Crime in the United States of America
INTRODUCTION
The rising crime in the United States of America has caused many civilians to become armed and own a weapon for their safety and protection. The ownership of guns and arms is a rising debate between civilians and lawmakers. The ratio between people who oppose the idea of going gun pro and those who consider owning a weapon necessary for their protection and safety is not much, and therefore it cannot be decided with absolute certainty whether gun ownership laws should be made stricter, or there should be ease for civilians to own a gun (SCHAEFFER, 2019).
People who favor the idea of going gun pro argue that owning a gun is considered to be an act of violence, which is an absolute misconception. Most of the time, people tend to own a gun for the protection of their life and property or just for the sake that being armed gives them the satisfaction of feeling protected (FRENCH, 2018). The people in favor of going gun pro also argue that the rising crime and mass shootings are not a consequence of civilians owning a gun rather the lack of ownership of arms and weapons that a person can use for his protection and safety (Fallows, 2018).
ARGUMENT 1
People tend to react to situations and their mindset, and certain points of view are shaped according to their life experiences and the incidents they have experienced over time. Many people favoring the pro-gun culture have experienced some sort of abuse or criminal violence in their lives, and therefore, they emphasize on the importance of owning a gun as being unarmed and weaponless in such circumstances did not help them (FRENCH, 2018). One of the arguments presented by the people of pro-gun culture community is the fact that owning a weapon such as a riffle, a small gun or a hand pistol can keep you protected and safe against criminal acts such as thievery, murder attempts, mugging, rape, etc. (Fallows, 2018).
Many stories have been shared by the members of the pro-gun culture community, and most of them have felt threatened and at-risk and have had the consciousness of feeling that either they themselves are unsafe or some members of their families were unsafe. This sense of being vulnerable made them realize the importance of owning a gun and how necessary it is to feel the confidence and security that if someone breaks into your house during the night, and you own a personal weapon, the least you would be able to do is threaten the intruders till the time police arrive to help you (FRENCH, 2018).
The people of the pro-gun culture community believe that the government’s attempts and policies for civilian protection are sometimes incompetent and lack the required efficiency, and as a result, individuals are forced to take measures for being responsible for their own and their family’s protection. A person cannot always be dependent on external forces for protection and safety. Therefore, carrying a weapon not only gives a sense of safety and confidence but also keeps one prepared to handle any harmful situations that a person may come across (Satter, 2020). This gives members of the gun pro community to feel empowered, and they believe as a free citizen of the country, each individual should be allowed to revert to any measures that help them feel secure and protected at a personal level (FRENCH, 2018).
ARGUMENT 2
The pro-gun community argues that most people oppose the idea of weapon or arms ownership because the mainstream media is bias and journalists only focus on the negative impacts of going gun pro, and therefore the idea of strict laws against gun control is favored more (Carter, 2020). The mainstream media inflicts false misconceptions in the public’s mind regarding weapon ownership and portrays it to be such a dangerous and threatening practice that people start favoring gun control rights without even considering the positive aspects of gun ownership rights (Fallows, 2018). Hence, the positive impacts of gun ownership by law-abiding citizens need to be highlighted more than often go unreported, to create awareness about the positive impacts gun ownership has for the civilians in the American society (Satter, 2020). Guns and arms are considered to be ‘weapons of war’ that is not deemed suitable for ownership; however what most people don’t consider is that these same ‘weapons of war’ are largely owned by the police force that works for the protection of civilians (Carter, 2020).
Gun ownership is considered to be a way of life in the American society since the 18th century and members of the pro-gun community back their debate by quoting that owning a gun was an essential necessity rather than a luxury in earlier times as they were used to fight off raids by other populations and this is how America came to be the first country to emphasize and practice the rights of gun ownership by civilians. Therefore, strict laws against gun ownership is somewhat a way of opposing the American notion of freedom and civil rights (Carter, 2020).
The pro-gun community also highlights the fact that criminals are more afraid of armed citizens than they are from the police and the major reasons for this is that the police are mostly never physically present onsite of the crime and are bound to use arms only when it is absolutely necessary however an armed civilian under attack would resort to defensive measures and would most likely shoot at an attacker in self-defense (FRENCH, 2018). Survey studies suggest that many criminals who have experienced encounters with armed citizens are afraid of victimizing such people, and they mostly refrain from attacking or victimizing people who they assume to be armed or carrying a weapon. This proves that owning a gun can keep you safe from criminal attacks on a large scale (Carter, 2020).
ARGUMENT 3
History shows that the major approach of colonists, which enabled them to depose the British control over American colonies, was the use of weapons and arms to fight against the oppressive British rulers, and without this approach, America would not have gained its freedom today. Thus, the importance of owning weapons and their usage became an essential part of the U.S Constitution as the Founding Fathers of America understood the necessity of keeping their civilians armed and wanted to ensure the protection and safety of future generations against any type of domestic or foreign threats, through self-defense (Carter, 2020).
In 2014, studies showed that almost 52% of the population in America believed that it was more important to practice gun ownership rights rather than imposing gun control laws because gun ownership and the right to bear arms is an essential part of the U.S constitution and an integral part of ‘the right to life’ policy (SCHAEFFER, 2019). If this right is violated by any individual or the state itself, it obstructs the ability of an individual to protect himself or his family against any kind of danger or even oppression, and this subsequently threatens the ability of citizens to protect and exercise their constitutional rights as well. The imposition of strict gun control laws not only comprises the safety and security of civilians and makes them more vulnerable to increasing criminal attacks, but it also breaches the constitutional rights of civilians (Carter, 2020).
ARGUMENT 4
A major part of the U.S population argues that gun ownership is an unsafe and dangerous practice and is the cause of many violent crimes as owning a gun enhances the potential of an individual to use it for violent and criminal acts (Weida, 2020). Events such as mass murders and shootings and the increase in suicide rates have alarmed the authorities to revert to strict legislative measures in opposing the right to own firearms in the American society (SCHAEFFER, 2019). However, many people favoring pro-gun rights argue that statistics don’t favor these allegations. In fact, deaths due to criminal violence and shootings account for a much larger number as compared to the deaths caused by the illegal and unsafe use of weapons by civilians, and therefore, these claims are not enough to restrict gun ownership by civilians (Fallows, 2018).
The pro-gun community members also claim that these events of mass shootings and killings happen in other countries, and thousands of unarmed people are killed as a consequence. If the criminals causing such distortion in the community were aware that the people they are shooting at are armed themselves and would answer back, in the same manner, these events would not take place at such a large scale. This proves that countries, where gun ownership rights are not provided to civilians, experience a more unsafe and unsecure environment (SCHAEFFER, 2019).
Members of the pro-gun community often march out and conduct rallies to promote gun ownership rights. They claim that owning a gun saves more lives than it endangers, and some reporters attending these rallies clear the misconceptions of the dangers associated with the gun pro community. They report that despite a large number of armed people, the rallies are peaceful and safe, and the sole purpose of these rallies is to promote the safety and security associated with owning a weapon rather than endangering and threatening their own or anyone else’s safety. This clearly shows that people in favor of gun ownership rights are not a threat to American society; instead, they only have a simple motive, which is the protection of civil rights and civilian lives (Satter, 2020).
CONCLUSION
To conclude all the arguments presented above, I personally believe that gun ownership rights need to gain more emphasis and should be practiced in all societies. The gun pro culture is one that is an essential part of the American constitution since the beginning of time, and it ensures the safety and security of civilians against rising crimes and any sort of domestic or foreign threats. The concept of armed civilians is not only a matter of protection and safety but also a notion of highlighting the importance of practicing constitutional and civil rights in a free and democratic state. While a majority of people highlight the importance of gun control due to the threats of gun ownership, the members of the pro-gun culture community counter these misconceptions blaming the biased media for instilling fear associated with gun ownership in people. They believe that going owning a weapon is essential for safety and security at a personal level, and in no way is gun ownership by civilians is a threat to life. Owning a weapon keeps you less vulnerable, gives you a sense of personal safety and security, and enables you to fight back or hold off an attack until the police arrive to help you.
REFERENCES
Carter, M. (2020). American Gun Ownership: The Positive Impacts of Law-Abiding Citizens Owning Firearms. AMMO.COM. Retrieved from https://ammo.com/articles/gun-ownership-in-america
Fallows, J. (2018). A Case Against Gun Control. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2018/02/a-case-against-gun-control/553715/
FRENCH, D. (2018). What Critics Don’t Understand About Gun Culture. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/gun-culture/554351/
Satter, M. (2020). I went to the pro-gun rally in Virginia. It was not what I expected. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved from https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/01/26/i-went-to-the-pro-gun-rally-in-virginia-it-was-not-what-i-expected/
SCHAEFFER, J. G. K. (2019). 7 facts about guns in the U.S. FACTTANK. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/10/22/facts-about-guns-in-united-states/
Weida, K. (2020). Does a Gun Make Your Home Safer? safewise. Retrieved from https://www.safewise.com/resources/guns-at-home/