We Need To Talk About Gun Control, But It Doesn't Need To Be An Argument

This issue in society is an interesting one and has been argued from both sides. Regardless of my opinion, both voices will be heard throughout this article. The amount of shootings that are occurring yearly are increasing. As of March 1, 2018, there has been 8,865 gun incidents. We are in the third month and having these numbers.The United States of America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. When I think of the U.S, I think of hamburgers, trucks, guns, bald eagles, etc. If you ask a lot of people the same question, I can bet that the answers would be similar. Should there be gun control or not? If you debate this topic with anyone, it should never escalate to such passions that it would result in name calling or regretful statements.

If you were to think about it, the second amendment doesn't state that there is an unlimited right to own guns. According to the Washington Post, the transfer of guns to Catholics, slaves, indentured servants, and Native Americans was illegal in colonial America. There was a study on March 10, 2016 that concluded by starting federal universal background checks that it would reduce firearm deaths by 56.9%. It also said background checks for bullets could reduce deaths by 80.7%, and gun identification requirements could reduce death by 82.5%. Legally owned guns are stolen regularly and used by criminals. Ian Ayres, JD, PHD, and John J. Donohue, JD, PhD, Professors of Law at Yale and Stanford, state " with guns being a product that can be easily carried away and quickly sold at a relatively high fraction of the initial cost, the presence of more guns can actually serve as a stimulus to burglary and theft."

The second amendment protects individual ownership. "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." There can never be a state free of guns because it goes against their constitutional right. Due to the traditions set by our ancestors, we can freely own a gun. There are families who have old guns from their ancestors. Should they have their family heirlooms taken away?It takes the government officials to read the constitution and interpret it. They can either read it and stick to its exact wording, or they could read it to find loopholes. If you were to read it exactly, it shows that we are allowed to purchase and hold a gun unregulated. The regulations came later as guns became more technologically advanced. You could say that gun control laws infringe on the right to self-defense and a sense of safety.

Regardless of the "side" that you are on, one should be treated with respect. No one should be at each other's throats because of a disagreement. No one shouldn't go as far as calling each other names because they become angry to the point of lunacy. Debates can turn into a passionate struggle between people and it should never go to that point because it sometimes causes one person or a group of people to be killed. We as humans are losing the skill of debate due to the lessening of social interaction outside of social media. Gun control or not, one shouldn't be lost in the sea of passion to get a point across when no one is really listening.