Gun Laws Don’t Need Major Change

Gun laws and the 2nd amendment in the United States of America only need some tweaking, such as tighter restrictions for purchasing guns. However, there are many pros to having guns. We need guns to be allowed in the United States because concealed weapons deter crime, most crimes are committed with illegally purchased firearms, and if the government became tyrannical, the civilians would be able to rebel. However, guns should be more difficult to obtain. People with severe mental illnesses, criminal backgrounds, or people who can’t pass basic gun proficiency tests should not be allowed to purchase a gun.

The first reason we need guns in the United States is that they deter crime. According to an FBI crime analysis conducted in 2000 by John Lott Jr., concealed weapons could have drastically reduced crime during 1977 and 1992.

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According to Lott, 1,570 murders, 4,177 rapes, 60,000 aggravated assaults, and 12,000 robberies could have been averted if concealed weapon permits were legal in every US state during 1977 and 1992. If these calculations are accurate, then it isn’t too difficult to rationalize “shall-issue” permits for concealed weapons in the states that don’t offer them. A shall issue permit says “States with 'shall issue' systems require a license or permit to carry a concealed handgun, and applicants must meet certain well defined objective criteria” if they want to carry a concealed handgun.

The second reason we need at least some guns the United States is that people need self-defense. If someone assaulted you in the middle of the night, wouldn’t you want to defend yourself? And, since most violent crimes involving guns are usually committed with illegally purchased firearms, why shouldn’t guns be legal to those who want to defend themselves? Obviously, the requirements for obtaining these weapons should be difficult.

People with severe mental illnesses or criminal history shouldn’t be allowed to purchase a gun, because “at least 59% of the 185 public mass shootings that took place in the United States from 1900 through 2017 were carried out by people who had either been diagnosed with a mental disorder or demonstrated signs of serious mental illness prior to the attack” (Grant Rocque & Michael Duwe). But, for any law abiding citizen in good mental and criminal standing, a concealed weapon shouldn’t be denied to them.

The last reason we need guns in the United States is that we need to protect ourselves in the event of a tyrannical government. Yes, the American Military is very powerful, but if there was a need for a rebellion, at least some of us could have guns and we wouldn’t need to be completely helpless. Thirteen small colonies defeated one of the largest militaries in the 1770s, and if there is ever a need for it then the US could do it again.

In conclusion, guns are important in the United States because they can deter crime, they can be used for self-defense, and they can stop a potentially tyrannical government. Yes, there do need to be some stricter laws for those trying to purchase a gun, but the idea of completely removing guns from the US population is ridiculous because people wouldn’t be able to defend themselves and others.