In 1791 the second amendment was ratified as part of the United States (US) Constitution, A right that its framers gave to the US citizen as a fundamental protection against threats from outside or within. “The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” (Young, 2007) Since then Americans have wrapped themselves with this right, even with judicial ruling giving government the ability to limit manufacturing, sales and ownership. But with the last ten year or so the US has experienced some of the worst mass shootings in recorded history. I wish to address the contagion of mass shootings and what actions in legislation have allowed these types of tragic events to unfold. After 2006 there has been a distinct rise in mass shootings, this is evident with tragic example like Sandy Hook Elementary and Virginia Tech University. These incidents are …show more content…
Currently, in 2017, there have been 51 mass shootings, in which four on more individuals were harmed and or killed by individual with firearms, in the US (Gun Violence Archive, 2017). Yet the National Rifle Association (NRA), which is pro-gun and 2nd Amendment, has push and lobbied vigorously against firearm regulation. The NRA has had a strong showing in congressional support for many years and have always used the constitution as the base of their debate against advocacy groups like the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the Brady Campaign who want stricter national regulation and enforcement of firearms. This debate seems meaningless if citizens are prone to violence by those given access to the means of their destructive acts. Our nation has experienced major loss from mass shooting incidents, we should not fear losing our constitutional right to firearms but instead fight to have it benefit us all in a safe effective
Gun Control and Mass Shootings in America Gun violence is an unquestionable issue in America, with the United States ranking as one of the worst with both homicides and suicides using guns. That being said, we outnumber Mexico in gun related deaths and among first-world countries we rank far above others in the number of gun deaths, such as England and Australia. Consequently, we live in one of the only first world countries that does not have extensive gun laws and restrictions to gun access. Aside from the countless homicides and suicides by firearm in this country, one particular issue within this predicament is mass shootings, with the most recent mass shooting occurring on February 14th, 2018 at a high school in Parkland, Florida where 17 people were killed. Although, it may seem like an easy fix to just implement gun control laws into our society to eliminate gun violence, but it is important to note that Americans own nearly half of all firearms globally, which is roughly 325 million guns;
Mass shootings In the article, “The Fear We Live With” by Jeva Lange (2018) she explains how mass shootings have affected many lives in the United States. She points out that people are very afraid of how the shootings are happening too frequently and America does not care to do anything about it. Mass shootings happen too much in the world and there is not one way to fix them.
294 days in the past year have had one specific theme in common. Each of them has been the setting for a mass shooting, on campuses or in public places that resulted in the injury or death of multiple bystanders. Through social media, the most gruesome details are often the only information to ever reach the public, causing issues such as gun-control policy and tighter security in public places to rise to the top of the list on political agendas. This has forced mass shootings to become the backdrop for constant ideological media battles. In addition, the consideration of other issues found in shootings, such as mental and social disorders, become smothered by the debate of gun control and similar measures.
Mass shootings are a horrific event prevalent in our society for many years. On July 18, 1984, James Huberty fires with his long-barreled Uzi at a McDonald’s San Ysidro, California, killing twenty-one adults and children. Another gunman, George Hennard, fires in a Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, killing a total of twenty-three people on On October 16, 1991. A different mass murderer, Seung-Hui Cho, shoots thirty-two students and faculty members dead at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia on April 16, 2007. Additionally, Adam Lanza opens fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut killing twenty students aging from six to seven, and six staff on December 14, 2012.
These mass shootings are only becoming more frequent and the death toll is increasing. “Evil is evil is evil and will use the weaponry that is available.” Which is why I bring up the question: should we consider taking a look at the Second Amendment, and enact stricter gun laws? The answer: Yes, because the number of tragedies and deaths are not going to stop, just increase. Firstly, the Second Amendment was intended to protect the right of militias to own guns, not the right of individuals.
Mass shootings have become a commonality for Americans, and we as a country have become used to the high death toll associated with these tragedies. Killers armed to the teeth seek a highly dense hunting ground to rake in as many kills during their bloodbath. Mass shootings are not uniquely an American problem, but they are uniquely common here. Federal bans, public safety campaigns, and state laws have attempted to attack the mass shooting dilemma. As shootings continue, the issue remains a prevalent debated topic in politics and leaving many dumbfounded on what course of action needs to be taken to save us from the plight we’re in.
Mass shooting episodes have increased over recent decade and received substantial media coverage during the last year. Multiple schools, clubs, and churches, and public places across the United States have been impacted, resulting in the deaths of innocent people. The United States has more mass shootings than any other country between 1966 and 2012. There has been shootings in public places receiving media coverage and giving the perception that they are becoming the new normal.
Mass shootings like the one that happened not too long ago in Vegas are not common to very many countries outside of the U.S. In fact japan has has zero mass shootings since the year 2000. Most of the threats to the United States are a lot different from the threats they faced in 1789 when the second amendment was written, and Americans were given the right to bear arms. The right itself has become the actual threat. No longer are guns being used to protect the citizens of this nation from the british, and any other country or place for that matter, but the second amendment has become the right to take lives.
The country with the second highest amount of mass shootings between 1996 and 2012 was the Philippines with 18, followed by Russia with 15, Yemen with 11, and France with 10 (Stableford). Criminologist Adam Lankford argues that there is a correlation between mass shootings and
Mass school shootings have been going on for years and have only gotten more frequent. Mass school shootings have tripled since 2011 according to a Harvard Research. There have been five school shootings this year since August. People wonder if having stricter gun laws in general or allowing guns on campus would help these horrible tragedies from occurring. Depending on the environment being lived in plays a big role in the use and possession of guns.
The rise of Mass shootings in the U.S. In the last 52 years there has been 150 mass shootings in the U.S. In the 50 years before that, their were just 25. In those 52 years 1,077 people were killed. In the year 2017 alone, 112 people were killed.
The 2nd amendment of the United States states that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” But is that truly the way that the United States should be governed under? The United States has the one of the highest amount of deaths related to gun violence in the entire world, 31st in the world exactly, but the fact that is baffling is that for such a developed and country with a strong infrastructure, why are these rates so high? From mass shooting in schools, clubs, gatherings, and neighborhoods all across America, there is certainly something else behind these mass shootings. Gun violence is an aching issue on the hands of the hands of the United States government as well, as congress is finding it difficult to
Everyday in the United States, ninety families are changed forever; guns claim an average of ninety lives every day in the United States, 33,000 lives in a single year. Gun control has been a debate in the United States for many years and is constantly thrusted back into the public’s attention by horrific shootings. These shootings constantly cause individuals to petition the government to place stricter and stricter regulations of guns. However, these policies cannot be the solution to this problem. To determine a solution that will be both effective and constitutional, we must look at statistics and research that has been conducted to determine the best course of action.
The number of incidents of gun violence last year in the United States was about 60,000. In recent years, the number of mass shooting has risen to about one mass shooting per day in the United States. The country is divided with some wanting to reevaluate our gun control laws and either ban or add additional regulations to the purchase of guns. Others say it is our right for Americans to own guns and something the founding fathers considered important to put in the Bill of Rights. The number of firearm sales has risen with the number of mass shooting many Americans question if banning guns or certain guns could help decrease the number of gun violence deaths.
To begin with, the second amendment of the US constitution gives citizens the right to carry or possess a gun. As a result, gun violence in America has increased drastically over the years due to guns being utilised in a reprehensible manner and people getting wedged in the crossfire, hence why stringent law enforcements need to be put in place regarding guns in the US. “Since 1982, there have been at least 61 mass murders carried out with firearms; in most cases, the killers had obtained their weapons legally”.