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GUN CONTROL VS. GUN RIGHTS

Gun Control vs. Gun Rights

Delaney Seljaas

CJ 1010

Marcus Yockey

March 2023
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GUN CONTROL VS. GUN RIGHTS
Abstract

This paper will take a deep dive into the statistics behind gun violence and mass

shootings. It will talk about the second amendment right and the different views on gun control

vs gun rights. The paper will also go into detail about how hard it is to obtain a gun and what

steps you must take when purchasing a firearm.

Introduction

“Only with gun violence do we respond to repeated tragedies by saying that mourning is

acceptable but discussing how to prevent more tragedies is not. But that’s unacceptable. As

others have observed, talking about how to stop a mass shooting in the aftermath of a string of

mass shootings isn’t ‘too soon.’ It’s much too late.” (Harvey, 2022) I think it is fair to say that in

the recent years there has been an alarming rate of school shootings, mass shootings and gun

violence. After each incident people either argue that we need gun control or that we need more

guns to stop the violence. People fear sending their children to school, a place that is supposed to

be a safe learning environment. Where do we draw the line? Do we protect our right to Bear

Arms or do we impose gun control to stop the spread of violence?

Gun Violence and Mass Shootings

In 2022 there were over 20,000 gun related deaths and 647 mass shooting. A mass

shooting is defined as “any incident in which at least four or more people are murdered with a

gun" (“Gun Violence Archive,” 2023). In 2019 the US ranked number 8 out of 64 countries for

the greatest number of homicides by firearms. (On Gun Violence, the United States Is an Outlier,

2022) When looking at the data you wonder why the United States lead in the number of gun

deaths per year and why the number of mass shootings are rising.
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GUN CONTROL VS. GUN RIGHTS
There are a few things that most mass shooters have in common – early exposure to

violence or abuse, an identifiable crisis point, has studied the actions of past shooter and has the

means to carry out an attack (Duzor, n.d.) The vast majority of mass shooters are also males,

from 1966 to February of 2020 there were only 4 female mass shooters, and they did not commit

the crimes alone. (Duzor, n.d.) Trying to isolate a cause of the violence is complex and multiple

factors could play a part. Mental illness, access to guns, political views, domestic violence,

socioeconomic status, trauma, these are all things that could play a role in why such violence

occurs.

Mass shootings are not the only problem in the US. In 2020 firearms became the number

one cause of death in children under the age of 19, 30% of which were ruled as suicides and only

5% were unintentional or accidental. (Child and Teen Firearm Mortality in the U.S. and Peer

Countries, 2023b) The number of mass shootings and rates of gun violence have become

extremely alarming.

Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms

The Second Amendment right is what is brought up whenever gun control is talked about.

The Second Amendment or The Right to Bear Arms 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” (Second Amendment, n.d.) Some people believe that gun control would be an

infringement of their rights as an American citizen and that firearms are essential for their safety.

Others argue that the easy access to firearms contributes to the high rate of gun related crimes.

America is supposed to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our freedom is

a common topic in the United States and people are very vocal when they feel they are being

stripped of their rights. Guns have almost become part of our culture in America. It is normal for
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your average family to own guns. 42% of adults have a gun in their household and 67% of those

guns are obtained for personal protections. (Parker et al., 2022b)

An argument made by the pro-gun community is that guns don’t kill people and that

people kill people. They also argue that criminals won’t obey the laws and they will still obtain

guns by other means and the only people affected are the law-abiding citizens (n.d.) The solution

provided by this group is crime control rather than gun control. They suggest heavier

punishments for people charged with carrying illegal firearms. (n.d.)

On the other hand, the people who are for gun control argue that it should be harder to

obtain a gun. The ideas range from expanded background checks, expanding the categories of

people who are prohibited from purchasing guns and restricting what type of gun you can

purchase – mostly limiting access to military-style assault rifles. (The Brady Plan, 2021b)

A statistic from 1966 – February of 2020 found that 50% of guns used in mass shootings

were guns that were obtained legally. (Duzor, n.d.) If there were stricter gun laws, I do think that

some mass shootings and gun crimes could be prevented. I think more in-depth background

checks or a waiting period from when you go to buy a gun to when you take it home could help

prevent crime.

Obtaining a Firearm in Utah

In the state of Utah if you go to purchase a gun from a federally licensed firearms dealer

you must provide one form of government-issued identification and you must consent to a

federal background check. (Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence, 2023) You must be 21

years old to buy a handgun and only 18 for rifles and shotguns. There is not a waiting period in

Utah and there is no limit to how many firearms you can purchase at any given time.

(Purchasing & Selling Firearms - Utah Carry Laws, 2022)

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GUN CONTROL VS. GUN RIGHTS
There are certain people who a prohibited from buying firearms in Utah. People who

have been convicted of any violent felony, if you are on probation or parole for a felony, if you

are underage, or if you are on probation for a conviction of possessing a controlled substance are

just a few examples. Most of the people who are prohibited to buy firearms are people who have

committed felony crimes.

There is unfortunately a way around the background check process when buying a gun.

Federal gun laws allow people to buy guns without passing a background check when you

purchase a gun from someone without a federal dealer’s license. These dealers are people who

sell guns online, at gun shows or anywhere else without a federal dealer’s licenses. They can

transfer firearms without any kind of background check. This makes guns readily available to

almost everyone.

Conclusion

The United States has one of the highest rates of mass shootings and gun violence. When

comparing the US to a country like Australia the US has 23 times the rate of firearm homicides.

(On Gun Violence, the United States Is an Outlier, 2022) In Australia gun owners are required to

join and regularly attend a hunting or shooting club or be a documented gun collector, they must

complete a firearm safety course and pass a written and practical assessment, they must safely

store their firearm, pass a background check and the authorities may interview friends and

family, they must apply for the permit to buy a firearm and then must purchase the specific type

of firearm that you were give the permit for. (Carlsen & Chinoy, 2019)

The data clearly shows that imposing stricter gun laws can significantly reduce our rate of

gun violence in the US. I do not think that guns should be inaccessible to people in the United

States but there is no reason for there not to be a standardized process that everyone must go
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through when purchasing firearms. It is sad to see students and teachers fear for their lives when

attending school and work. It is also sad to see people fear going to crowded enclosed places like

concerts and fearing of a possible gun man. It has become a common issue and it is necessary

that we take steps to address such violence.

References

Harvey, B. (2022, June 2). 28 Quotes About Gun Violence To Inspire Change.

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/gun-violence-quotes

Gun Violence Archive. (2023). Gunviocencearchive.Org. https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/

On gun violence, the United States is an outlier. (2022, June 29). Institute for Health Metrics and

Evaluation. https://www.healthdata.org/acting-data/gun-violence-united-states-outlier

Duzor, S. S. a. M. (n.d.). VOA Special Report | History of mass shooters.

https://projects.voanews.com/mass-shootings/

Child and Teen Firearm Mortality in the U.S. and Peer Countries. (2023b, February 2). KFF.

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/issue-brief/child-and-teen-firearm-mortality-in-

the-u-s-and-peer-countries/

Second Amendment. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/second_amendment

Parker, K., Horowitz, J. M., Igielnik, R., Oliphant, J. B., Brown, A., & Parker, K. (2022b,

February 5). America’s Complex Relationship With Guns. Pew Research Center’s Social

& Demographic Trends Project.

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2017/06/22/americas-complex-relationship-

with-guns/
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GUN CONTROL VS. GUN RIGHTS
N. (n.d.). NRA-ILA | Why Gun Control Doesn’t Work. NRA-ILA. https://www.nraila.org/why-

gun-control-doesn-t-work/

The Brady Plan. (2021b, June 17). Brady. https://www.bradyunited.org/the-brady-plan

Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence. (2023, January 5). Background Check Procedures in

Utah | Giffords. Giffords. https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/background-check-

procedures-in-utah/

Purchasing & Selling Firearms - Utah Carry Laws. (2022, January 20). Utah Carry Laws.

https://utahcarrylaws.com/purchasing-selling-firearms/#:~:text=See%20the

%20Frequently%20Asked%20Questions%20(FAQs)%20below.&text=It%20is

%20LEGAL%20for%20a,handgun%20from%20an%20FFL%20dealer

Carlsen, A., & Chinoy, S. (2019, August 6). How to Buy a Gun in 16 Countries. The New York

Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/02/world/international-gun-

laws.html

https://slcc.digication.com/delaney-seljaas/social-sciences/published
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Assignment Reflection

The assumption I had made before doing any research on the information was that gun

control might not be a bad idea. It is so sad to hear about all the lives lost due to mass shootings

and gun violence. I am someone who also thinks guns can be a good thing if the proper steps are

taken. In my research it seems that these assumptions are valid. The statistics on gun violence are

much higher than I would have predicted.

I had a really hard time finding good statistics and facts on the pro-gun side of the

argument. A lot of the data on why guns are a good thing came from websites like the NRA that

would obviously be biased to the information. I think that I do need to continue to try to find

information supporting that side of the argument.

I do think that my conclusion makes sense. If you look at other countries rate of gun

violence it is much less than the US. Then if you look at their gun laws and requirements to

obtain a firearm, they are much steeper, and it is very hard to get a gun. The statistics between

the countries doesn’t lie. I think this just shows that gun control could work and obviously what

we are doing now isn’t working to keep people safe. The data does support my conclusion.

I do think there are a lot of other questions that could be asked regarding gun control. It is

a problem that is multifactorial and a very complex issue. I think my questions are valid and do

give a lot of information, but they are just barely touching the surface on a much bigger topic.

I think that someone with a different background and different views could come to a

different conclusion than me. I think this is why this topic is such a debate because you usually
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have two sides with completely opposite arguments on the topic. The data I presented I think

makes it very clear that gun control could work but I am sure you can also find data to support

the other side.

I think this assignment has made me realize how big of a problem this really is. It is easy

to feel strongly about this topic after an incident occurs, but it is also easy to forget about it once

some time has passed. I have noticed that after a big shooting the topic is brought up again and

then after a few weeks it dies down again. It is definitely a topic that should be addressed sooner

rather than later.