Our nation stands on two ends of a spectrum. Set on peace because of violence, large numbers of American people are calling for a ban on firearms. With shootings taking place in schools, movie theaters, churches and now night clubs, a call to action may sound necessary. However, a ban on the sale and possession of firearms may do the opposite of its original intention. Cities, such as Chicago, legislate some of the most strict gun control laws, yet maintain some of the highest amount of crime in America. The fatalities in America are not because of the weapons, but because of the people that have been utilizing them. A ban on firearms is unnecessary and should not become a part of our nation.
The fathers of our constitution called for the right to bear arms to help supply and regulate militias. The men who fought and died in the fight for our nation’s independence were not part of a well-trained regime. They were farmers, business shop owners, bartenders, lawyers and priests, among many other occupations. And while it was not known for sure if America would even keep a trained military, they wanted to assure that should crisis arise, America could answer the call. The second amendment called for a right to bear arms, so that every American would have the right and ability to protect themselves and their family, and to make sure that they could hunt and provide.
Guns have become a sign of violence. Being showcased in rap videos, in movies, and on nightly news broadcasts. Shown in music videos as weapons to kill alongside the news for the deeds they have committed they have been branded. The culture surrounding guns has also negatively affected its status. Rappers such as Eminem rap about owning guns and using them to kill, which only makes the matter worst. The people broadcasting their weapons in a manner such as this are those who should not possess them. Their immaturity and downright stupidity leaves a bad reflection on the average gun owner.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) showcased its largest gun show last year in Nashville Tennessee. 78,865 second amendment advocates gathered to buy, sell and trade guns. At the NRA gun show, not a single gun related incident was recorded. Not a single death or gun related injury. With 78,865 people, it is safe to assume that there was over 80,000 firearms and hundreds of thousands of rounds of live ammunition. Yet, with that many people and easily accessible firearms, not a single person was killed. Meanwhile, in Chicago, a city that does not possess a single gun shop within city limits, 82 gun related incidents were reported on Fourth of July weekend. Of these 82 gun related incidents, 15 were fatal.
How could Chicago, a city with a population of more than three million people, that has all but banned possession of a firearm, have 15 fatalities in a four day timed period? Compare this to the NRA gun show in Nashville that had 78,865 boasting gun owners, but zero incidents. The answer lies not within the barrel of a gun, but the finger on the trigger.
Saying that guns kill people is the equivalence to saying that spoons make people fat. An object that does not live has no motive or desire to ruin people’s lives. It is not until you put the object into the hands who has the intention to use it for that purpose.
A Huffington Post article reported that the country with the highest amount of crime in the world is Honduras. With a homicide rate of 90.4 per 100,000 and a population of 8.2 million they have double the amount of murder that the runner up country, Venezuela, has. Honduras has some of, if not the, most strict gun control laws in the world. It is illegal to purchase and possess a firearm. But how does a country that has a ban on firearms have the most crime in the world? Because when you take away guns, the law abiding citizen will rightfully do his duty to his government and turn in his firearms, while a criminal will keep his weapons and still kill.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Switzerland. Also with a population of 8.2 million Switzerland requires all of its residents to own a firearm. But even more than that, they are trained how to use it. The number of guns per capita trails only that of The United States of America and Yemen. Switzerland has the third most guns per capita in the world, yet ranks at the bottom of gun related incidents year after year.
So how could Honduras, a country that bans firearms, have some of the most firearms in the world and the most crime, while Switzerland who advocates for everyone to own and be trained with a weapon, has some of the least amount of crime? It all comes back to the argument that I made earlier. The problem with guns does not lay within the barrel, but the finger on the trigger. It is the person behind the trigger is responsible for the death, not the gun.
As a nation, we need to stop looking for scapegoats. We need to stop searching for someone or something to blame for our peoples mistakes. Following the night club massacre on Sunday, where fifty people laid dead and thousands of people mourned, our president did not go to blame the man behind the tragedy, but the weapon. Numerous false reports arose about the weapon he used. News stations such as CNN reported that he was using a fully-automatic weapon and social media went into a frenzy. People automatically believe anything that they are told. The man who acted did not use a fully automatic weapon, but a semi-automatic weapon, something that is 100 percent legal to own. While fully-automatic weapons are possible to own, it requires numerous background checks, numerous permits and a lot of money, making it difficult for just anybody to possess one.
There are a lot of problems in the world, and our nation itself. Unreported acts of crime, drugs and rape go through cities daily. The world’s police cannot even handle the crime and problems within it. There are more problems than there are solutions. One struggle that is not a problem, however, is the second amendment. The problem is the people. Should gun control come into effect, our law abiding citizens will gladly turn in their firearms, while our criminals will not. How will our average Joe protect himself from a criminal when he has turned in his firearms and the criminal is still doing his illegal activities? The solution to this issue is already in place.
