Gun control is a highly controversial topic with very extreme viewpoints. Gun control advocates believe that gun control laws take guns out of the hands of the criminals and thus decreases gun violence. Those that are anti-gun control would argue that the Second Amendment was written to protect citizens in their right to bear arms and is thus our constitutional right. Gun control laws have little impact on preventing criminals from accessing gun and lowering the crime rate, but instead infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens who are trying to protect themselves.
Contrary to the belief of gun control advocates, gun control regulations do not reduce the violent crime rate. As the numbers of "assault weapons" …show more content…
Regulating gun shows may sound logical, but according to a 2001 Bureau of Justice Statistics report “Firearms use by offenders” (based on interviews with 18,000 prison inmates) found that fewer than 1% of U.S. "crime guns" came from gun shows, with repeat offenders even less likely than first-timers to buy guns from any retail source (National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action 11). This information supports the idea that gun show regulations would prove all but useless in preventing criminals from obtaining firearms since there is little chance of them purchasing at these venues. The more likely result of such regulations would be making it more difficult for legitimate gun purchasers to acquire a gun. In a 2006 study of criminals who attacked law enforcement officers conducted by the FBI, one convict stated "[T]he 8,000 new gun laws would have made absolutely [no difference], whatsoever, about me getting a gun.... I never went into a gun store or to a gun show or to a pawn shop or anyplace else where firearms are legally bought and sold" (National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action 10). Regulators are focusing on the wrong place to keep guns out of criminal’s hands. By their own admission, criminals are more likely to obtain a gun from family, friends, or off the street …show more content…
While gun advocates have the intent of protecting society from gun violence, their approach is not resolving the issue. In fact, statistics show that gun violence decreases when laws are put in place that allow law abiding citizens to own guns. The focus should be on the gunmen and what is driving their actions as opposed to the weapon they are using. Only then will headway be made in addressing the violence that plagues