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Gun Control
The United States Government needs to substantially strengthen gun control laws,
because most homicides, suicides and unintentional injuries or deaths are preventable .
Each day, on an average in the United States, thirteen children under the age of
nineteen are killed by firearms . These acts which are occurrences are begging the
country for stricter gun control laws and ordinances, but no one will listen . The only
way you can get them to listen is for one of their loved ones to be killed . Then maybe
they will listen . Stricter gun control laws by both private industries and the United States
government have met both opposition and acceptance in both the private and
governmental sector . Laws such as the Brady Bill were created in direct response do a
given horrific event . (the paralyzation of the Brady Bill in protection of a United States
president )these bills are unpopular with independent liberals and organizations like the
National Rifle Association . The laws in some cases severely restrict the steady sales
these organizations are currently enjoying , they are not extremely popular . The Brady
Bill expired November 30, 1998 . The attempts to restrict or regulate the sales and usage
of firearms needs to continue if the nation expects to end the violence in the American
home and street .
The issue of gun control and violence, in the United States, is one that simply will
not go away. One example of stricter gun control laws was in 1977, legislation was
passed by the Canadian Parliament regulating long guns for the first time, restructuring
the availability of firearms, and increasing a variety of penalties . Canadian firearms law
is primarily federal, and "therefore national in scope,†while the bulk of the firearms
regulation in the United States is at the state level; attempts to introduce stricter
legislation at
the federal level are often defeated. The importance of this issue is that not all North
Americans are necessarily supportive of strict gun control as being a feasible alternative
to controlling urban violence. There are concerns with the opponents of gun control, that
the professional criminal who wants a gun can obtain one, which leaves the average
law-abiding citizen helpless in defending themselves against the criminals of urban life.
Through the analysis of the writings and reports of academics and experts of gun control
and urban violence, it will be possible to examine the issues and theories of the social
impact of this issue. (Part II: Review of the Literature A) Summary In a paper which
looked at gun control and firearms violence in North America, Robert J. Mundt, of the
University of North Carolina, points out that "Crime in America is popularly perceived as
something to be expected in a society which has less respect for the rule of law than does
American society. In 1977, the Canadian government took the initiative to legislate
stricter gun control. Among the provisions legislated by the Canadian government was a
"Firearms Acquisition Certificate" for the purchase of any firearm, and strengthened the
"registration requirements for handguns and other restricted weapons" . The purpose of
the 1977 legislation was to reduce the availability of firearms, on the assumption that
there is a "positive relationship between availability and use". In Robert J. Mundt's study,
when compared with the United States, trends in Canada over the past ten years in
various types of violent crime, suicide, and accidental death show no dramatic results,
"and few suggestions of perceptible effects of the 1977 Canadian gun control legislation".
One of the positive effects, Mundt, found in the study was the decrease in the use of
firearms in robbery with comparison to trends in the United States . In an article by Gary
A. Mauser of the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, he places special
emphasis on the attitudes towards firearms displayed by Americans. According to
Mauser, large majorities of the general public in America "support gun control legislation
while simultaneously believing that they have the right to own
firearms" .
Despite the similarities, there are apparent differences between the general public in the
United States . As Mauser states that "Canadians are more deferent to authority and do
not support the use of handguns in self defense to the same extent as Americans.
Surprisingly enough, nationwide surveys in both Canada and the United States "show
remarkable similarity in the public attitude towards firearms and gun control". More
Canadians are exposed to American television (both entertainment and news
programming) and Canadians and Americans read many of the same books and
magazines. As a result of this, the Canadian public has adopted "much of the American
culture" . In an article by Catherine F. Sproule and Deborah J. Kennett of Trent
University, they looked at the use of firearms in Canadian homicides between the years
of 1972-1982. Their findings firmly support the conclusion that gun control is beneficial
gun control may be influencing some suspects to kill by other methods, but it is less
likely for these suspects to kill multiple victims. From the study conducted by Sproule
and Kennett the rate of violent crimes was five times greater in the U.S. than Canada and
"almost double the rate of firearms used in American than Canadian homicides" . The use
of firearms "in Canadian homicides has declined since the legislative changes in gun
control in 1977. The Canadian cities have been traditionally safer, and less vulnerable to
'Crime Waves' than the United States due to our extensive police force and gun control
laws . The "American Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms, and this has
made it possible for U.S. criminals to obtain firearms more readily than their counterparts
in countries like Japan". The high rate of homicide in the United States reflects to some
extent, the estimated 50 million handguns and rifles legally and illegally owned by the
American people . The book The Saturday Night Special, explains the cheap, usually
illegal, easily concealed handgun that plays a part in so many crimes in the United States.
The author reviews the role of guns in American life-from the shoot-outs of the Old West
to the street violence of today. Most murders occur in shabby neighborhoods; of the
690 murders
in Detroit in 1971, for example, 575 occurred in the black slums mostly by handguns.
The hardest hit of all American urban centers is the inter-cities of Los Angeles, New
York, Detroit, and Washington. These cities largely consist of minorities who are
frustrated with the hand dealt to them, and simply resort to "drugs, guns, and violence" as
a way of life . The incidence of killings by handguns, compared to nonshooting methods
between the United States and Canada for the years 1977 to 1983. In Canada there were
443 handgun killings per 100,000 people compared to 4108 in the U.S. over the period of
1977-1983 . Also noted the "American murder rates for handguns are higher than the
total Canadian homicide rate. Canada's favorable situation regarding murder relative to
the United States is to large measure the result of Canadian gun control, and Canadians
must be vigilant against any erosion of our gun control provisions . The introduction of
the 1977 legislation by the Canadian government is a good example of how gun control
has benefited by having a safer society, and reduction in crime. A benefit reaped by this
legislation has been a "trend away from the use of firearms in robberies has been
noticeable ever since the passage of the gun control provisions of the 1977 Bill C-51 ".
Canadians are "more supportive of stricter controls on handguns than are Americans .
Canadians appear to be less supportive of home owners using firearms to defend
themselves than are Americans" . Canadians do have confidence in gun control, and law
enforcement in controlling the safety of their well-being. Similarities: The book The
Saturday Night Special , a major topic of concern is the status structure of the street gang
in which "success in defense of the turf brings deference and reputation . Here the
exercise of violence is a road to achievement". This violence is exercised by the means of
a gun that can be easily obtained in the United States due to the easy accessibility of
guns. Gun ownership in the United States is inversely related to individuals lack of
confidence in collective institutions to protect their security of person and property. The
vast majority of people who own guns , simply own them because it is
a part of their
American heritage, and the constitution gives them “the right toâ€the differences in
political elites and institutions rather than in public opinion" .Due to Canada's political
structure, it is a lot easier to make and approve laws in comparison with the United States
Congress structure. The claim of gun control opponents in their slogan "people kill, guns
don't". The introduction of gun control in Canada significantly shows that Canadian gun
control, especially the provisions pertaining to handguns, does have the beneficial effect
of reducing violent crime, and saving lives. When looking at the 1977 Canadian
Legislation of gun control, it is easy to see that there is some bias and assumptions
present. For one, it assumes that left to its own devices the legislation will make it
virtually impossible for a criminal to obtain a handgun. Secondly, there is an assumption
that if a person doesn't have a criminal record (it doesn't necessarily mean that they are
law-abiding) then they are eligible to obtain a firearm with an FAC (firearms Acquisition
Certificate). With the implementation of Bill C-51, a `Black Market' for illegal handguns
has emerged from the United States into Canada, making it extremely easy for the
professional criminal to obtain a firearm. It can be agreed that since the implementation
of Bill C-51 in 1977, Canada has remained relatively safe in incidents involving firearms
in comparison to the United States. The assumption of many Americans, is that having
the right to bear arms increases their security is open to dispute. It is just as reasonable to
assume that restricting the `right to bear arms' will increase the safety and security of a
society. In accordance with many sociologists beliefs, Canada historically hasn't
experienced the problems of crime, that the United States has, because of it's central
police force. The significant effect of gun control is the method of killing. Although "gun
control may be influencing some suspects to kill by other methods, it is less likely for
these suspects to kill multiple victims". As witnessed by the American media, mass
murder in public is much more a common occurrence in the U.S. than Canada. It is safe
to say that gun control has saved the lives |
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