The debate over gun control has been one of the more controversial topics in the United States—each side of the argument has passionate reasons as to why they are right. Our nation has been the only one that has been plagued by frequent incidents of gun violence, which have only intensified the conversation surrounding firearm regulation. It’s a complex issue that encompasses various aspects such as fundamental rights or public safety. However, with each tragic incident, the urgency to address and rectify this issue becomes prominent. It is time for us to prioritize public safety and create stricter gun control laws in order to save lives and protect our communities.
People that advocate for stricter gun laws argue that we cannot ignore how devastating this issue is to our society. With so many statistics regarding gun-related deaths, the time to finally come to a conclusion about this issue should be very soon. It is our moral obligation to implement much steeper measures to purchase a weapon that could potentially cause devastating tragedies such as the Sandy Hook Elementary incident, or the Columbine High School incident. Enacting measures such as, much more in-depth background checks, raising the age to purchase firearms, banning assault weapons, or authorizing “red flag” laws (laws permitting a court to confiscate weapons from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others).
These measures are not focused on taking away rights from law-abiding citizens, but rather to ensure individuals who own firearms are responsible and do not pose a threat to society. These laws are focused on keeping people safe, keeping communities safe, and just protecting human life. It’s immoral to prioritize rights to purchase weapons over safeguarding human life. Mitigating these tragedies, especially in schools, should be of the utmost importance and it’s unbelievably selfish to argue against that.
Many countries all over the world have already authorized similar laws and have demonstrated the effectiveness of said policies in reducing gun-related deaths and maintaining public safety. Our nation has to follow their proactive approach to firearm regulation to finally put this issue to rest.
On the other side of this topic, there is individual’s that constantly refer to the Second Amendment in order to justify their resistance to these life-saving regulations. It is important to point out that this Amendment about “the right to bear arms” was not intended to be unlimited. Just like we impose reasonable limits on other rights in the constitution, like freedom of speech, we should do the same with the right to bear arms.
Another justification this side uses is summed up in the phrase “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. This statement is a gross oversimplification of the issue and really just ignores the simple fact that easy access to devastating weapons plays a significant role in facilitating violence. Studies, as well as common sense, show that more lenient gun control laws equal more gun-related deaths.
Ultimately, the debate over gun control is not just a political issue—it’s a matter of life or death. It is our moral duty as responsible citizens to advocate for these policies that prioritize the safety of the public and further prevent the senseless loss of life. Enacting stricter gun laws is a step in the right direction. Simply put: Strict gun laws equal less gun violence.
