Columbia Southern Effectiveness of Gun Control Regulations Reflection Paper

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In this unit, we have focused on revising and editing; understanding expectations; gaining perspective on your writing; ways to outline your paper; the importance of keeping the reader in mind; and how you can best read, process, and respond to feedback. Part of the revision process is sharing with others about what you have experienced. You never know what might help others in their process. Further, sometimes it can help you to better understand and reflect upon your process when you have the opportunity to write it down.

For this unit's discussion, consider the process you have gone through as you revised your paper so far—the introduction and literature review. What have you found to be most helpful for you? What would you share with others about your process? What techniques, tips, and methods have you used to help the process go more smoothly for you? You can also describe methods that were not as helpful to you and what you would like to do in the future that you think might be better.

Keep in mind that the spirit of this writing is to think about ways that you and others might improve your writing process.

Your response should be at least 200 words and should follow APA format. No references or citations are necessary.

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Research Topic: Effectiveness of Gun control regulations as a method to reduce crime The topic of gun control measures to minimize crime interests me. I have some ideas about the topic of gun control. The U.S has more than 120.5 guns in every 100 people. The total number of guns in the U.S can be approximated to 393,347,000. The total number of guns in the U.S is the highest in the world. 35% of men and 12% of women own guns in America, the total population who own guns is 22%. Proponents believe that gun control regulation will reduce deaths as a result of gunshots in the United States. I am interested in the many gun owners existing in the U.S and the rising rates of crime. Guns continue to be manufactured and used by people. The thought I have about the topic is that regulating gun ownership will reduce the crime rates in the states. Lack of guns will prevent people from engaging in crime. I expect to discover the effectiveness of gun control regulations as a method to minimize crime in the U.S. I expect to discover the gun control laws and ways they assist in managing crime. I expect to discover opposing arguments to the effectiveness of gun control laws. I hope to learn about probable actions to minimize crime if gun control does not work. I hope to learn about gun control laws in other countries and their effectiveness in minimizing crime. Right now, I assume that gun control laws are an effective method to minimize crime. With gun control laws very few people will own guns, therefore minimizing the potential to commit a crime as the weapon exists. I assume that the less gun owners, the less the crime rates. RUNNING HEAD: EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME Effectiveness of Gun control regulations as a method to reduce crime Karl Argast Introduction and Literature Review Columbia Southern University September 17th 2018 1 EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 2 Effectiveness of Gun control regulations as a method to reduce crime A lot has been said about the effectiveness of gun regulation laws as a method to reduce crime in the United States. The advocates of the control are in support of the federal and state legislation introduced throughout the time from an increase in taxes, limitations and background checks to prevent the guns from reaching the wrong people such as convicts and reduce the possibility of engaging in crime. On the other hand, those against the regulations and strive to prove the effectiveness fear that the restrictions lead to loss of safety and infringe on the people’s second amendment right to gun ownership for self-defense (Gun Control Overview, 2013). Today, all over the news there are cases of mass shootings in schools which have led to debates over gun control regulations, the shootings occur at both elementary, middle and high school level, all the attackers use a particular type of firearm to shoot, injure or kill the victims. For instance, the latest shooting occurred in February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school where a nineteen-year-old boy used an AR-15 gun to attack the people in the school compound leaving seventeen people dead and several injured, and the shooting led to advocacy for stricter gun laws. Gun laws in California State are the strictest compared to other states in the U. S from licensure, open to carry and taxes on the manufacture and sale of guns due to the numerous cases of school shootings reported since the nineteenth century. Most people do not agree to gun control regulations as an effective way to minimize crime resulting from guns, however, some believe the measures are effective as a reduction in the number of guns available in homes and the streets will reduce the probability of committing a crime. Those against the control believe EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 3 that they interfere with self-defense and personal safety thus promotes loss of lives. Those in support of the control measures believe that most of the guns are used to commit a crime and rarely for self-defense hence will gun control measures reduce crime. Gun control laws are effective ways to reduce crime because limiting the number of guns through regulation of ownership, implementation of safety practices and bans will keep the firearms away from highrisk individuals thus reduce the probability of committing a crime. Literature Review To better understand the controversy behind gun control measures as a way to minimize crime, the history of gun violence rates and gun control must be considered. The review will then evaluate the pro and con sides of the controversy on gun law measures. History of Gun violence and regulations According to Lott (2013), gun control laws were developed to manage the numerous rates of violence arising from guns and misuse. There have been more than ninety mass shootings in the U.S since 1982. Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting is one of the latest mass shooting cases resulting from guns and has led to advocacy for gun control to manage the rates of crime. Despite gun ownership protection in the constitution, several incidents since 1791 led to the development of the federal gun control laws. In 1791, the ten amendments to the constitution were ratified stating that promote gun ownership for security reasons that is the protection of the state. The first gun control regulation was passed in 1934, the National Firearms Act (NFA) which was part of the New Deal of Crime by president Roosevelt D. Franklin to end crimes such as the St Valentine’s day massacre. The regulation involved imposing a tax on the manufacture, EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 4 sale and transportation of firearms such as rifles, silencers etc. This measure would reduce the number of guns as it limited their production and transportation. In 1938, the Federal Firearms Act (FFA) was implemented that required the manufacturers and dealers to obtain a license of operation from the federal government. The law provided a record of people who could not purchase or own guns such as convicted felons. The act required the sellers to keep customer records for checks. The act was after preventing the guns from reaching the criminals. In 1968, after the assassination of President Kennedy, President Lyndon Johnson pushed for the Gun Control Act of 1968. The GCA replaced the FFA. The act also updated the NFA to include devices such as bombs, grenades, mines and ways to define a machine gun. The GCA stated the age limit for purchasing handguns at 21 years. The purpose for buying guns and requirement for serial numbers on imported guns. The GCA also stated those who cannot own guns, the mentally ill and felons. The Congress passed the Firearm Owners Protection Act in 1986 to protect gun owners. The act loosened the regulations on sales, registry and inspections. The Brady Handgun violence prevention act was implemented in 1993. The law requires background checks before purchasing a gun. In 2003, the Tiahrt amendment aimed at protecting the dealers from public scrutiny, protecting the black markets. In 2005, the president signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act to protect gun sellers from mention in court or harm in case their guns were used to commit a crime. Finally, in 2008, District of Columbia v. Heller ruled that the control laws hinder the second amendment right, however, affirmed the restrictions and regulations on ownership (Metzl & MacLeish, 2015). The arguments for Gun control regulations as a method to reduce crime EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 5 Guns promote violent behavior. Several cases of mass shootings and killings in school occur by use of guns. Most of the time, teenagers commit the crimes on their classmates. Firearms result in 51% suicide deaths in the U.S. The guns reach the young ones as a result of poor storage by the owners. Although legally right people owned the guns, they manage to get to the wrong people or rather high-risk individuals. According to Lott (2013), gun control laws will minimize the incidences of deaths from firearms. The presence of loaded and unlocked guns increased the chances of suicide and homicide. There are ways to reduce this gun violence and deaths. The restrictions on gun manufacture, sale and purchase, background checks and other regulations will significantly reduce the rates of crime by minimizing the number of guns among the people and chances of reaching the bad people. Treatment of gunshot victims takes up a lot of the health care costs; the control will reduce the costs. The restrictions will prevent women deaths during domestic violence. Approximately, five women die every day by guns due to domestic issues. McGinty, Wolfson, Sell & Webster (2016), believes that the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school would not have occurred if the gun was kept locked and safe from the juvenile. Arguments against Gun control regulations The gun control laws interfere with an individual second amendment right to own guns for self-defense. The second amendment protects gun ownership rights (Everitt & Pratt, 2015). The people have a right to own and bear guns to use for traditional reasons and self-defense at homes. Therefore, the regulations prevent the people’s right to safety. Background checks invade a person’s privacy as it requires information such as name, address, criminal records and mental health information. The information is obtained for purposes that they were not meant for. The opponents argue that education on gun safety is required and not regulation to prevent the EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 6 accidental gun deaths. If students are taught about the firearms rather than prevent their freedom the delinquency rates reduce. The gun control laws are racist in nature, and they aim at the inner city where the poor and black people live. In summary, the proponents continue to advocate for more strict measures on guns to reduce crime. They hold that reducing the number of guns will reduce the crime rates. The proposed acts that are still in control include the Brady handgun, the National Firearms Act, Federal Firearms Act among others but vary from state to state. Those against the control measures claim it hinders the second amendment rights and is not as effective as education on gun use. In as much as people may argue, most crime originate from firearms thus gun control laws still prove effective in reducing the rates of crime in the U.S. EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 7 References Everitt, L., & Pratt, E. (2015). Does the U.S. Need Tougher Gun-Control Laws?. New York Times Upfront, 147(12), 22-23. Gun Control Overview. (2013). Congressional Digest, 92(3), 3. Lott, J. R. (2013). More guns, less crime: Understanding crime and gun control laws. University of Chicago Press. McGinty, E. E., Wolfson, J. A., Sell, T. K., & Webster, D. W. (2016). Common sense or gun control? Political communication and news media framing of firearm sale background checks after Newtown. Journal of health politics, policy, and law, 41(1), 3-40. Metzl, J. M., & MacLeish, K. T. (2015). Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms. American journal of public health, 105(2), 240-249. RUNNING HEAD: EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 1 Effectiveness of Gun control regulations as a method to reduce crime Student’s name: Columbia Southern University EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 2 Effectiveness of Gun control regulations as a method to reduce crime Everitt, L., & Pratt, E. (2015). Does the U.S. Need Tougher Gun-Control Laws?. New York Times Upfront, 147(12), 22-23. This article presents a debate on whether the U.S needs more strict gun control laws to manage the high number of crimes. The debate starts by identifying the U.S Supreme Court landmark case ruling of 2008 that allowed people to own guns. Some people argue that the country needs more strict regulations while others argue that the gun control laws interfere with their second amendment rights provided in the constitution. The proponents of gun control laws argue that close to 32,000 people die every year due to gun violence. The country has the highest number of guns, and the problem comes from the owners for instance convicted felons or domestic violence perpetrators. The opponents argue that the gun control measures have failed to control the guns from getting to wrong persons. The resource will be used to support the arguments and provide examples of some of the laws implemented by the former U.S presidents to control gun ownership and how effective they have been. The resource will also be used to support an argument on why there should be no more gun control laws. Gun Control Overview. (2013). Congressional Digest, 92(3), 3. The article discusses gun control and the debate surrounding the gun control laws. The article presents questions that gun regulation policies have raised throughout the years. Some of the arguments raised are whether the constitution allows for the restriction of guns. The other issue is whether gun control equates crime control and whether strict gun control laws will reduce homicide, assault, robbery, and attacks on public figures. The public also questions EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 3 whether the gun control restrictions will affect the practice of self-defense. The article states that only federal laws have proven effective in managing guns and crime. States with minimal gun control laws will be the highest sources of guns. The second amendment of the constitution is not interfered with as the law was implemented to protect against the state militias. Some opponents of gun control laws argue that crime is not associated with gun possession. This article shall be used to inform the debate as it provides general facts on gun-related statistics including mortality and crime statistics as it relates to gun control debate. It will also be used to illustrate some gun regulations such as National Firearm Act, Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and Gun Control Act of 1968. Hsiao, T., & Bernstein, C. (2016). Against moderate gun control. Libertarian Papers, 8 Retrieved from https://login.libproxy.edmc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquestcom.libproxy.edmc.edu/docview/2001924933?accountid=34899 Hsiao & Bernstein (2016), presents arguments against gun control laws. Proponents of gun ownership argue that it’s vital for self-defense while the opponents claim it increases social harm. The article disputes measures on gun control proposed by another author David DeGrazia, the moderate gun control. De Grazia argued that owning a gun is likely to cause harm as the individual, the owner of the gun, has high chances of committing suicide or murder. De Grazia states that only individuals who need self-protection and have undergone a handgun safety training. Hsiao & Bernstein dispute De Grazia’s moderate gun control measures are stating that the arguments are narrow and weak. The right-to-carry laws reduced the violent crime rates by 8% and sexual assault cases by 6% as people were prohibited from carrying their guns around. EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 4 The article is useful to the topic as it presents arguments that both proponents and opponents against the gun control measures to minimize crime might use to support their control measures. Kposowa, A. a., Hamilton, D., & Wang, K. (2016). Impact of Firearm Availability and Gun Regulation on State Suicide Rates. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 46(6), 678-696. This journal article evaluates the effect of firearm storage practices and the strictness of firearm regulations on suicide rates in each state. Kposowa. Hamilton & Wang relate to gun ownership to the suicide rates in families or households. The presence of guns in a home increased the chances of suicide due to easy accessibility to the weapon. Kposowa et al. (2016) state that over 800000 people across the world die from intentional self-harm. From the year 2005 to 2012, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death in the United States with 51% of the deaths being a result of firearms. Kposowa et al. believe that restricting access to the lethal objects is the most effective way to reduce the suicide and homicide rates. The research discovered that the number of loaded and unlocked guns in households contribute to the increase of crime in the United States. Therefore, gun ownership laws will minimize the incidences of crime. This article shall be used to support the argument on the effectiveness of gun control measures. The article will be useful in providing the varied rates of crimes in states showing its relationship to different gun ownership and storage practices. Lott, J. R. (2013). More guns, less crime: Understanding crime and gun control laws. University of Chicago Press. Lott discusses how crime and gun control laws relate. Since the book’s last edition in ten years to present, more states have implemented the right-to-carry law, from sixteen to thirty-nine EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 5 states. The book analyzes the effects of the gun laws are first implemented and after the elimination. For instance, the federal assaults weapon ban which was introduced in 1994 and ended in 2004. The book further explores the relationship between gun laws, a number of arrests and convictions, socioeconomic factors and demographic compositions as they relate to violent and property crime. The book evaluates the effectiveness of gun laws such as Brady law, waiting periods, first background checks among others. Lott believes that Brady law and background checks had a long-lasting positive impact on crime rates. The law prevented the transfer of over two million guns and managed to control gun violence. The arguments in this book for and against gun control laws shall inform the research and be used to evaluate the effectiveness of gun control laws as a measure to reduce crime rates. The book also provides general information on gun control laws and crime that will be used to provide information on the research topic. McGinty, E. E., Wolfson, J. A., Sell, T. K., & Webster, D. W. (2016). Common sense or gun control? Political communication and news media framing of firearm sale background checks after Newtown. Journal of health politics, policy, and law, 41(1), 3-40. The 2012 mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, compelled the U.S government to implement and enforce gun control policies. The shooting occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School and led to several deaths including twenty students and six staff. This article evaluates the manner in which news media and political figures communicated the background checks for firearms to relay the information. The news media used reliable and evidence-based facts to present the information to the public. The proponents saw a way to make the laws more strict after the 2012 shooting by implementing background checks and restricting mentally ill persons from owning guns. The opponents campaigned for the laws to be loosened and allow for gun EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 6 owners to carry their guns to public places. This resource will be useful in informing some gun control laws that were suggested and implemented after the mass attack. The article presents the arguments by both proponents and opponents of the gun control laws and will be used to support the research topic on gun control laws effectiveness. The article shall be used to show the relationship between crime and gun control laws. Vernick, J. S., Alcorn, T., & Horwitz, J. (2017). Background checks for all gun buyers and gun violence restraining orders: state efforts to keep guns from high-risk persons. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 45(1_suppl), 98-102. Vernick, Alcon & Howrwitz (2017), discuss the practice of conducting a criminal background check on every person who buys a gun from a licensed dealer. The practice aims at preventing the access of firearms to people that pose a danger to themselves or others. Most prohibited offenders attempt to purchase guns from unlicensed online sellers where checks are not required. Vernick et al., states that gun purchase laws significantly affect the rates of violence. Majority of the deaths and crime in the U.S are associated with possession of a firearm. There was a reduction of crime rates by 15.4% due to the permit-to-purchase law in Connecticut, and when Missouri State rejected the law, there was a 16.1% increase in crime rates associated with firearms. The resource will be used to show the different types of background checks implemented in various states across the country to manage gun buyers and ownership by highrisk persons and their effectiveness in minimizing the rates of crime. EFFECTIVENESS OF GUN CONTROL REGULATIONS AS A METHOD TO REDUCE CRIME 7
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Gun Control Reflection
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