Gun+Control+Editorial

The debate over whether or not guns should be regulated has been present since the Second amendment was added to the US Constitution, giving the citizens their right to bear arms. The topic of gun control is heavily debated between gun advocates, those who oppose stricter gun control laws, and their opposition, the gun control advocates. There are a number of arguments for and against each side. These arguments lead to the beliefs of each side of the controversy. The main belief for gun advocates is that firearms should be left unregulated by the federal government. The main belief of their opposition, the gun control advocates, is that stricter laws should be put in place by the federal government. Although good in theory, this belief has some flaws.

It is understandable that the gun control advocates want to stop the violence caused by guns. They just want the country to be safe for all of its citizens. The gun rights advocates want the people to be safe as well. This safety however, can not be obtained by the use of laws that regulate the manufacturing, use and selling of fire arms by the United States public.

First of all, even if gun control laws were put into place, they will not be effective. These laws are meant mainly to stop violence, which is caused by criminals. Since a criminal is defined as somebody who disobeys the law, these laws will not be able to stop criminals from getting firearms if they are genuinely determined to do so.

In addition to the criminals still being able to obtain firearms, the law-abiding citizens are now left with strict gun laws that increase the difficulty of obtaining a gun for lawful purposes like those shown in Michael Moore’s __Bowling for Columbine__. This also a criminal that wants to break into a house know that the victims are less likely to have guns to protect themselves due to the stricter gun control laws. In addition, even if guns were banned completely and were impossible to obtain, criminals could just as easily kill somebody with a knife or other weapon.

In 2004, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report based on much study that stated that gun control laws have no effect on the amount of gun violence. This goes to show that the solution to all of the gun violence does not lie in strict federal gun control laws but in a form that the government does not yet understand.

There is no known solution to the issue of gun violence in the United States. This problem has not been solved by laws controlling the use of guns and likely can not be ended by them. There is some illusive solution to the problem that exists. The only way that this debate will be settled is by the cooperation of the people on both sides of the argument.

//Works Cited// Bowling for Columbine. Dir. Michael Moore. Videocassette. Metro Goldwyn Mayer Home Entertainment, 2002.

"Gun control doesn’t reduce crime, violence, say studies." //WND//. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. .

"Why Gun Control Laws Do Not Work | Conservative New Jersey." //Conservative New Jersey//. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. .