The Gun Violence in the United States and the Gun Related Issues

There are approximately 32,300 people killed by guns per year in the United States (Tasigiorgos, Economopoulos, Winfield, & Sakran, 2015). Also, suicide causes almost two- thirds of firearm deaths. Moreover, according to Gerney, Parsons, and Posner (2013), there is a positive correlation between firearm ownership and suicide. Through the stricter gun law of purchase and possession could efficiently restrict the high-risk people obtaining firearms. Furthermore, comprehensive background check for all firearm sellers could improve the firearm law more practical implement. The combination of these two solutions can efficiently reduce gun violence.

Therefore, due to the high proportion of firearm ownership in the United States, gun violence frequently occurs in recent years, it is necessary to prevent this problem by effective firearm law and comprehensive background checks. Gun violence becomes a severe social problem in the United States.

According to Henderson (2000), the second-leading cause of death is guns. Average 10.33 of per 100,000 people would die by firearms every year from 2001 to 2010 (Webster & Vernick, 2013).

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Furthermore, 33 people are killed by firearms on average every day in the United States, and 85% of those who try to suicide would be partial to using firearms due to guns’ fatality (Webster & Vernick, 2013). In America, every citizen owns a firearm on average. The number of firearms which are held by citizens increases approximately 100 million from 1994 to 2004 (Webster & Vernick, 2013). Moreover, there is a higher level of household gun ownership than other countries (Webster & Vernick, 2013).

However, Webster and Vernick point out that household firearm ownership has a high correlation with homicide and suicide in the United States. According to Gerney, Parsons, and Posner (2013), over 11,000 people were murdered by firearms in 2010. Gun violence is getting more serious year by year. Therefore, for American government, it is more important to consider that how to effectively reduce gun violence. The efficacious implementation of firearm law can observably reduce gun violence. According to Webster and Vernick (2013), there is higher two times risk of gun violence in weak gun law states than strong gun law states.

Though the federal law already restricts specific citizens from purchasing and possessing firearms, Webster and Vernick suggest that the gun law should reconsider and expand prohibition of firearm purchases and possession in various high-risk groups, such as misdemeanor violence and alcohol abuse, because the possibility of violence which are caused by these groups is increasing in recent years. Moreover, suicide causes 61% of firearm deaths in 2010 in the United States (Webster & Vernick, 2013). Besides, suicide already becomes the third-leading cause of death in teenagers who age 15 to 24 (Webster & Vernick, 2013). Therefore, Webster and Vernick also suggest that the federal law should increase the limited age of purchasing or owning handgun into 21 years old. Furthermore, according to Strategies for Reducing Gun Violence in American Cities [SRGVAC] (2016), approximately 53% women died due to their intimate partners or family members.

When domestic violence occurs, there is five times higher risk of victims who might be killed if guns exist (SRGVAC, 2016). Though the federal law and states law already regulate the purchase process and the qualified ownership of firearms, it might still be insufficient to prevent gun violence. As a result, it could be more useful, if the content of firearm law could instantly modify and the firearm law could be effectually enforced by the government. Comprehensive Background check system is one method which could efficiently prevent gun violence. Almost 40% of people purchase firearms from the private or criminal market, and only 13.4% of buyers acquiring guns from licensed retailers (Webster & Vernick, 2013). According to SRGVAC (2016), millions of guns are traded in unlicensed sales without federal background check every year. Besides, only 6 states already regulate the background check for all gun sellers and for all types of firearms (Webster & Vernick, 2013).

On the other hand, those who lose their qualifications of purchasing or possessing guns still have access to obtaining firearms. Therefore, the effectiveness of background check could not be performed well nowadays. In addition, several states only restrict disqualified citizens who live in the state to buy firearms. However, this background check information is not circulated among states. These dangerous people could easily acquire guns from other states. If background check requirement could be expanded and be efficaciously implemented, especially in private market, it will be more difficult to obtain firearms for the restricted people.

It could have a predominant influence on reducing gun violence through regulating the private market and limiting ownership of high-risk people (Webster & Vernick, 2013). Moreover, it may be more beneficial to establish a comprehensive background check system which could be instantly updated and allow every state to utilize. The combination of gun law and background check can effectively decrease gun violence. The effective firearm law could prevent gun violence and prohibit those potentially dangerous people from acquiring weapons. Moreover, comprehensive background check for all gun sales could make a practical restriction for these people. If all firearm sellers could efficaciously enforce background check, the probability of obtaining guns by these high-risk people would obviously decline. According to Webster and Vernick (2013), the implementation of firearm law could be more efficient by the comprehensive background check. Therefore, it is necessary that gun law and comprehensive background check should work together to prevent and reduce gun violence.