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Seth Blomdahl
Mrs. Pettay
ENG 112 3A
25 March 2016
The Validity Behind Gun Control
America's pervasive gun culture is aligned with and originates from its colonial
history, revolutionary roots, frontier expansion, and the Second Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution, which states: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a
free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Gun
control proponents and opponents would both agree that weapons have changed
dramatically ever since they were used in the Revolutionary War, when this nation was
started. Over the years, the production and engineering of different guns have increased
by the thousands throughout different time periods from the Civil War and the Wild West,
to World Wars and Modern Warfare. This personal liberty has been favored by and
gained support from large organizations like The National Rifle Association (NRA) and
has also been opposed by many people affiliated with the Gun Control Lobby. Both
proponents and opponents of gun control want the United States to be the safest place for
Americans, thus making sure crime rates stay at an all-time low, but how must we do this
with strong opponents on both sides?
Gun control is a broad term that covers any sort of restriction on what kinds of
firearms can be sold and bought, who can possess or sell them, where and how they can
be stored or carried, what duties a seller has to vet a buyer, and what obligations both the
buyer and the seller have to report transactions to the government (Perez-Pena).

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Proponents of gun control think very highly of these restrictions. They state that the
Second Amendment was intended only for militias; that gun violence would be reduced;
that gun restrictions have always existed; and that a majority of Americans, including gun
owners, support new gun restrictions (procon.org). Having certain laws passed that make
it very hard for criminals to get weapons through background checks and very easy for
law abiding citizens to obtain is something that everyone should agree on and can be
accomplished through gun control laws. It makes sense that the government should have
background checks and tests for gun use and ownership by the mentally ill. Moreover,
many proponents of gun laws require the government to know about personal weapons
through universal gun registration, restrictions, and background checks with the main
intent of keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals.
The United States of America was founded on principles of personal freedoms
and limited government. Limited government protects Americans from having these
personal freedoms being stripped away. One of the rights slowly being taken away
through gun control and more restrictions and regulations is the Second Amendment; the
right to bear arms. This Amendment has protected the right of individual gun ownership
for personal security, self-defense, hunting, and sport in the U.S. for over 200 years. It
might seem valid for gun control advocates to say that more guns mean more crime and,
therefore, that more gun control will decrease crime. The truth is that criminals will
always have access to guns, and gun control laws will not prevent them from obtaining
guns or breaking the law. As a result, gun control laws often end up mostly hurting the
law-abiding citizens by making it harder and harder for them to purchase a weapon. In
fact, a Nov. 26, 2013 study found that, between 1980 and 2009, "assault weapons bans

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did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level," and "states with restrictions on
the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murders." While gun
ownership doubled in the twentieth century, the murder rate decreased (procon.org). I
believe more gun control is redundant. Instead, education about guns and gun safety is
needed to prevent deaths associated with guns. The Second Amendment was intended to
protect gun ownership of all able-bodied men so that they could participate in the militia
to keep the peace and defend their country if needed (procon.org). More gun control laws
and regulations could prevent citizens from protecting themselves from foreign invaders.
Many countries like Mexico, Australia, Canada, and Scotland have had strict gun control
laws that have been unsuccessful, and that is why they should not be implemented in the
United States. Such restrictive laws simply do not work.
Proponents and opponents of gun control alike favor efforts to bolster public
safety within the United States. Both proponents and opponents of gun control laws need
to work together to solve crimes committed by people that own guns while preserving
Americans rights under the Second Amendment. A gun wont fire until physically
discharged. The main problem associated with high crime-rated cities like Chicago is not
solely the guns, but the criminals behind the firearms. This is what both gun rights
advocates and gun control advocates should work together to solve. Whether this
involves working in the inner city with gangs where the majority of crime occurs or by
teaching gun safety to children in every school so that they understand the benefits and
also the dangers that come from gun ownership, cooperation is critical.
Picture the city streets in Chicago being ones of safety, community, and
hospitality. Picture rivals of one another, coming together as one. Picture suicide and

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homicide rates almost nonexistent. That is a picture I would want the next generation to
have. I want my kids and their kids to live in a country of safety and unity. This cannot
be accomplished until both sides of the gun control argument come together and
understand each other's values and beliefs. We cannot let stubbornness and pride get the
best of us. Being open and listening to the validity of each others claims is the best place
to start.

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Works Cited
Perez-Pena, Richard. Gun Control Explained. The New York Times. The New York
Times. 7 October. 2015, Web. 25 March 2016.
Procon.org. Gun Control Procon.org Procon.org. Web. 22 March 2016.