My Views on Gun Control
-By: Name-Brand Handle.
I first wrote this paper in my Junior Composition class. I researched the topic, and found a lot of facts to back my opinion up. This is my opinion. You do not have to agree with it, but just because you don't agree with me, doesen't mean that you are wrong. It just means that you have your own opinions.
One sunny, clear afternoon, Fred was driving down a lone stretch of highway. He was coming up to a highway patrol car, with lights flashing on the side of the road. As he passes, he sees the officer in front of his vehicle, on the ground, with the person he stopped, a large scruffy looking man. The scruffy looking man has the officers gun in his hand, and is about to shoot the officer. Fred screeches to a stop and pulls over in front of the guy's car. Fred remembers he just bought a .357 at a gun shop, but because in this state, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon, he doesn't have it. It's bad when decent, law abiding citizens have waiting periods and restrictions placed upon their second amendment right to carry a weapon. Many of these people just want to have a gun to protect their family and property. We all know that the law enforcement community is not always the fastest at protecting, so it helps to have the security that you can defend yourself if the need arises. All American's should be able to carry a firearm because it makes you feel secure, helps other members of society feel secure, and helps keep your family safe.
When someone carry's a concealed weapon, there are many benefits. One you feel secure in the fact that you can defend yourself against being robbed or raped, because you can scare off the would-be mugger. Two if there are enough people carrying weapons, criminals think twice about robbing someone, because they don't know if the person who they want to rob has a weapon on them or not.
When someone carry's a gun, it also aides their fellow members in society in the fact that, maybe a cop can not make it in time to stop a crime, but a gun-owner can. The gun owner is normally proficient with their weapon, and can ward off a criminal before they can do any more damage. This is an option that supplements the law enforcement community, and does not raise taxes.
A family with a firearm is usually safer than one without a gun. First, the family members are aware of the dangers, and benefits of a gun. Two, they know how to handle a gun safely, and three, if they are robbed, they know they can scare the robber off when he looks down the barrel of their gun. He is also less likely to try and hurt any member of the family, when he knows that they are armed.
Some people say that if we outlaw handguns, crime will go down. Well, in 1977, Washington D.C. banned the sale of handguns, and since then, the city's homicide rate has tripled. Chicago imposed a ban just like D.C. in 1982, and in the next ten years, homicides doubled. California raised the waiting period for handgun sales to 15 days in 1975, and their homicide rate averages 34% higher than the rest of the country.
Other people say that any gun without a legitimate purpose should be made illegal. This is not valid because to the right person, any gun has a legitimate purpose, and since there are more law abiding gun owners than there are irresponsible gun users, guns are used for good more than bad. Even a long-time gun control supporter, Criminologist Philip Cook says,
"Indeed, it seems doubtful that there are any guns that are 'useless' to legitimate owners, yet useful to criminals. Any gun that can be used in self-defense has a legitimate purpose, and therefore is not 'useless'. Similarly, any gun that can be used in crime can also be used in self-defense."
Yet others state that if you let citizens carry concealed weapons, there will be shootouts about traffic problems, and innocent people shot by Rambo Wanna-Be's. Statistics show that for every year citizens are allowed to carry concealed weapons, murder declines 3%, rape declines by 2%, and robberies decline by 2% in that state. When women carry weapons, the rate for murders of women declines three or four times more than when a man carry's a weapon. Also, when a criminal knows that a certain area packs heat, they will not want to go near it, for fear a neighbor might get them, if the resident doesn't.
As you can see, citizens bearing weapons make our society safer. It makes criminals think twice about robbing or killing someone, after all they don't know who can fight back with lethal force. Our forefathers knew that guns need to be in the hands of the people. Look at how our independence was won, with farmers and trappers using their skills to drive the British out of our territory, and secure it's safety for their children, and their children's children. As a citizen of the United States of America, it is your responsibility to keep the Constitution in power, and stop the lawmakers from preventing the carrying of guns by citizens. So, be sure to write your governor, senators, and most importantly, vote NO for Gun Control.
