Why Gun Control Laws Do Not Work

Because of recent shootings, federal gun control laws have been put in place to control gun violence, but has it worked? In this essay I will discuss the reasons why these gun control laws fail to do what they are intended to do: prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands. Even though social media may portray that gun control is the “superior solution” to gun violence, it only leads to more conflict between the National Rifle Association and legislature. Gun laws are ineffective because of illegal gun trafficking and the criminal behavior following a gun restriction.

The first reason that gun control laws do not work is the fact that criminals do not listen to laws. This is supported by the rise of black market and illegal gun sales throughout the United States.

According to statistics researched by the Gifford’s law center, “40% of the guns acquired in the United States come from unlicensed dealers who are not required by federal law to do a background check on the gun purchaser (“Statistics”).

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The first reason is also supported because when guns are restricted, it simply makes it so anyone who owns a restricted gun is then punishable. The point is also proven because 13% of gun violence convicts end up getting hold of another fire arm through the illegal market, and go on to commit another crime. This research proves my point because it shows that it is not the guns that are doing the damage, it is the people. In addition, Andrea Noble, a crime and public safety reporter for.

The Washington Times reports that “91.5% of 15,000 law enforcement officers believed that a gun bans would have little to no effect on gun violence” (“Law Enforcement”). Even though some may say that gun laws do nothing but benefit the community, it actually works against it. The second reason that gun laws are ineffective is because it gun related crimes have increased since gun control laws have been emplaced. This reason is supported because “through the percentages of homicides caused by a firearm during a felony rose” (“Right”). This shows that even with the new gun laws in place, the violence continues to grow. An increase in violence of “5.6% in the past 5 years has led to to over 17% of the total annual deaths in the United States” (“Right”).

As the final 3rd supporting evidence of the 2nd claim, I have found that criminals will continue to find different ways to obtain firearms, all while adapting to avoid detection by agencies like the F.B.I and A.T.F. According to Ryan Cleckner, a former special operations sniper, “36% of Americans exercise their 2nd amendment and own guns” (“Why More Gun Laws”). This research proves that gun laws are ineffective because it shows how gun ownership and gun related crimes has not just increased slowly over the decade, but have sped up due to recent events in the last five years. Even though some politicians may say that “These new laws will stop gun violence once and for all”, This not only violates the 2nd amendment, but it also takes away freedom from normal, law abiding citizens.

The third piece of evidence shows that there is no evidence to support that gun control laws are effective in slowing gun violence. According to the “Right to bear arms” article, there is currently no evidence to support that gun control laws are effective in slowing gun violence.” It has also been recorded that in 2010, the frequency of gun related crimes rose after a section of laws were put into effect. As the 3rd and final reason that gun control laws are ineffective is because the gun reports that follow gun homicides have costed the government millions of dollars to fill out. Those millions that could have gone to bettering police forces to make the nation a better place.

The research proves that gun control is ineffective because it wastes money, and there is no concrete evidence to support that is is effective. The opposition may say that gun laws are effective because the put more people in jail, but this is only a temporary fix that comes at a cost. According to a article written by Eliza Mills, a assistant producer for marketplace.org, “incarceration costs an average of more than $31,000 per inmate, per year, nationwide. In some states, it's as much as $60,000. Taxpayers foot the bill for feeding, housing and securing people in state and federal penitentiaries (“How Much Does”)”. This could cost the government hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to hold violators of these gun control laws. Gun laws are ineffective because of illegal gun trafficking and the criminal behavior following a gun restriction. This is because they do not have clear evidence, are expensive to enforce, and cause major disagreements between the public and the legislature. If legislature agreed that it was the person that killed and not the gun, could all of this controversy been avoided?

Works Cited

1. Cleckner, Ryan. “Why More Gun Laws Won't Prevent Violence – RocketFFL.” RocketFFL, 15 Nov. 2017, rocketffl.com/why-more-gun-laws-wont-prevent- violence/.
2. Mills, Eliza. “How Much Does It Cost to Send Someone to Prison?” Marketplace, Marketplace, 19 May 2017, www.marketplace.org/2017/05/15/world/how-much-does-it-cost-send- someone-prison.
3. Noble, Andrea. “Law Enforcement Says Gun Restrictions Are Ineffective: Survey.” The Washington Times, The Washington Times, 9 Apr. 2013, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/9/survey-law-enforcement- professionals-say-gun-restr/.
4. 'Right to Bear Arms.' Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2017. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http:// link.galegroup.com.scsl.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/PC3010999251/OVIC? u=scschools&sid=OVIC&xid=41aa2670. Accessed 30 Nov. 2018.
5. “Statistics on Gun Trafficking & Private Sales.” Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 9 June 2016, lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-traffickingprivate-sales- statistics/.