Gun Laws Pros And Cons

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In this year alone, there has already been 3,808 deaths related to gun violence in this country and 60 mass shootings (Gun Violence Archive). Those that have died left behind loving families, friends, and communities. All of those who have lost someone due to gun violence are left to live on knowing that what happened to their loved ones could easily happen to them. On average, 96 Americans die every day due to gun violence (Key Gun Violence Statistics). Despite that, America has some of the least strict gun laws in the world. In most states, an eighteen year-old can legally buy an AR-15 rifle, the most common weapon used in mass shootings, and by twenty-one he or she can purchase a handgun (Beckett). The United States would greatly benefit …show more content…
When writing the constitution, the founding fathers had just won the grueling Revolutionary War and were weary of an overpowering federal government. Therefor, many of the amendments in the Bill of Rights were written in order to insure there was a limit on the government’s power over its citizens. However, the constitution was written in 1787, back when people of color were seen as ⅗ of a person and were slaves to white citizens. As years went by, laws like these were abolished. The founding fathers were aware that as time went on, the technology of the world would change, although, “the founders [did not] have to weigh the risks of one man killing 49 and injuring 53 all by himself” writes David Cohen, Professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania. During 1787, a typical revolutionary- era musket magazine could hold one round, fire three rounds per minute, fire up to 1,000 feet per second, and had an accurate range of 50 meters. Today, a modern day AR-15 magazine can hold “30 rounds, fire 45 rounds per minute, fire up to 3,260 feet per second, and has an accuracy range of 550 meters” (Ingraham). Most importantly, the weapons of today are more sophisticated and are made specifically to make it easier to kill something faster, with less rounds and more …show more content…
Half of the population in the United States are women, and many cases of domestic violence go unreported. When a gun is added to the equation of an already explosive relationship, the probability of that woman dying increase “by five times”. On average, 50 women are shot by their partners (Gun Violence By The Numbers). In an average day, seven children and teens (Nineteen years old and younger) are killed by guns. Many of these are labeled as “[unintentional] due to the victim’s age but in many cases the victim was intent on killing themselves with the gun. These shootings involving children occur, on average, “every 34 hours” (Gun Violence By The Numbers). In the US today, half the population is a person of color with that number rising more and more daily. People of color are much more likely to be a victim of gun violence than whites. Black men in this country are “13 times more likely than white men to be shot and killed by guns” (Gun Violence By The Numbers). Despite the possibility of everyone in the United States, especially people of color, being affected by gun violence, there are still minimal laws on gun ownership around the nation. The use of background checks has stopped the sale of over three million guns to “prohibited people” (Gun Violence By The Numbers). The safety of the population should come before someone's want to own a gun. In 2017, out of 61,613 cases of gun

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