Guns And Gun Control Essay - 2,391 words

Guns and Gun Control Many Amricans ar assurd that gun control is only an issu in th Unitd Stats of Amrica, but thy ar wrong. Gun
control is not only an issu in th Unitd Stats, but around th world as wll. Th Unitd Stats of Amrica and Britain shar similaritis and
diffrncs whn it coms to th issu of gun control. Both countris hav takn action against gun control and ar continuously looking for ways
to improv thir laws. This papr will dmonstrat th actions that ach country has takn ovr th yars, th issus that thy ar facing, and what ls
could b don to improv gun control. Gun control sms to b a nvr-nding dbat in th Unitd Stats of Amrica.

Th policy dbat ovr gun control is on of conflicting govrnmnt policis and idological xtrms (Tru 216). Powerful ideologies and emotional
images have energized but not explained the delayed seesaw nature of national policy making about guns in America (Sherman 154).
Since the end of World War II, gun control policies have changed three times In the United States. The first change in gun control
policy was The Gun Control Act of 1968. This act essentially replaced the Federal Firearms Act of 1938, placing new controls and
restrictions on the sales and shipment of guns and ammunition (217). Dealers, manufacturers, and importers were of the select few
that could receive foreign and interstate shipments of weapons. This prohibited the shipment of handguns, long guns, and ammunition
to private individuals (217). The act prohibited the selling of rifles, shotguns and ammunition to anyone under the age of 18, and
prohibited the selling of handguns and ammunition to an individual under the age of 21.

The policy forced dealers and collectors to keep complete records of all sales. Failure to do so could result in a federal punishment.
The change resulted from congressional and presidential efforts to rebalance political conflict after public and elite pressures for
greater controls grew following the 1963 assassinations of President Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. (Witkin 1). The second
provision of gun control policy in the United States was the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986. Believed to have weakened
many of the provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968, the new act allowed the sale of ammunition through the mail (True 217).
Dealers were once again allowed to resume the interstate sale of rifles and shotguns.

The sentence of federal punishment for lack of record keeping was reduced to a felony or misdemeanor. This bill was strongly
supported by the National Rifle Association, but most police organizations were against the new act. The third and current provision
of gun control policy in America is the Brady Handgun Violence Act of 1993. The new policy requires a temporary waiting period for
handgun purchases from dealers and did not ban any firearms. It also mandates a national system of background checks for all
licensed dealer sales to unlicensed individuals (220). The 1968 Gun Control Act prohibited firearm sales to felons, but the Brady Bill
called for a national means of enforcement (218).

The five-day waiting period was passed with word that an instant check system would be implemented within five years. The National
Instant Check System (NICS) became operational in 1998 (Utter, 200). The bill was the result of James Brady being shot and
seriously wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan. With the Brady Bill in effect, a few steps must be taken
in order for a gun to be purchased in the United States. The purchaser of a firearm must undergo a background check prior to the
finalization of the sale. The dealer must provide local law enforcement with the names and personal information of the intended
purchaser. Then the law enforcement conducts a background check on the purchaser.

Although there is no waiting period on long rifles, there is a five-day waiting period on the purchase of a handgun. The citizens of the
United States have mixed reactions to the attempts to better gun control. Some people think that owning a gun is a privilege, while
others see it as a right. The second amendment states: "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." Pennsylvania has made a provision of the amendment that states:
The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned (Henderson 251). Progun groups
and individuals often perceive those who support gun control as naive, lacking in any extensive knowledge of firearms themselves,
unaware of the important role guns have played in American history, and ignorant of their crucial value for preserving liberty and
protecting private citizens against crime (Henderson 15). Gun control advocates also hold that the United States has a unique history
(Rabkin 245). In order to improve gun control in the United States and keep the unique history, making the way we purchase
firearms more difficult may not be the complete answer.

The answer may lie in informing gun owners on the safety of using firearms. Those who seek to disarm Americas citizens always put
a heavy emphasis on safety. In order to purchase a hunting license, you must first pass the Hunters Safety course. Currently, minors
are allowed to use a firearm after passing the Hunter Safety course, but there are certain regulations (A Report 2). An adult member
of the family that is at least eighteen years of age must accompany minors that are ages of twelve to thirteen. If an adult family
member cannot be present, another adult may serve in place of the parent.

Minors fourteen and fifteen years of age must also be accompanied by an adult. Those sixteen years and older can hunt alone. (PA
Game Commission, 53) There are three basic rules that always apply. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. Always keep the
muzzle pointed in a safe direction. And Always be sure of your target and what is beyond it before you pull the trigger.

(53). Part of the answer may lie in making everyone take this test in order to purchase a firearm. This would provide everyone
interested in purchasing a firearm the information needed on how to safely operate that firearm. The way the United States has dealt
with the issue of gun control is a step in the right direction. I believe that there is definitely room for improvement that can take
place. However, I believe that it does not need to go to the extent of banning all firearms.
Hunting is an American pastime that has been around forever. Polls suggest that many American gun owners would ignore a ban of
all firearms (Marjolin 2). Gun control is not only a major issue in the United States of America; it is also a major issue in Britain.
Since 1819, Britain has changed its gun ownership policies six times. Being gun owner licensing and registration, or safety
requirements, or gun storage, or mandatory training, each step in Britain was followed by another step, and another, until law-abiding
gun owners were forced into a final step forfeiting their personal weapons (Lennon 38). The first gun ownership policy tha
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