Do We Need Better Gun Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Do We Need Better Gun Control - Essay Example Because violence can be attributed to many unsavory and unavoidable causes, therefore common people prefer to put the blame on guns and drugs, objects that seemingly take people away from their miseries. Therefore, guns are a â€Å"consequence of the violent strain in culture, as well as a contributory cause† (Jacobs, 2002, p.214). Need of better gun control: the pros On moral grounds violence can never be advocated under any situations. Even in cases of racial unrest or mugging, the morally acceptable way of protests is non-violent resistance. Although defense for self is necessary it is however not wise to use guns. When a criminal is armed with a gun while attacking a person, it is dangerous for that person to pull out a gun as this may result in â€Å"greatly increasing the chance that one or more parties will be injured or killed†. Since it is the responsibility of the police to protect the private citizens, therefore it is their right to be armed so that they are able to fight with armed criminals (Sather, 1999, pp.264-265). There is also the issue of concerned risks among the older population who has ownership of guns. In countries like America and Canada ownership of guns is increasingly becoming popular among the older adults, many of whom acquired their licence to use guns at their young age. Since this section of population is aging, cases of dementia is not uncommon which rises the risk of holding and using guns or any kind of firearms. Unlike other activities like driving a car, there are fewer regulations to guide the proper use of guns among the older people. The matter is of grave concern particular for those older adults who have declining faculties but are yet not declared incompetent by a court of law. Although there are certain classes of people who are considered ineligible to hold ownership of guns, there is no restrictions on upper age limit (Greene et al., 2007, pp.406-407). Of late, many people who are crazy and homicidal possess guns and the result is that there are numerous killings of innocent people. In such cases, it is inevitable that there should be stringent gun control measures. (Stein, 2012) After conducting a survey in America, the data was analysed to determine the level of risks associated with keeping guns at home. People who keep guns at home are likely to die from homicide or commit suicide than those people who do not have possession of guns. This is because â€Å"guns are highly lethal, require little preparation, and may be chosen over less lethal methods to commit suicide, particularly when the suicide is impulsive† (Dahlberg et al., 2004, p.935). There have been many occurrences of tragic massacres in countries like England, America and Scotland which are indirect results of legal ownership of handguns. In 1998 there was one shooting incident in a school in Jonesboro, where one of the young boys involved was trained to use handguns by his family from a very early age. If o wnership of handguns is outlawed then such incidents will almost certainly decline even if they are not altogether eliminated. With lesser circulation of guns, the young boys will have fewer opportunities to use guns (Sather, 1999, p.265). Need of better gun control: the cons In this modern world the number of criminals is on the rise and this makes the regular law-abiding citizens more vulnerable. Gun-related crimes are increasing at an alarming rate especially in the United States and