Are Guns Really Necessary?

Essay by divinealliance22 June 2003

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John Mendez

Mrs. Ragle

AP English

28 May 2003

Are Guns Really Necessary?

Guns are one of the main causes of violence in the United States today. Guns are too easy to get hold of for any reason, by any person, and there are signs of gun violence in the streets, schools, and in workplaces. Guns are too easy to get hold of because in almost half the states, anyone who is 18 or older can fill out a form, and leave with a gun. 18 is the age where, in the United States, one is legally an adult. Should there be an age limit for owning a gun? In addition, guns can also be received illegally, such as stealing them or buying them from an unlicensed dealer. Also the Brady Bill has not been put into full power yet. The Brady Bill says that a person who wants to buy a gun must "go through a waiting period of five working days between the time they purchased a handgun (revolver or pistol) and the time they took possession of it."

(Zimring) There are signs of gun violence in the streets associated with gangs and cliques of killings and murders. Also, gun violence is seen in schools; school shootings are heard on the radio, watched on television, or seen on the Internet, such as the Columbine shootings at Littleton, Colorado. A recent "FBI study of 41 school shooters in 37 incidents revealed that attackers found it easy to get the guns. Most of the attackers were able to take guns from their homes or friends, buy them legally or illegally, or steal them. Some even received guns as gifts from parents. In the last eight years, 206 students have lost their lives because of school-related gun violence" (Gun Violence in...