Gun Control in America
The topic of American gun control has been debated throughout the country by everyone from elected officials to common citizens. Recently, the matter of how guns should be controlled in the United States has held a spotlight in the countries media as a result of an increase in the number of acts of mass gun violence. In recent years, many politicians have called for a plan resembling that of the gun reforms of Australia and Great Britain to be implemented in the United States. In a recent speech, President Obama stated that: “We know that other countries, in response to mass shootings, have been able to craft laws that almost eliminate mass shootings. Friends of ours, allies of ours, Great Britain, Australia, countries like ours” (Obama). In each of these countries the reform which was implemented caused astonishing decreases in the amount of gun violence. While gun reforms in the countries of Australia and Great Britain were successful in reducing gun violence and mass shootings, a similar reform would not be able to be implemented in the United States due to the resistance of the citizens and the scale of which the reform would have to be.
One of the key differences between the United States, Great Britain, and Australia which makes it so that a gun reform such …show more content…
In Australia, this inciting event was a massacre in 1996 in the town of Port Arthur which left 35 people dead and 23 wounded (Klieve). This violent shooting spree was carried out by Martin Bryant, an Australian man who before the attack had been labeled as mentally unstable (Klieve). Before the Port Arthur incident there had been 13 other massacres in 18 years within the country (Chapman). Following this incident urgent pleas were made and eventually answered for a much more restrictive system of gun control throughout the
The topic of American gun control has been debated throughout the country by everyone from elected officials to common citizens. Recently, the matter of how guns should be controlled in the United States has held a spotlight in the countries media as a result of an increase in the number of acts of mass gun violence. In recent years, many politicians have called for a plan resembling that of the gun reforms of Australia and Great Britain to be implemented in the United States. In a recent speech, President Obama stated that: “We know that other countries, in response to mass shootings, have been able to craft laws that almost eliminate mass shootings. Friends of ours, allies of ours, Great Britain, Australia, countries like ours” (Obama). In each of these countries the reform which was implemented caused astonishing decreases in the amount of gun violence. While gun reforms in the countries of Australia and Great Britain were successful in reducing gun violence and mass shootings, a similar reform would not be able to be implemented in the United States due to the resistance of the citizens and the scale of which the reform would have to be.
One of the key differences between the United States, Great Britain, and Australia which makes it so that a gun reform such …show more content…
In Australia, this inciting event was a massacre in 1996 in the town of Port Arthur which left 35 people dead and 23 wounded (Klieve). This violent shooting spree was carried out by Martin Bryant, an Australian man who before the attack had been labeled as mentally unstable (Klieve). Before the Port Arthur incident there had been 13 other massacres in 18 years within the country (Chapman). Following this incident urgent pleas were made and eventually answered for a much more restrictive system of gun control throughout the