Biting the Bullet: Gun laws in the US vs Australia and Canada
Gun reform is a rather controversial topic that has captured my interest. I grew up with a marine vet and a swat medic for a father, so it’s safe to say I know a thing or two about a gun and its uses for protection in the force and combat field. It wasn’t until recently that I was made aware of how it feels to be on the other-side of the chamber. My nine-year-old sisters biggest fear used to be getting coal in her stocking or not getting gushers in her lunch box, as it should be. Now she knows different; she knows gun fire. Her elementary school is located directly next to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where seventeen students were violently murdered by a mentally ill boy …show more content…
I will be addressing the main topic with a series of subtopics. To begin, I will discuss the current gun laws in place in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. and how they came to be. Later in the paper, I will discuss Joshua Newman’s elaborations on the “wickedness” that comes with a policy such as gun control. I will then elaborate on whether or not the gun laws in Australia and Canada can be used as solutions for Americas gun violence. Katie Beck and Tristan Hopper both help to shed light on the major differences that separate all three countries from each other and how what happens in America (as far as mass shootings go) would most likely never happen in Canada or Australia (Hopper, 3). To wrap up this paper, I will go into some of my personal opinions on the issue by further telling the story of what happened to my little sister on the day of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting and how the incident has affected mine, my family, and my …show more content…
However, it’s safe to say that Canadas gun laws are a prime example of the tokened phrase “a little goes a long way”. Their gun reform laws are classified into three categories; prohibited, restricted, and non-restricted. To own a gun or ammunition you must possess a valid license under the firearms act, which is typically only given to those in need of firearms for work (Matthews, 3). To receive a fire-arm license, citizens must undergo a screening process which includes a safety course, criminal history, background checks, provision of personal references, all finalized by a mandatory waiting period of sixty days. The background checks are rather extensive, focusing on mental, addiction, and criminal histories (Hickey, 4). Majority of these laws were not strictly enforced until recent years following the attack on Ottawa. On October 22, 2014, fear struck the nation when a man successfully conducted not one, but two shootings. The first one was at a war memorial, he shot and killed two soldiers guarding the memorial. Shortly after, the halls of Parliament echoed with blood hurdling screams and gun fire. Thankfully, no one died that day (Mosendz, 2). Even though only two soldiers were killed that day, it does not take away from the fact that those who were in Parliament that day, will forever be scarred by the truly horrendous act. Senator Vern White said it best when he explained his personal feelings toward the
Gun reform is a rather controversial topic that has captured my interest. I grew up with a marine vet and a swat medic for a father, so it’s safe to say I know a thing or two about a gun and its uses for protection in the force and combat field. It wasn’t until recently that I was made aware of how it feels to be on the other-side of the chamber. My nine-year-old sisters biggest fear used to be getting coal in her stocking or not getting gushers in her lunch box, as it should be. Now she knows different; she knows gun fire. Her elementary school is located directly next to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where seventeen students were violently murdered by a mentally ill boy …show more content…
I will be addressing the main topic with a series of subtopics. To begin, I will discuss the current gun laws in place in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. and how they came to be. Later in the paper, I will discuss Joshua Newman’s elaborations on the “wickedness” that comes with a policy such as gun control. I will then elaborate on whether or not the gun laws in Australia and Canada can be used as solutions for Americas gun violence. Katie Beck and Tristan Hopper both help to shed light on the major differences that separate all three countries from each other and how what happens in America (as far as mass shootings go) would most likely never happen in Canada or Australia (Hopper, 3). To wrap up this paper, I will go into some of my personal opinions on the issue by further telling the story of what happened to my little sister on the day of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting and how the incident has affected mine, my family, and my …show more content…
However, it’s safe to say that Canadas gun laws are a prime example of the tokened phrase “a little goes a long way”. Their gun reform laws are classified into three categories; prohibited, restricted, and non-restricted. To own a gun or ammunition you must possess a valid license under the firearms act, which is typically only given to those in need of firearms for work (Matthews, 3). To receive a fire-arm license, citizens must undergo a screening process which includes a safety course, criminal history, background checks, provision of personal references, all finalized by a mandatory waiting period of sixty days. The background checks are rather extensive, focusing on mental, addiction, and criminal histories (Hickey, 4). Majority of these laws were not strictly enforced until recent years following the attack on Ottawa. On October 22, 2014, fear struck the nation when a man successfully conducted not one, but two shootings. The first one was at a war memorial, he shot and killed two soldiers guarding the memorial. Shortly after, the halls of Parliament echoed with blood hurdling screams and gun fire. Thankfully, no one died that day (Mosendz, 2). Even though only two soldiers were killed that day, it does not take away from the fact that those who were in Parliament that day, will forever be scarred by the truly horrendous act. Senator Vern White said it best when he explained his personal feelings toward the