Guns And Violence Essay Research Paper Guns

Guns And Violence Essay, Research Paper

Guns are becoming a fast growing concern among today s society. Due to its increasing use, violence has increased in once peaceful communities, even though crime rates have recently been below average for most of LA. However, controlling that violence has become a major issue and most people want their kids to feel and play safely in their neighborhood. Many senseless tragedies have taken place over the last couple of years to bring upon this fear, and many parents feel that greater gun control should be exercised. Parents should ask themselves and their kids if they feel comfortable and safe in their schools. In many schools, the first thing a student sees is a guard and a metal detector to detect any illegal carrying of guns. Many innocent students privacy is invaded in this process, a process that should not have to happen in the first place. It all comes down to controlling that problem outside school and before kids are suspected. This means greater gun control and checking when a gun is purchased.

Kids take guns for many reasons. For example, they may want to take it to school his friends, or to shoot another kid about a girlfriend. It may also be because he wants something that the other kid has. A gang member may use a gun to settle an argument with a member of another opposing group. The point is that these kids use these guns because they can easily access them, and now it is being used as an alternative to solving disputes by just words. Parents and the environment in which a person is, also affects the community, it s well being, and the nature of the person living in it. A poor ghetto neighborhood is more likely to have a higher crime rate than a place like Simi Valley. Also, in a poor environment, more people are poorer and raised with less morals and values, which makes them more vulnerable to using weapons without felling guilty or wrong.

However, there are many different views on guns and the issue of gun control. Some people who have lost a

friend or family member in a tragedy feel that their availability should be reduced and gun control should be tightened. On the other hand, victims of rape and other women (especially of Arming Women Against Rape and Endangerment) feel that guns should be widely available for self-protection and to protect other innocent bystanders. US civilians have more guns than any other nation in the world, and one out of every two American households has a gun. Many Americans also use guns for recreational fun, including target practice and such. But they should use them responsibly, so someone else (like a criminal) does not borrow it from them to commit a crime. These people use personal experiences to validate their stand, but fail to think of the ideas that they are sending to society by taking that stand. Other people may use it as an excuse to hurt or even murder someone else. Because of the size, cost, and availability of guns, criminals are more scared of getting shot by civilians than the police. Still, many homicides take place (24,526 homicides in US in 1993) and a huge number of innocent lives are lost.

Due to that fact, greater gun control should be put into effect. It is not fair to the victim s families and friends to just lose someone simply by a gunshot. It is also not fair to the victim s themselves who have individual goals, dreams, and wishes that they have been working for and then have someone else end all that because they are not responsible of their hideous actions. Opponents to gun control argue that Guns don t kill; people kill. However, those people use the guns to kill. Therefore, safety measures by gun manufacturers and places selling them (photo ID and a thorough background check) should be increased. People could also consider alternatives to gun possession and use; they could rely more on police and security systems than themselves and their guns. Again, it will take a long time for people of today s society to trust authority and during that time, lives of innocent people will continue to be wasted.