Gun Control

Essay by Anonymous UserHigh School, 10th gradeA-, September 1996

download word file, 3 pages 3.0

Automobiles must only be licensed for use upon public roads, and licenses are not required for the purchase of cars. There are no waiting periods or background checks on the purchase of cars. People who misuse their cars are punished for their own actions, and particular types of cars aren't banned or taken away from those who use them safely. Unlike driving on public roads, which is a privilege, owning a gun is a right explicitly protected by the U.S. Constitution . The right of self -defense is fundamental and inalienable, but requiring a license to own the means of self defense gives government the power to deny that right, for whatever reason. Licensing of law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed weapon is permissible, because, like driving, the government has an interest in maintaining public safety by ensuring as best it can that only the law-abiding carry in public. However, some supporters of the right to keep and bear arms oppose requiring a permit for concealed carry, and prefer a permitless system like that of the state of Vermont, which simply punishes misuse of guns, rather than restricting their lawful use.

Restricting the ability of law-abiding citizens to own and use firearms on their own property, and in defense of their homes and families, punishes them before they have even done anything wrong.

In 1990, guns, which gun control supporters claim are 'designed only to kill,' were involved in about 1,400 accidental deaths, 18,800 suicides, and 13,600 murders, for a total of 33,800 firearm-related deaths. There are more than 200,000,000 firearms in private hands in the United States. Also in 1990, motor vehicles, which are not 'designed to kill' were involved in about 46,000 accidental deaths and 1,900 people decided to suck on an exhaust pipe to end their lives,