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Kenzie Hall
S. Sowards
POLS 1100
11 September 2015

A Letter Regarding Gun Control

Dear Editor of Desert News,

Gun control is an issue I am very interested in. The Second Amendment to the
Constitution has always been a hot topic. The debate is complicated and has strong supporters on
both sides. The pros and cons of gun control come to the forefront of any political debate
because of the wake of shootings that continue to pop up throughout the nation lately. Mass
shootings have risen drastically in the past half-dozen years. Between 2000 and 2008, America
was averaging about five mass shootings a year. It is now averaging 15. The latest was the tragic
shooting deaths of Alison Parker, a promising, 24-year-old TV reporter, and 27-year-old
cameraman Adam Ward, while conducting a live television interview. The suspect claimed to
have been inspired by the shooting deaths of the worshipers in a Charleston church mixed with
over what he alleged to be racial discrimination and sexual harassment. He was a seemingly
common man with a legally-purchased weapon that committed a crime that shocked the nation.
But how many times have seen something like this? Seemingly normal men and women that end
up the cover of the front page news. Well-known images from Newtown, Aurora, Columbine and
Virginia Tech capture the nations attention for a split second, but somehow they fade into
memories until it happens again. This topic is so controversial, as it really is so difficult to decide

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what the best plan of action is. But, a solution must be found. I personally believe gun control
should become more specifically regulated.
Gun massacres most far too often include the use of legal weapons. About three-quarters
of the guns used in shootings are obtained legally by the perpetrators. Utah, in particular,
conducts its own background checks on individuals purchasing firearms from licensed dealers.
However, the law does not require firearms dealers to obtain a state license, regulate the transfer
or possession of assault weapons, or require gun owners to obtain a license, register their weapon
or report lost or stolen firearms. Nearly 3 out of 4 of the guns involved in mass shootings are
handguns. Coincidentally, Utah laws do not require regulation of unsafe handguns. They also do
not require the reporting of mentally ill individuals to the database used for gun purchasing
background checks. This is seen as a red flag to me. Any one off the street can potentially
acquire a firearm without extensive background checks. There are many people today who are
not capable nor should be near a weapon for the protection of themselves or others. Anti-gun
protesters advocate for background checks to prevent criminals, domestic abusers, and seriously
mentally ill people from buying guns. There need to be stricter laws and regulations on who and
why someone should own a gun. The laws for getting a gun is too easy. Individuals with
misdemeanor criminal convictions, DUI offenses, past domestic abuse restraining orders, and
histories of voluntary commitment to psychiatric institutions can and do obtain guns and the
required permits all legally.
Self defensive is and should stay a fundamental right so I do not believe all guns should
be taken away, but I do believe that obtaining a gun should be a longer, more extensive process
than it already is, especially in Utah. Although there have been isolated instances of stricter gun

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regulation in a couple of states, the overwhelming majority of states continue to pass and sign
into law pro-Second Amendment legislation.

Works Cited

"Utah State Law Summary." Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2015.
<http://smartgunlaws.org/utah-state-law-summary/>.
"Different Views on Gun Control." Different Views on Gun Control. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
<http://differentviewsonguncontrol.voices.wooster.edu/>.