What are the effects of gun control?

Over the last two decades, students and parents alike have had to cope with the sordid truth of gun violence, and it looks like there is no end in sight. This prevalence and gun control regulations have had debatable results. The regulation of firearms is a complex and intricate challenge that has torn several generations apart. 

There are several college essay examples written in universities on how effective gun control has been in the US. The most important question is: what are the effects of gun control? While it is difficult to get exact performance metrics on the effectiveness of prior attempts to regulate the use of firearms, this essay on gun control reviews the history of regulations and policies and their impacts, both the good and the bad. There are essay examples on how other countries legislate the use of firearms which sheds light on the global scene on gun control. This is a topic that affects both the elderly and even children, as hundreds of children have witnessed the usage of firearms. 

Whether loaded or not, the sight of firearms is known to cause fear and makes people feel threatened. The thought of being shot at alone has been proven sufficient to cause mental breakdowns, and American leaders have throughout history made attempts to tackle this menace, keeping the citizenry safe and protected.

International Consideration

Gun control is a hotly debated intellectual issue even across other nations. Most well-developed nations have enacted legislation to regulate the possession and use of firearms. Every sovereign nation is responsible for the protection of its citizens and reserves the authority to regulate the use of firearms within its borders. Some nations have very strict policies, while some are lax on it. Germany approves the possession of firearms provided the person can demonstrate sufficient education in handling firearms and a necessity for it, including being over 18. 

On the other hand, South Korea requires both physical and psychiatric assessment and provides legitimate reasons to have a gun license. Here, firearms privately used for hunting or target practice sessions are registered and stored at police stations. Both the United Kingdom and Canada limit the possession and use of firearms to hunting competitions and target practice, and while the UK has a total ban, Canada still permits it if it can be proven necessary for self-defence.

Historical Origins of Gun Control

The first mention of firearm control in history was in Ancient Rome, where lawful constraints were placed against generic firearms ownership. President Roosevelt, in 1934 passed the National Firearms Act {NFA} which imposed taxes as high as $200 at the time on selling, manufacturing and movement of firearms. Dealers and manufacturers in 1938 were required to obtain a federal firearms license under the Federal Firearms Act {FFA}. This Act required dealers to keep sales records and restricted sales to convicted felons. 

The FFA act was replaced by the Gun Control Act {GCA} of 1968 following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The GCA banned guns that have no sporting use, imposed an age limit of 21 years to own a firearm, and required ones imported or manufactured locally to have a serial number. 

An assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, which left his press secretary James Brady permanently disabled, heralded the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993. The Act established the National Instant Criminal Background Check System {NICS} which is used for background checks before any sale is made. The NICS is maintained by the FBI

Gun Control In the United States

On Dec. 15, 1791, the second amendment to the constitution was made, and it says, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Therein lies the right of the American citizenry to possess and bear firearms, but this right is not unlimited. 

Several Federal and state laws have been enacted to control guns in the US. Gun safety rules have been deemed necessary in light of the stark realities of gun possession and use. America has 46% of guns owned by civilians globally despite being less than 5% of the global population. This is asides from the $219 billion the American economy loses yearly to gun violence.

According to the Brookings Institute, there are almost 300 Federal and State gun laws, but the National Rifle Association claims there are 20,000 gun laws on record if local laws are considered. People in Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming do not require a license to carry loaded firearms as long as it is concealed and you are of age to own one. Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Tennessee only issue permits for handguns only. 

Federal law requires background checks when anyone wants to buy a gun from accredited dealers, and this is carried out through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System [NICS}. There is also a Federal ban on automatic weapons and high capacity magazines.

Pros and Cons of Gun Control

The regulation and control of firearms are not without their merits and demerits.

Merits

• Better gun control reduces related deaths. There were 11,428 unintentional gun deaths between 1999 and 2016. Gun are the leading weapons in all deaths by suicide and homicide. Gun control laws have seen an overall 14% decrease in homicides by firearms.
• Guns are hardly ever used in self-defence. There were 84,495,500 property crimes between 2007 and 2011, and only 0.12% of victims report protecting themselves using firearms or the threat to use. Likewise, in 29,618,300 violent crimes perpetrated between 2007-2011, only 0.79% defended themselves with the threat to use or the use of firearms.
• Gun violence is costly to society: Hospitalisation from gun injuries cost Medicaid and Medicare $2.7 billion during a space of 9 years, and emergency room treatments of over 100,000 people shot yearly costs nearly $3 billion.

Demerits

• Gun control does not prevent criminals from accessing guns: 49 out of 62 mass shooters between 1982 and 2012 used legally procured firearms. Secret service found out that at least 10 out of 24 mass shootings in 2019 were done with illegally obtained firearms. Most criminals do not bother to purchase guns legally; they simply steal them from those who already have.

• Some gun control laws are deemed racist: it is opinionated that the kkk clan began out of fear of blacks owning them shortly after the civil war. In 1831, laws that allowed free black individuals to possess firearms were repealed. Some current legislation on black control targets the poor coloured communities who are regarded as more dangerous when armed. 

Conclusion

Unrestricted access to firearms remains one of the leading causes of gun violence, and every country that is intentional about protecting the citizens right to live is drafting and reviewing the legislation on the safe use of guns. This control only works when strict ownership and usage laws are introduced and implemented.