The Argument For Stricter Gun Control Laws

Those whom are opposed to gun control laws do not like to admit there is a linkbetween access to guns and violence. The NRA says “guns don’t kill people, people killpeople.” They will claim that the right to bear arms for self-defense and civil rightswould be diminished. However, this view is only one sided and it fails to address the linkbetween the ownership of guns and the violence that occurs because of it.

Almost everyday we can open up a newspaper or turn on a national newsbroadcast on the television and discover a new case of someone being killed by the use ofa gun. Perhaps it was a child whom had access to his/her parents gun they keep in thehouse for self defensive purposes, an adult whom was an innocent bystander during aworkplace massacre or robbery, a shooting at a school by a disturbed kid, or a domesticdispute turned deadly. Unfortunately, it is rare that a day goes by that we do not hearabout one of the above events. Whatever the case may be, it is apparent that too manypeople have access to firearms and that access must be restricted.

The Brady Campaign is one that enforces gun control laws, elects pro guncontrol public officials, and informs the public about gun violence. It was enacted in1994 and because of it, all 50 states must do background checks on anyone wishing topurchase a firearm. While this has helped quell some gun violence that may haveoccurred otherwise, there are still too many who are falling through the cracks. Thesebackground checks are targeting the wrong people and criminals are still able to obtainguns from illegal sources. Take a look at the Virginia Tech massacre last spring. Thisreopened the legislative debate over gun control that was never resolved from theColumbine high school shootings eight...