Unfortunately, the current state of regulation when it comes to gun sale and possession in the USA leaves much to be desired. There are over 400 million privately owned firearms in the US, meaning that the country is home to more firearms than people. While many other developed nations place severe restrictions on the access that civilians have to these dangerous weapons, the USA does far less to limit firearm possession. The second amendment to the US Constitution gave citizens the right to “bear arms”, and this clause has been upheld by the US government since 1791.
Whether or not this clause of the constitution should remain in place, however, has become a hotly contested subject. The high number of widely publicized gun-related tragedies to have occurred in recent years has left many in the country demanding change. The particularly horrifying element of these firearms tragedies is the high number of them which involve children and adolescents. It has become far too common for gun attacks to happen at schools or for mass shootings to occur on university campuses. What’s more, many suicidal young people end up using these weapons to harm themselves rather than seeking medical attention for their mental health.
The issue of reforming gun control in the USA is one that is deeply tied to young people. Both the risk they face and the danger created by their access to firearms are something that needs to be addressed by schools and governments. Educating students on the prevalence of gun violence and the need for gun control reform is key to progressing the public discourse in a positive direction. For this reason, many universities are now trying to provide their students with an education that highlights these issues by giving lectures on the risks of firearms and assigning essays about gun control.
The topic of gun control is very broad and encompasses many complex factors. College students tasked with writing a paper on gun control can download gun control essays at Samplius to see plagiarism free examples of the many issues raised by gun ownership. Looking through gun control essays can help with understanding issues such as how so many young people have access to guns, what threats this poses, and how to effectively reform gun law.
How do adolescents become armed?
In many states across the USA, the sale of firearms is a highly unregulated market. Gun licenses can be easier to acquire than a driver’s license, and it’s often possible to simply stroll into a shop and purchase a lethal weapon. Even in places where there’s a more restricted sale of firearms, many adolescents are simply using the firearms belonging to their parents when they’re not kept in a secure form of storage. The high quantity of firearms in circulation in the USA means that the illegal purchase of a gun can also be performed with relative ease for young people.
The threats
Of course, young people are still in the process of maturing and should not have access to weapons of lethal nature. It’s all too common for adolescents to injure themselves while innocently playing with firearms. Even worse, there has been a rising trend of emotionally unstable adolescents using these weapons on their peers.
How to reform gun laws
As many politicians, writers, and social critics have pointed out, there needs to be a major overhaul in the control over access to firearms to avoid this threat. Many argue for a complete ban on civilian gun ownership for non-farming purposes, whereas others simply wish to limit the ease with which these weapons can be purchased. Background checks, mental health screenings, and stricter licensing laws are all key to creating a greater degree of safety for young people from the threat of gun violence.
Unfortunately, the ultimate power to reform gun control legislation resides with politicians and the government. As many US citizens feel that their right to own guns is inherently tied to their sense of freedom, many politicians are unwilling to upset these voters by reforming legislation. Thankfully, through education, the youth of today seem to be more aware of the risks of firearms, and are moving in the direction of prioritizing safety when it comes to gun control laws.
