Those who support gun control cede that the framers of the Constitution wrote the 2nd Amendment following a revolution in which the right for civilian gun ownership was crucial, as the purpose of it was to give the people a means of fighting against an oppressive government. It is incredibly unlikely that any such revolution would occur today in the United States, and thus gun control supporters advocate enacting laws that will mandate safety and more restrictions in the gun buying process.
Groups like those below are often criticized for using emotionally charged shootings such as Columbine and Sandy Hook to garner support, as strict gun control laws may not have stopped these events from occurring. In different manners, gun control activist groups counter these arguments with two important points. First, though gun control laws will not be effective in stopping every single shooting, requiring background checks and enacting home safety laws that will require weapons to be locked will prevent thousands of American deaths a year. Gun control laws will also not prevent law abiding citizens from obtaining a gun should they desire one for self defense--they might just lower the chance that citizen would need to use it. According to the Brady Campaign, "A gun in the home is 22 times more likely to be used to kill or injure in a domestic homicide, suicide, or unintentional shooting than to be used in self-defense."
Secondly, gun-control activist groups do not merely focus on gun control laws. Legislation is one way to help combat gun violence, but it cannot and will not be the only way. We have a cultural problem with guns in this country--as is evident when compared to other countries--both in volume and usage, and these cultural issues need to be addressed, too.
Groups like those below are often criticized for using emotionally charged shootings such as Columbine and Sandy Hook to garner support, as strict gun control laws may not have stopped these events from occurring. In different manners, gun control activist groups counter these arguments with two important points. First, though gun control laws will not be effective in stopping every single shooting, requiring background checks and enacting home safety laws that will require weapons to be locked will prevent thousands of American deaths a year. Gun control laws will also not prevent law abiding citizens from obtaining a gun should they desire one for self defense--they might just lower the chance that citizen would need to use it. According to the Brady Campaign, "A gun in the home is 22 times more likely to be used to kill or injure in a domestic homicide, suicide, or unintentional shooting than to be used in self-defense."
Secondly, gun-control activist groups do not merely focus on gun control laws. Legislation is one way to help combat gun violence, but it cannot and will not be the only way. We have a cultural problem with guns in this country--as is evident when compared to other countries--both in volume and usage, and these cultural issues need to be addressed, too.
Everytown for Gun Safety
www.everytown.org "Everytown is a movement of Americans working together to end gun violence and build safer communities. Gun violence touches every town in America. For too long, change has been thwarted by the Washington gun lobby and by leaders who refuse to take common-sense steps that will save lives." |
The Brady Campaign
bradycampaign.org "A key part of reducing gun violence includes changing how we think about the guns in our communities and in our homes. There are over 300 million guns in America. Most are owned by law-abiding citizens without harmful or dangerous intent, yet they result in more than two-thirds of all gun deaths." |
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
csgv.org "CSGV is composed of 47 national organizations working to reduce gun violence. Our coalition members include religious organizations, child welfare advocates, public health professionals, and social justice organizations. This diversity of member organizations allows us to reach a wide variety of grassroots constituencies who share our vision of non-violence." |