Elizabeth Riddle

Mr. Erisman
US Government
17, February 2016
The Second Amendment: The Right to Bear Arms
Would an increase in gun control reduce the amount of suicides?

In 2013, there were a total of 21,175 firearms suicides, according to the CDC. Ongoing
studies have been created to see the relationship between suicide rates and gun control. These
studies have shown putting laws in place in specific states have reduced the overall suicide rates.
The states that dont require these laws have seen an increase of suicide rates. Increasing gun
control contradicts the Second Amendment, but using this amendment to recieve guns for self
harm was never the intention. Gun control is a very controversial issue that makes people argue
about gun laws, the process of purchasing and receiving a gun and how to stay safe when owning
a gun. Taking these three steps to increase gun control will drastically decrease the amount of
suicides committed with firearms.
Researchers have been closely analyzing two states, Connecticut and Missouri. In 1995,
Connecticut passed a law that required that when purchasing a gun, you must register for a
permit with local law enforcement, as well as taking an eight hour class over gun training safety.
Missouri had rejected a law in 1921 that required registering with the local police when buying a
firearm. These researchers found that, the rate of gun-related suicide in Connecticut in the 10
years after its law passed was 15% lower than what researchers predicted it would have been had
the law not been passed...In contrast, the gun-related suicide rate in Missouri was 16% higher.
(Storrs) This shows that increasing gun control by only having to register with local law

enforcement and taking an eight hour class can result in a drastic amount of less firearm based
suicides. Researchers also found that having any law in the state that slightly will increase gun
control will overall decrease suicides. Another study by Anestis of University of Southern
Mississippi, found that laws that prohibit open carrying of handguns in California and
Oklahoma reduced suicide rates by 3.5% and 1.7%, respectively, in the year after they were
passed. (Storrs) These laws dont contradict the Second Amendment because the right to have a
gun is not being taken away, the process in which receiving a gun is slightly more time
consuming. These laws will not only increase owners intelligence with their gun but will reduce
the amount of lives taken by guns.
Purchasing and receiving a gun through permit-to-purchase laws have been proven to be
very effective. According to Masica, this law says, To buy a handgun, a person would need to
first possess a permit, which itself would be contingent on satisfying a number of requirements,
the most significant of which is the passage of a background and criminal-record check.
(Mascia) This law takes gun purchases very seriously; this law requires the customer to apply for
their permit at a local law enforcement office where they take fingerprints, and they send a
picture of the buyer as well. This law will have restraint on those with suicidal thoughts to
recieve a gun instantly. Storrs claims, One study found that about half of people who attempt
suicide made the decision after thinking about it for only 20 minutes. (Storrs) Not having
instant access and a waiting time before receiving a gun, if purchased, will make them feel as if
committing suicide is too difficult, time consuming and will choose not to commit suicide. This
law has been proven to decrease suicide rates because of the process and how long it takes, but
unfortunately very minimal states contain this law.

According to DeFilipps and Hughes, one study found, for every time a gun is used
legally in self-defense at home, there are four unintentional shootings, seven criminal assaults or
homicides, and 11 attempted or completed suicides.(DeFilipps and Hughes) This statistic alone
is staggering and should convince all gun owners to have their guns in a safe and locked carrier.
There have been many instances where kids have access to the guns in their house and have
unintentionally killed another person in the house, or themselves. The Law Center to Prevent
Guns claims, A federal government study of unintentional shootings found that 8% of such
shooting deaths resulted from shots fired by children under the age of six.(The Law Center to
Prevent Guns) These statistics show that at any point or mental state a person is in, with an
accessible gun in the house, they are able to take their own life, whereas having a locked firearm
will prevent the gun to be accessible and will ensure the firearm will not be used for harm.
A slight increase in gun control whether it be putting a law requiring registration through
the local law enforcement, creating a waiting period and classes for proper gun safety or always
having guns in proper storage with locks will overall decrease the suicide rates. Seeing the
tremendous decrease in suicides when putting a law into place was a very important finding so
that there is a solution to decreasing suicides. The Permit-to-Purchase laws were also very
effective whether it be the waiting period given, so the instant thought of suicide isnt always
there and also gives them a period to realize that waiting for a gun is more difficult than wanted.
These findings mean that the overall suicide rate can decrease, if any state but preferably all fifty
states, use the Permit-to-Purchase law. There should also be a law in place that ensures all
firearms are locked away to decrease children getting their parents guns and using it when
committing suicide. The next steps are seeing if any states have the Permit-to-Purchase law

under consideration for their state or seeing what laws are in place in each state and seeing the
effectiveness of the law.

Work Cited

DeFilipps, Evan, and Devin Hughes. "The Overwhelming Evidence That Pediatricians Are
Right and the NRA Is Wrong." Slate. The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company., 17 June
2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Masica, Jessica. "How Permits for Gun Purchases Save Lives." The Trace How This Piece of
Paper Fights Gun Crimes and Saves Lives Comments. The Trace, 07 July 2015. Web. 19 Feb.
2016

Robertson, Lori. "Gun Laws, Deaths and Crimes." FactCheckorg. FactCheck, n.d. Web. 19 Feb.
2016.

"Statistics on the Dangers of Gun Use for Self-Defense." Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Something in the Universe, 11 May 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Storrs, Carina. "Strict State Gun Laws Could Cut Suicides, Study Says - CNN.com." CNN.
Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.