Katie Frederick

Brussin
12/2/10
Proposal Argument Rough Draft

Fifty-eight percent of America agrees that it is more important to control gun

ownership than to protect the right of Americans to own guns, according to the Pew

Research Center poll. On April 16, 2010, Arizona governor Jan Brewer signed into law a

bill that legalizes the carrying of concealed firearms and other weapons in most places

without a permit for adults over 21 years of age. Arizona already has the sixth highest

percentage of crime guns recovered that were originally purchased within the state, and

when they allow such to go on, the state immediately becomes more dangerous as it

puts guns into unknown hands, increasing the potential for crimes (Quadlin). In an effort

to repeal this bill eventually, a few vital changes need to be made in order to make

Arizona a safer and lawful state. With increased background checks, basic handgun

training, and limiting bulk purchases, Arizona can slowly strengthen their weak gun laws

in order to lesson their reputation as taking part in the illegal gun market, and supporting

violence.

As of July 29, anyone over twenty-one in Arizona may carry a gun, concealed or

in the open, as long as the person is not a prohibited possessor, such as a felon or a

visitor or student from another country. Open carry without a permit will still be legal in

most places for 18-20 year-olds, and for emancipated juveniles (Madrid). The problem

with allowing such access is simply due to the fact that it will lead to more shootings as

people with less training have fewer restrictions on carrying weapons. The New York
Times reports that Arizona is one of 10 states with lax gun-control laws that supplied

"almost half the interstate-trafficked guns recovered at crime scenes." Guns easily

purchased in Arizona are resold in states with tough gun-control laws, such as New York

and New Jersey, and used by criminals. Further, "90 percent of the guns recovered from

crime scenes in Mexico and traced led back to American gun dealers” (Urbina). By

putting guns into the hands of those who are untrained and potentially unfit allows the

circulation of illegality which will be traced back to the state and its new, weak laws.

The education requirements of gun owners change under the new law. Classes

are no longer required to be a set number of hours or include any hands-on use of the

weapon. Those who do not get a permit would not be required to get any training or

education. John Masterman, of the Arizona Republic, questions,“Why should it be

against the law to drive a car without training, a license and registration? Who would

give the keys of a car to someone who had never operated a car with no license or

registration? Apply this to guns and imagine the consequences. But then we don't have

to in Arizona.” He further explains that some police officials are concerned that the law

will lead to more accidental gun discharges from people untrained in firearm safety, or

that shooters in stressful situations will accidentally strike innocent bystanders with stray

bullets. Without training and education in how to handle a gun, suddenly a dangerous

weapon is in the hands of a person who could potentially misuse is by accident or with a

purpose. Either way, without registration to trace back the name of the culprit, how will

anyone know who shot it? As an Arizona resident, it is a terrifying thought to who could

be lurking the streets with a deadly weapon, and legally for that matter. Rather than
supporting citizen’s rights to bear arms, Arizona has gone too far by promoting the sale

and holding of arms to nearly anyone over the very young age of twenty-one.

Gun control is an extremely slow process. Until the Second Amendment is

repealed, citizen’s will always have the right to bear arms. What can change, however, is

what states do under the law in order to keep such weapons in the hands of those who

will not abuse the power, and will use the guns safely. Currently, Arizona lacks the

requirement for background checks for those who purchase guns, gun safety and

training classes, and allows bulk sales of handguns, which stems the flow of illegal guns

(Dumke). By changing these three problems, Arizona will begin to manage their weak

system in order to eventually gain back their strict, but safe, policies on gun control that

Jan Brewer and the state have lost.

Background checks to attain a weapon is a simple solution that falls into the

category of common sense. No one should have a problem with allowing a gun store or

dealer to know their history if they find themselves under the category of a citizen who

simply wants a gun for self defense or protection at home. If a person is not intending to

do anything criminal with the gun, they will probably agree that they do not fall under the

criminal category; therefore, should be open and willing to go about a background

check. The background checks, however, should also be made more thorough, and

should not only be in the hands of the customer. A check must go farther than having

the buyer fill out a form.

 Seung-hui Cho, a student at Virginia Tech, was a mentally ill man who killed

thirty-two students and teachers before turning the gun on himself. The handgun Cho

used to slaughter the students and teachers was attained legally at a gun shop. The

background check found no record of his mental illness, and he simply wrote ‘No’ where

the paperwork asked (Neuman and Macias). A study by the Americans for Gun Safety

Foundation found that, of more than 126,000 people who allegedly lied during

background checks in 2003, only 532 were prosecuted (Rayes). This type of

background check is not thorough enough and can be attributed as an added cause to

the ease in which Cho committed the Virginia Tech Shooting.

In addition to background checks, a required class on gun safety and training

should be implemented. The new Arizona gun law will allow people who have had no

education about Arizona's laws and no training on the shooting range to carry a

concealed gun. An eight-hour class used to be required to get a permit. It included

information on state law and gun safety, as well as required students to be able to hit a

target 14 out of 20 times. Retired Mesa police officer Dan Furbee runs a business

teaching permit and other gun safety classes. He argued that if most people choose not

to get a permit, it will put several hundred Arizona firearms instructors out of business

He said,"I fully agree that we have a right to keep and bear arms. But if you are not

responsible enough to take a class and learn the laws, you are worse than part of the

problem." He further stated that it was not uncommon for students to walk into his

classroom and pull a new gun out of a box with no idea how to hold it and no
understanding of the laws surrounding it. "If you are going to carry a concealed weapon,

you should have some kind of training and show that you are at least competent to know

how the gun works and be able to hit a target," he said. "You owe the people around you

a measure of responsibility” (Beard Rau) Taking a class on gun safety is similar to the

driving permit test and behind the wheel courses students take in order to learn to work

a potentially dangerous piece of machinery. In this way, people who are of age to attain

a gun, and therefore use a gun, should have to undergo training in it’s use and the laws

that go with it. By doing so, those who choose to be armed will at least have the

knowledge and skill to prevent accidents.

U.S. law does not limit the number of guns that can be sold at a time, so

traffickers can buy in bulk. Since the federal assault weapons ban was allowed to

expire, military-style weapons and high capacity ammunition are readily available.

Federal law also does not limit the number of guns that can be sold in any transaction,

even if the buyer can provide no legitimate reason for a bulk purchase, so traffickers can

easily gather weaponry through “legal” sales. When gun dealers who supply large

quantities of guns to traffickers break even the limited gun laws that do exist, they can

generally still evade prosecution due to weak laws (Quadlin). The only limit is the

buyer’s ablitiy to pay for them. Gun traffickers frequently buy firearms in bulk in states

with weak gun laws, and export them to areas with stronger gun laws, where it is more

difficult to obtain vast quantities of weapons. In this way, Arizona has become known as

a state that promotes illegal gun trafficking. To stop the flow of illegal guns, Arizona
needs to limit bulk purchases. The Brady Campaign promotes that a customer can only

purchase one handgun per month, with no exceptions. In this way, individuals can only

purchase one handgun every thirty days regardless of what kind of permit they hold and

location of permit. With this simple law in place, the flow of illegal gun sales traced back

to Arizona will be cut off at a sharp rate, as sellers will have to buy at a much slower and

realistic pace. This promotes the sale of guns to the citizens who argue their right to

bear arms in their homes or for protection, instead of promoting widespread danger,

smuggling, and crime.

Arizona is currently known as one of the most relaxed in terms of gun law, and is

the home to some of the highest gun crime rates as well. (Madrid). The recent law

passed by Governor Jan Brewer allows concealed weapons without a permit to nearly

anyone over the age of twenty one. There are not many restrictions, no background

checks, no required safety classes, and no limits on the amount of guns one can

purchase at a time. These conditions all point towards a dangerous future of weapons in

unsafe and uneducated hands. The danger of personally owning a firearm is

overwhelming, which determines that firearms should not be so easy to attain and hold.

By enforcing safety classes, background checks, and limits on bulk purchases,

Arizonans can lead the way in a safer Second Amendment, and work on changing their

reputation as a weak gun law state and strong crime state.

 Works Cited

Beard Rau, Alla. “Arizona to Allow Concealed Weapons Without Permit.” The Arizona

Republic. Phoenix, Ariz: 16 April 2010. <http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/

azelections/articles/2010/04/16/20100416arizona-concealed-weapons-bill16-

ON.html>

Dumke, Mick. “Under the Gun.” Reader. Chicago, Ill.: 8 July 2010. Vol. 39 <http://

proquest.umi.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/pqdweb index=0&did=2090255221

&SrchMode=1&sid=8&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName

=PQD&TS=1291262443&clientId=5557>

Madrid, Ofelia. “Anti-gun Violence Rally, Walk Draws 100.” Arizona Republic. Phoenix,

Ariz.: 14 Nov 2010. p. B.2

Masterman, John. “Gun Law Defies Common Sense.” Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Ariz:

20 Aug 2010. pg. 25

Neuman, Johanna and Macias, Tina Marie. “Report Weaves Dark Tale of Gunman’s
Past.” Los Angeles Times. 31 Aug 2007. <http://articles.latimes.com/2007/aug/31/
 nation/na-vatech31>
Quadlin, David. “Arizona now the Guns for Sale State.” Arizona Republic.

Phoenix, Ariz.: 8 Oct 2010. pg. B.4

Rayes, Douglas. “Packing Heat in Arizona.” Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Ariz: 31 May

2010. pg. B.7

Urbina, Ian. “Fearing Limits, States Weaken Gun Regulation.” The New York Times.

24 Feb 2010. pg. A.1 <http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/hottopics/

lnacademic/?shr=t&csi=6742&sr=HLEAD(Fearing+Limits%2C+States+Weaken

+Gun+Regulation.)+and+date+is+February,%202010>