Zach Ziros

Gun Control

Gun control has been a very controversial topic over the past couple decades. Some
people believe that it is a God given right to own a gun. Others think nobody should own a gun
because they cause nothing but problems and deaths around America.
In my personal opinion, I think that people should be allowed to own whatever kind of
guns they want. However, with all the mass shootings and murders across the U.S.A over the
past couple years, I definitely think that there should be some regulations. A well regulated mili-
tia is also part of the wording in the Second Amendment, not just the right to bear arms.
Right now in the U.S if you were to buy a gun from a retail store such as Walmart, Bass
Pro Shops, or a local gun shop your name would be entered National Instant Criminal Back-
ground Check System or NICS. This check runs an individuals name through federal and state
criminal records. This does not check the mental status of the customer. Any mentally chal-
lenged person could walk in to the store and buy a firearm. That is where I think improvements
need to be made. I believe that there should be extended background checks before people
should be allowed to purchase a firearm. I definitely think that there should be background
checks in private, internet, and gun show sales. If there were background checks in those three
types of sales, then that would eliminate a lot of the guns on the streets. Anybody that has been
convicted of any felony or someone that has mental problems should never be allowed to own a
gun. With that being said I think anybody who is fully functional with no mental problems and
had no felony convictions should be allowed to own as many guns as they like. They could use
them to hunt, for protection or even just for show.
For anybody that says gun control wont work, just look at Australia. In 1996, Prime Min-
ister John Howard, who was a conservative, implemented a gun ban that included semi-
automatic and automatic rifles and shotguns. The reason he did this is because of a mass
shooting in Tasmania that killed 35 people. Since 1996 there has been a 59 percent decrease in
gun related homicides. There has also been a 65 percent decrease in gun related suicides.
Zach Ziros

Since the ban there has been zero mass shootings which is classified as 4 or more people killed
in a shooting incident.
I think that if the U.S enforces these stricter background checks on all gun sales, then I
think that will reduce the violence on the streets and inner cities. I also think that will greatly re-
duce the number of mass shootings that occur.