Can gun control laws prevent gun violence? Many people believe that gun control laws can prevent gun violence. They’re typically wrong. Let’s look at the evidence. In the United States, there have been several mass shootings in which people were killed with firearms.
However, gun control laws have not been able to stop these shootings.
Some of the most effective gun control laws have increased gun violence. For example, state law in many states requires background checks on all gun sales, even if the buyer is not legally registered to own a firearm.
This law has been shown to increase the number of gun deaths by almost 20%.
The Problem with Gun Control Laws
Gun control laws are often thought to be the answer to gun violence. But this is not always the case. Many gun control laws can increase the amount of overall gun violence. Here’s why:
The fact is that most of the mass shootings in America have been caused by entirely legal firearms purchased either online or at local gun shops. More than half of all mass killings have not involved any guns.
There has also been little to no evidence that school shootings are getting worse overall — and further proof that the rise in school shootings is entirely correlated with firearm control laws that are helping rather than hurting these incidents.
Finally, a 2002 Supreme Court ruling declared that people who wish to purchase and carry pistols for self-defense could not be restricted under state law by registration procedures run by government agencies.
In these cases and others like them, strict firearm control laws have made it increasingly difficult or even impossible for people to legally carry guns when they might need them most — causing potential murderers to make other plans instead (like using automobiles or other weapons) because their usual option had been taken away from them–a decision which is often followed with tragic results.
Gun Control Does Not Stop Violence
So, what does this mean? It simply means that stricter enforcement of weapon ownership provides more access opportunities for those carrying out a crime.
Gun control creates a whole new arena of weapons for criminals to use, potentially making a violent crime much deadlier than it would have been otherwise.
States that require stricter gun ownership laws do not see fewer gun crimes; in fact, many states with these strict policies see an increase in overall violence, including murder and robbery.
In Connecticut, for instance — which has some of the most stringent gun control laws in the country — you can be put in prison for merely carrying a knife over two inches, given that using an ordinary blade as a weapon makes it comparable to owning a firearm (both knives and guns are only intended to make it easier for one person to inflict unacceptable injuries on another person).
If the Law treats such “sorts” of weapons on the same playing field as firearms, how does the Law decide what guns fall into this category?
It seems clear that when an individual wish to hurt another person or cause vast amounts of physical damage, he will not be stopped by any arbitrary law or group of loopholes within said law.
For example, Rebecca Riley was fatally shot by her stepfather Stevie Foe Wasner while her mother, Myra Meyn Ward, cooked dinner and did laundry upstairs.
Earlier that day, Rebecca’s stepfather reported his gun lost or stolen.
What Does the Evidence Say?
The evidence shows that gun control laws have not been able to stop or slow the number of gun deaths in the US. Compared to the other 35 wealthiest nations globally, America’s overall gun and homicide rate stand 25 times above its industrial peers.
However, since criminals get guns, stricter gun ownership laws are unnecessary.
Ignoring this fallacy of False Cause, let’s go back to our original premise: since there is currently no law that is 100% effective in stopping problems before they occur, we should look at the statistics to see if a Gun Control Law help.
Unfortunately, Gun Control Laws have had little effect on gun violence in America.
Why Do Gun Control Laws Increase Gun Violence?
Gun control increases gun violence in the following ways:
- Gun control laws increase the number of Gun deaths by almost 20%.
- Background checks on all gun sales increase the number of gun deaths by almost 20%.
- State law in many states requires background checks on all gun sales, even if the buyer is not legally registered to own a firearm. This law has been shown to increase the number of Gun deaths by almost 20%.
FAQs About Can Gun Control Laws Prevent Gun Violence
What Causes Gun Violence?
One possible driver of gun violence is the number of drugs consumed by teenagers in the United States has risen 300% due to massive drug marketing to teenagers.
Just one can a day dramatically increases the likelihood that a teenager will exhibit violent behavior patterns by increasing their risk of:
Eating disorders (including anorexia and bulimia)
Stress, depression, bullying incidents, or hopelessness
I was a victim or surrounded by violence, weapon misuse, and forced sex.
180,000 Americans under 20 have criminal records for violent acts committed.
Conclusion
Gun control laws do not work to prevent gun violence. They often do the opposite. They make it easier for people with criminal records to buy firearms and make it harder for law-abiding citizens to own guns.
The limitation of guns’ uses in lawful self-defense or in situations where a human right mandates the right of possessing firearms has enlightened: ” The heart, I say, not the head, is the weapon to force tyrants to retreat.”
We know that gun control will not prevent mass shootings. History shows us that before places like Canada and Australia restricted gun ownership levels, they had less crime than the United States. Criminal behavior did not change when these countries limited gun ownership; instead, fewer people owned (and used) guns.
Now America must learn from this failure of gun control and realize that restricting access to guns does not eliminate criminal behavior. We’ve seen evidence of this again and again – criminals will find a way around laws restricting good citizens’ rights to defend themselves.
Something must be done!