Jessie Potter

Miss Thomson
AP English Language and Composition
January 31, 2018

Gun Control in the United States

Before today ends, around 96 Americans will be killed by guns. Seven of these will be

either children or teenagers. In the upcoming year, an average of 35,141 people will suffer gun-

related deaths (Gun Violence by the Numbers). Over the past decade, there has been a steady

increase in the number of gun-related deaths and in the number of mass shootings. In order to

combat this growing issue, the United States needs to pass stricter gun control laws as there is a

lack of regulations on gun use and ownership, which allows for easier access to guns for people

who may be unfit to carry a deadly weapon.

Gun control in America has been disputed for the past few decades, with many people

taking different stances on the issue, from civilians to law makers and politicians. Gun control is

defined as the “…regulation of the selling, owning, and use of guns…” (Gun Control). The issue

of whether or not the United States should pass stricter gun control laws has become a common

topic of conversion in daily life as about 300 million people own a firearm in the U.S., nearly

enough for every man, woman, and child to be carrying a weapon (Guns in the US: The Statistics

behind the Violence). However, “…so many people die annually from gunfire in the US that the

death toll between 1968 and 2011 eclipses all wars ever fought by the country” (Guns in the US:

The Statistics behind the Violence), making this issue extremely controversial.

As mentioned above, there has been an increase in mass shootings along with a rise in

gun-related deaths. In 1991, two teenagers at Columbine High School in Colorado went on a

shooting spree, killing 13 people before taking their own lives (history.com staff). This was the

first major school shooting the United States had ever experienced and it “…prompted a national
 Potter 2

debate on gun control…” (history.com staff). Two decades later, Sandy Hook Elementary School

in Connecticut also experienced a shooting that left the whole community grieving after it took

the lives of twenty children, aged 6 and 7, along with six teachers (Sandy Hook Elementary

Shooting: What Happened?). Lastly, less than 5 months ago, on October 1, 2017, fifty-eight

people who were attending a concert in Las Vegas were shot and killed, while 500 more were

injured (Las Vegas Shooting - What We Know so Far). The shooter, Stephen Paddock, had

twenty-three weapons with him and also had placed “bump stocks” on twelve of his guns, a

device that allows for semi-automatic weapons to fire as fast as a fully-automatic one (Johnson).

Everything was purchased legally and called for the question to be raised of why it is necessary

for anyone to own a semi-automatic gun and devices that enable it to become fully-automatic.

The answer is that it is not.

Gun control laws vary throughout America and are different in each state. Many states in

the U.S. have little to no regulations on guns. Some states, such as Idaho and Montana, do not

even “…have any firearm laws regarding universal background checks, prohibiting high-risk

possessors, or banning the use of assault or high-capacity guns” (Shapiro). In many states,

knowledge and proficiency tests are not required before purchasing a gun and there is no

probationary period after purchase. In addition, only seven out of the fifty states require a permit

or license to buy a gun (Criss). The lack of regulations on gun purchases makes it extremely easy

for shooters like Paddock, the Vegas shooter, to obtain multiple weapons and to use those

weapons to harm and kill others.

Although many states in the U.S. don’t have proper gun regulations, there are some

states, such as California, that do practice strict gun control laws and have experienced success

with it. California “…gun control laws are among the most restrictive in the country, with a 10-
 Potter 3

day waiting period and limits on who may own a firearm” (California Gun Control Laws). In

addition, anyone with a felony conviction or a conviction of other offenses listed by the

California Department of Justice has a lifetime ban that prohibits them from purchasing a firearm

(California Gun Control Laws). These strict gun control laws have been shown to have much

success in decreasing the amount of gun-related deaths as “…gun deaths across the state have

declined by more than half…” (Smyth) over the past two decades. According to a study

conducted by a California-based nonprofit research group, “Gun violence across California

dropped 56% from 5,500-gun deaths in 1993 to 2,935 in 2010…” (Smyth). This steep decrease

in deaths goes to show how passing laws that regulates guns helps to save the lives of thousands

of people every year.

In addition to areas in the United States experiencing success with gun regulations, there

are many examples in different countries of stricter gun control laws also having a positive

impact. For example, “Japan has what may be the closest any country comes to zero-tolerance of

gun ownership” (Jowit). In Japan, the only weapons that are legal are shotguns and air rifles and

to obtain one, a person must pass a written test, shooting test, mental health test, drug test, along

with undergoing a rigorous background check (Fisher). In 2014, Japan had a total of six reported

gun deaths (Jowit), compared to the United States’ 33,594 deaths (Gun Violence by the

Numbers). Another example of stricter gun control is present in Germany, where anyone

applying for their first firearm under the age of twenty-five must undergo a strict psychiatric

evaluation (Jowit). Due to this, Germany’s “…gun homicide rate is one of the lowest in Europe:

a death rate of 0.05 per 1,000 people, compared with 3.34 in the U.S.” (Jowit). The United

States will probably never reach the extreme level of gun control exhibited by the Japanese and
 Potter 4

the Germans, but their methods provide undeniable evidence that by passing stricter laws, the

amount of gun-related deaths decreases.

Although there is much evidence showing that stricter gun control laws could have a

positive impact on the United States, many Americans are still against these regulations. They

argue that places such as Chicago, who have passed strict gun control laws and banned the sale

of guns within city limits, have experienced little to no success with decreasing their rate of gun-

related deaths as they still have one of the highest murder rates in the country (Kurtzleben).

However, Chicago is just one example and as mentioned earlier, there are many several of

countries having success with stricter gun regulations. Also, even though the sale of guns in

Chicago is prohibited within city limits, it is still possible for people to buy guns elsewhere and

bring them into the city. For gun control to be effective, it has to be a national law that regulates

how Americans purchase guns across the country.

Another argument popular among those against gun control is that is that it is their

Second Amendment right to “…keep and bear arms…” (LII Staff). However, gun control is not

about banning the use of guns altogether, but is more focused on regulating who purchases guns

and how many of them they purchase. Gun control is not against people owning rifles for

hunting or handguns for self-defense, but is against the unnecessary ownership of semi-

automatic and other high-powered weapons and devices which do much more harm than good.

In conclusion, due to an increase in gun-related deaths and mass shootings in America,

the United States needs to pass stricter gun control laws. Many states have weak regulations on

guns and little requirements for purchasing a gun, creating a need for a national law to be put in

place to help improve gun laws and make the country a safer place. Also, stricter gun laws have

been shown to work in many other countries and are likely to have a positive impact on the
 Potter 5

United States as well. Overall, gun control is about protecting the people of the country and

making it much less likely that mass shootings, such as the ones at Columbine, Sandy Hook, and

Las Vegas that claimed so many innocent lives, will happen again.
 Potter 6

Works Cited

“California Gun Control Laws.” Findlaw, 2018.

Criss, Doug. “It's Easier to Get a Gun than to Get a Puppy.” CNN, Cable News Network, 16 June 2016.

Fisher, Max. “A Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Shooting Deaths.” The

Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 23 July 2012.

“Gun Control.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, 13 Jan. 2018.

“Guns in the US: The Statistics behind the Violence.” BBC News, BBC, 5 Jan. 2016.

“Gun Violence by the Numbers.” EtownResearch.org, 18 Jan. 2018.

History.com Staff. “Columbine High School Shootings.” History.com, A&E Television Networks,

2009.

Johnson, Kevin, and Rick Jervis. “Las Vegas Shooter Bought 33 Guns in Last 12 Months.” USA

Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 4 Oct. 2017.

Jowit, Juliette, et al. “Four Countries with Gun Control – and What America Could Learn from

Them.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 14 Mar. 2016.

Kurtzleben, Danielle. “FACT CHECK: Is Chicago Proof That Gun Laws Work?” NPR, NPR, 5 Oct.

2017.

“Las Vegas Shooting - What We Know so Far.” BBC News, BBC, 10 Oct. 2017.

“Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: What Happened?” CNN, Cable News Network.

Shapiro, Leslie. “Analysis | How Strictly Are Guns Regulated Where Live?” The Washington Post, WP

Company, 15 June 2017.

Smyth, Frank. “California: Did Tough Gun Control Laws Cut Firearms Deaths?” MSNBC, 13 Sept.

2013.

Staff, LII. “Second Amendment.” LII / Legal Information Institute, 5 Feb. 2010.
Potter 7