Guns are part of American society and there are many ongoing debates about whether gun control laws should be stricter. The reason that there are people who think that gun control laws should be stricter is mainly due to the disturbing statistics of gun-related violence in the country.
Before we get to the debate on whether gun control laws should be stricter or not, let’s have a look at some gun-related statistics first so you can have a broader view when considering if gun control laws should be stricter or not. Without further ado, let’s get on with it.
Gun-Related Statistics
According to research, about 40% of American adults mentioned that there is a gun in their household and 30% of them say they personally own a gun. One of the top reasons that these people own a gun is for personal protection, while some say they use it for hunting or sport and a small percentage say the gun they own was an antique or family heirloom.
Studies have also shown that about half of the Americans see gun violence as one of the biggest problems in the country and about 53% of Americans are in favor of stricter gun laws. Gun violence is a serious issue in the country and just in 2017, nearly 134,000 people in America were victims of gun violence. Now that you have a better understanding of gun-related statistics, let’s have a look at the arguments by peakfirearms.com regarding whether gun control laws should be stricter or not.
Why Gun Control Laws Should Be Stricter?
Here are some of the reasons why gun control laws should be stricter.
Gun-related violence can be potentially reduced
Since gun-related violence or deaths are caused by firearms, implementing stricter gun control laws will potentially lower the rate of gun-related violence or deaths. With stricter gun control laws, women can also be protected from domestic abusers and stalkers since they are less likely to gain access to a gun.
Although the reason that many people buy a firearm is for personal protection against violent crimes, statistics have shown that only a small percentage of victims protected themselves with the use of a gun. As such, it would make sense for gun control laws to be stricter so not everyone can have access to firearms just because they need it for self-defense.
Lower societal costs associated with gun violence
If gun control laws are lenient, rate of gun violence will likely increase and the aftermath of it can result in some serious financial charges. The emergency room and hospital charges have amounted to nearly $3 billion and that is on gun-related injuries only. Most of the victims injured by guns were uninsured and programs such as Medicaid uses taxpayers’ money to cover most of those bills.
Additionally, World Health Organization (WHO) have also mentioned that the costs of gun-related violence also include legal services, medical costs, perpetrator control, policing, incarceration, foster care, psychological costs and many more. But with stricter gun control laws, gun-related violence will likely reduce and so will the societal costs associated with it.
Countries with strict gun control laws have lower gun-related deaths
Based on studies done by researchers, countries like Switzerland and Finland have lower gun-related deaths or violence because of their strict gun control laws. Not only do they require gun owners to get licenses, but background checks that look into their mental and criminal records are also conducted.
Let’s take Switzerland as an example, the country has a high rate of gun ownership but the rate of gun-related violence such as attempted homicides, murders, and mass shootings are relatively low as compared to the USA. As a matter of fact, Switzerland hasn’t had a mass shooting in 20 years–since 2001.
On the other hand, there were six mass shootings in the USA in 2021 alone and more mass shootings over the past years. There is a clear difference in the rate of gun-related violence in a country with strict gun control laws and one that is less strict, which is why gun control laws should be stricter.
Why Gun Control Laws Shouldn’t Be Stricter
Here are some reasons that gun control laws shouldn’t be stricter.
It infringes people’s right to self-defense
Even though a gun is rarely fired for personal protection, it can still behave as a threat to prevent violent crimes from happening. However, if stricter gun control laws were implemented, it would be more difficult for people to keep their homes and families safe. In a way, stricter gun control laws are infringing the rights of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves.
When people own a gun, it also makes them feel safer and most people that live in a home with the presence of a gun also felt safer. This is why gun control laws shouldn’t be stricter because people would have a harder time protecting themselves and feeling safe.
Gun control laws won’t stop criminals from acquiring guns
Stricter gun control laws will make it more difficult for people to acquire a gun, but it doesn’t stop criminals from acquiring guns and committing crimes with the guns. It is a similar concept as people trespassing even when fences and signs have been put up to keep trespassers out.
According to past mass shootings that happened in the USA between 1982 and 2012, 49 out of 62 of the shooters acquired their guns illegally. Thus, further proving that even with stricter gun control laws, criminals will still obtain it one way or another. Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of the NRA, mentioned: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
Conclusion
The arguments above were just some of the reasons we think whether gun control laws should be stricter or not. At the end of the day, it is still a personal opinion and based on the arguments that were stated, we think that gun control laws should be improved in a direction that aims to prevent gun-related violence from happening.