Gun Control & Gun Violence in the United States of America

Gun control has been a problem and an epidemic the country has been faced with for the past decade. There is constantly news over local shootings and mass shootings throughout the country and it is becoming much more common than before, which is never-ending. Gun control and gun violence is such a controversial topic that has been overlooked and not properly addressed, and immediate action needs to be taken seriously to prevent further tragedies in the future. Many civilians feel unsafe and want to bring change so that there can be a difference made within our society since there have been countless shootings this past year.

It is important to discuss gun control and violence in the US. People can be informed as well as making changes in obtaining and purchasing guns of any kind of weapon and implementing stricter laws.

The United States is the leading country with the highest mass shootings compared to other countries. Also, there is a higher crime rate that involves the use of guns and most deaths are a result of guns which is why big corporations such as the NRA (National Rifle Association) need to act.

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The NRA mentions on their website stating, “advocating the right to keep and bear arms, advancing the shooting sports and championing gun safety, education and training.” This quote seems a bit contradictory since there are constant mass shootings throughout the nation that do not promote safety, education, nor training because once a person has a gun in their hands, it is unpredictable what could occur as well as what is going through their minds and their intentions.

There have been so many mass shootings that range from different areas and events which have negatively impacted our society such as Sandy Hook, the Pulse nightclub shooting, Parkland school shooting, the El Paso shooting in Walmart, Thousand Oaks bar shooting, the Aurora movie theater shooting and many more mass shootings that have happened. Additionally, the Gun Violence Archive is a nonprofit corporation that provides information on gun violence and keeps track of mass shootings throughout the country year-round and monitors the different locations that shootings have occurred now back until 2014.

According to the Pew Research Center, Gramlich and Schaeffer mention that 2017 saw more gun deaths in the US than any year in decades marking a 19% increase since 2012 and nearly 40,000 Americans have died due to gun-related injuries. Furthermore, the Pew Research Center also says that a majority of Americans say gun laws should be stricter and this can be the fact that it is easy to purchase a gun and not go through extensive background checks or even consider mental health or stability. It is even much more difficult to obtain a visa or permanent residency than purchasing a gun or any kind of weapon which gives a poor name to the vendors and the country itself since guns are easily attainable.

In the recent shooting that occurred in Las Vegas in 2017, I had family members and relatives that went to Las Vegas to celebrate my cousins twenty-first birthday as well as to attend the music festival but did not end up going after all since the hotel went into lockdown and all of the staff and employees advised them to not leave their rooms whatsoever. I got to sit and chat with my aunt Nora and Lydia to share their experience over that night and they both told me, “We’re still traumatized from what happened and what we saw because people were running down the halls, screaming hysterically and some jumped out of their windows, I do not think we will be returning to Las Vegas anytime soon.” I recall that night as if it were yesterday because I remember immediately picking up the phone and calling my aunts and when I heard the fear in their voices, my heart dropped, and I felt as if I was going to faint.

However, many Americans and civilians do not see the need for instilling stricter laws for purchasing guns. A survey from Pew Research Center states that “protection tops the list of reasons why gun owners have a gun and 30% of American adults say they own a gun and an additional 11% say they live with someone who does.” This is where the second amendment comes into play because the second amendment provides the right of the people to keep and bear arms, ensuring protection.

Some shooters that have initiated the attacks and shootings suffer from some form of mental illness or behavioral disorders, however, in the article, “After El Paso, Shooting Experts Say Mental Illness Is Not To Blame For Gun Violence” Hasan touches on that the “FBI released a study of 63 active shooters. It found just 25% had been diagnosed with a mental illness, and the bureau says the idea that all active shooters are mentally ill is ‘’ misleading’’ or ‘’unhelpful’’.”