Assignment 16 - Will Graves

“When dictators come to power, the first thing they do it take away the people’s weapons. I do not believe that [our nations leaders] have any desire to impose a dictatorship upon us. But this does not mean that such will always be the case. A nation rent internally, as ours has been in recent years is always ripe for ‘a man on a white horse.’ A deterrent to that man, or to any man seeking unlawful power, is the knowledge that those who oppose him are not helpless.”

-Ronald Regan

The problem with our bipartisan system is that people are under the illusion that liberals and conservatives can’t agree on anything, that their ideals are the polar opposite of each other, and this is true especially in the case gun control. But the reality is that both have the same end goal which is ultimately to put an end to the violent crimes in America, or at least reduce them. (So now that we’re all on the same team), really the issue is just the manner in which we reach this goal. I think we can also agree on the fact that the current gun control polices in place are just simply not working--the constant “breaking news” alerts we receive on our phones are proof of this. So, today we are going to discuss examples of modern gun control polices and why they are ineffective. To conclude, I’ll suggest policies that have the potential to be more successful.

The failure of current gun control policies is no more apparent than in Chicago, which arguably has the strictest legislation regarding gun control in the whole country. Ironically, Chicago also has the highest number of gun-related crimes. While current laws regarding gun control don’t specifically outlaw firearms, they make the process so difficult as to render them inaccessible to the general public. Currently in Chicago, the minimum price you will have to pay in order to purchase a firearm is $550 (and thats for a used gun), this includes the fees for the permit, safety courses, and registering the gun. You’re also going to have to wait over 2 months to go through the whole process. Now don’t get me wrong, while some gun control is well and good to an extent, the process is so outrageously long and expensive that the average working-class American cannot conceivably purchase a gun. In places like Chicago where this is happening, the only people that have guns are 1: the upper class, and 2: criminals, thus the general population is being denied access to self-defense tools simply because they cannot afford them. The number of gun related crimes in Chicago in 2016 was approximately 4000, which is a 61% increase from the previous year. Ironically statics show that the increase in gun control laws is directly proportional to the increase in gun related violence. 

Some may argue that the answer is simply to restrict firearms entirely, whether it be assault rifles or handguns, just make them completely inaccessible to everyone. But guns aren’t the issue. Violent crimes are the issue. You don’t blame the spoon for obesity, and you don’t blame the car with drunk driving accidents. The purpose of the second amendment is to give citizens the right to defend and protect themselves against any danger or harm they might encounter. The foundation of our country was built on the idea of independence, that includes people’s freedom to be able to fend for themselves. By instituting major gun control laws the United States government is in essence telling the people of America that they can’t be trusted with their own freedom. Political commentator Bill Whittle reminds the American people that “The second amendment is there to protect the American people from tyranny.” The bill of rights was written to make sure that the United States government never becomes more powerful than the people it serves. Specifically the second amendment ensures that the people are guaranteed the right to defend themselves. History has proved that disarming citizens only leaves them vulnerable to an abusive government. With cases like Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and Communist China civilians were left defenseless and murdered; and while we aren't anywhere near that extreme here in the United States (yet), anyone who denies the possibility of it is naive. 

The majority of the population fails to acknowledge the good that can come of gun ownership. One such case took place this year in Texas. A local resident who legally owned a firearm heard Texas shooter Devin Kelley fire several shots in a church, the local resident engaged Kelley while he was trying to escape and shot Kelley twice, which ultimately lead to his death saving many lives. Still this whole shooting could have been prevented had there been more appropriate gun control policies in place. While serving in the Air-Force, Kelley was charged with assault on his wife and child and he was discharged. But because this information was not sent to the law enforcement database like it should have been, Kelley passed his background check and was able to purchase the rifle he used. 

So if the current laws we have are not working and you can’t fully outlaw guns whats the solution? Well one of the major concerns with guns is the deaths that amount from accidents in the home. Making guns inaccessible is not going to solve the problem, but education can, in the same way that when a person gets their drivers license they are required to take tests proving that they know the rules of the road and how to properly operate a vehicle, one must also be required to take test when purchasing a firearm, proving that they have to capability to safely clean, store and use one. In order to prevent violent crimes, a person seeking to purchase a gun must undergo mental health screenings, and background checks need to be strictly enforced with all previous misdemeanors being reported on the person’s record. If republicans and democrats commit to setting aside their differences and unite under one common goal of protecting the American people and their rights, such policies could become a reality leading to a safer United States of America.