lives. The NRA fights for the total opposite of what March for Our Lives is trying to accomplish. The NRA disagrees that guns are the sole reason for the increased number of gun related deaths in America and instead the people are what causes crime. An example of this idea is Switzerland. The NRA states that Switzerland has about ¼ guns to people ratio but has one of the lowest murder rates in the world. The NRA uses this statistic to show that although it may seem like guns are the issue, the focus should be on the people committing the crimes. In my opinion, gun control laws in America should not focus on limiting firearms because it infringes on the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution, granting American citizens the right to bear arms. I also believe that limiting the ability of the American people to obtain firearms legally causes the government to be too powerful, and lastly will not stop criminals from obtaining guns illegally leaving law abiding citizens at risk.

The first problem with strict gun control is that it contradicts the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution that gives American Citizens the right to bear arms. The 2nd Amendment’s main goal was to protect the people because the founding fathers just came from a place where the government de-armed the population. This is one of the NRA’s main argument. They believe the 2nd Amendment should be protected at all costs and that it is an important right that the U.S. citizen has. Of a survey targeting the reasons why adults keep guns in their homes, 45% said for recreational hunting and 37% said for protection. By enforcing these strict gun laws, we are taking away what a lot of adults do for fun and we are limiting these people ways of keeping their family safe. The Second Amendment has served us well for over two-hundred years and we shouldn’t give it up just because of the cultural mood.

Next, by taking away a right that is held so closely by American citizens it is also giving power to the government. One example of a power that enforced strict gun laws were the Nazi Germans. They took away the guns from the people so that the Third Reich and Adolf Hitler could have absolute power in Europe to where the people couldn’t fight back. And that is exactly what happened. I am not accusing the government today to be as corrupt and vile as it was in 1930’s and 40’s Germany but I am making an argument that we have to assume the worst for future generations. There are other solutions to this problem than to completely eradicate guns from the people. One solution to gun control is to enforce premade laws instead of create ones like Ms. Alhaldeff. An example of a premade law that could be stronger is the red flag gun law. This law states that anyone with a harmful threat presented to a state court by a family member or a police officer can be removed from the rights the 2nd Amendment gives. This includes people with mental illnesses, a criminal record or a problem that is important enough to be brought to the state level. The problem with the red flag gun law is it is only enforced in 15 states. To fully enact this law, we need to have the discipline and organization to enforce it across the nation. One problem people may see with this law is that one could possibly accuse a person wrongly of being mentally unstable and there would be no evidence. It is a tough issue since we are taking away a person’s rights but there will be many steps that the court and jury will undergo to come to a conclusion about someone’s mental health. If we successfully enact this law, then we may see changes in the amount of shootings and there would be no need for strict gun laws. Therefore, the government wouldn’t have a need to acquire all of the power that should be given to the people.

Lastly, if stricter gun laws were created it wouldn’t stop criminals from obtaining lethal firearms. Many people believe that taking away guns from the population will prevent criminals or mentally deranged people form acquiring these weapons. An example of this idea failing occurs in 1976 when a law was passed in Washington DC banning the usage of handguns. However twenty years later in 1994, a report showed that 304 of the city’s 309 murders were by handguns. Some may say that this example is irrelevant because it was issued 30 years ago, but over ⅔ of crime today in Washington DC involves guns. Another example of gun laws failing is Chicago and their strict gun laws. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated in a conference in 2017 concerning stricter gun laws that “Chicago had over 4,000 victims of gun-related crimes last year and they have the strictest gun laws in the country.” This means however hard we try to enforce these ideas, it will be no use. Even President Trump says the problem doesn’t lie with the guns, but with the people.

30 percent of Americans today own guns. By making these laws into a part of our everyday lives, the government is disarming and quite possibly causing these people to feel less safe in society without a weapon to protect themselves with. Just in August of 2019, there were nine major instances where law-abiding citizens protected themselves and others from an armed attacker. One of these attacks even happened in Nashville when a robber was impeded by an employee who grabbed her co-worker’s handgun and proceeded to fire at him.