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Gun Violence

For decades, gun violence has risen to the forefront of public consciousness. Moreover,

debates have risen on gun regulation and the impact that gun violence has had on individuals

who are killed or injured in atrocities and tragedies. Throughout recorded history, gun use and

technology has made the rates of gun violence to increase and vary widely from state to state. In

addition, most gun deaths have been as a result of mass shootings. The museums played a crucial

role in romanticizing guns during the early display in colonial America whereby different

collection of weapons and firearms are displayed. Moreover, a series of state policies and federal

laws over the years have served as the basis of incidents involving lawful and unlawful use of

firearms. While the failure to enforce current laws is the cause of gun violence; no laws can ever

keep criminals from getting guns; restrictions on gun ownership will increase gun violence by

leaving law-abiding citizens defenseless.

While many Americans have valued the traditions of sport shooting, hunting, and

collecting guns for cultural significance; appreciating the protection and security that guns can

provide have been the crucial drivers off the wider gun industry. According to vital statistics,

reported by Pew Research Center, 44% of Americans say they know someone who has been shot

and another 23% report that a gun has been used to threaten or intimidate them or a family

member (Cook and Gross 33). The level of violence that has increased is based on gun rights
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advocates and gun owners’ associations which is the root cause of these problems. The argument

that guns provide security and protection; has spearheaded gun violence across the country.

Pandemic of gun violence and high-profile mass shootings has been as a result of

predictable outcome of the country’s lack of political will to make gun reforms. According to

research, “the views on gun policies have created a divide along political and partisan lines with

the split creating different values and views that have different outcomes and goals for reducing

community violence and protecting personal liberties” (Gabor 5). The disagreements along this

line have favored most policy positions creating a divide between the prevention of gun violence

and those favoring the security and protection of personal liberties. While the views on gun

policies have created partisan and political divides, the true effects of the different policies will

accomplish the objective of reducing the harms associated with gun violence.

Among the leading cause of death for young African American men in the United States

is police brutality. According to research, the unwarranted or excessive and often illegal use of

force by law enforcement officers has led to the death of 1 in every 1,000 black men to be killed

by police making black women and men more likely than other races to be killed by police

(Cook and Goss 34). All ethnicities, races, classes, and ages have been subjected to one or

another form of police brutality. However, African American men and women have been

targeted on a series of legal enforcement of racism, inequality, injustices, and unfair policies.

Serious violations to the black community have led to a unique institutional culture in urban

police department that has stressed the idea of a show of force and an approach to authority

promoting gun violence within the country.

Following the death of numerous African American men and women, a new movement

that has drawn attention to the massive issues of racism in the country have aimed to address the
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series of police brutality in the country. Research argues that close to 15 million to 26 million

people in the United States have participated in the demonstration over the death of John Lloyd

and other African Americans (Gabor 16). The Black Lives Matter protest has become one of the

largest movements in the country's history to address racism and police brutality following

numerous gun violence that are perpetrated by the police forces. Being a social movement, the

Black Lives Matter has become dedicated to fighting anti-black violence and racism in the form

of police brutality as a result of the numerous unjust killings of black people.

In conclusion, current laws on guns in the country have proven to be ineffective. Law

abiding citizens remain defenseless while mass shootings continue to happen. The protection and

security that guns can provide have been the crucial drivers of the wider gun industry and gun

violence in the country. In addition, the prevalent gun violence and high-profile mass shootings

has been as a result of predictable outcome of the country’s lack of political will to make gun

reforms. Similarly, police brutality has created a serious violation to the black community have

led to a unique institutional culture in urban police department that has stressed the idea of a

show of force. Creating gun reforms that favors both the protection of citizen and reducing

criminal activities related with ownership of firearms will reduce gun violence in the country.
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Works Cited

Cook, Philip J., and Kristin A. Goss. "Causes of Gun Violence." The Gun Debate, vol. 1,

no. 2, 2020, pp. 33-34.

Gabor, Thomas. "America’s Gun Violence Problem." Confronting Gun Violence in America,

vol. 1, no. 5, 2016, pp. 3-19.