Gun Control

Koraliz Del Mar Martínez Colón

11B

Argumentative Essay

April 23, 2018 Mrs. J. López

Gun Control The United States of America should make stricter gun control laws to prevent deaths due to firearms. After the shooting on a high school in Parkland, Florida, Americans have been demanding gun control measures. Like in Japan, and other countries, regulations on gun control have prevented millions of deaths.

A mass shooting took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018. This terrible attack left 17 dead and 17 more injured. Nikolas Cruz, the shooter, killed the 17 students in 6 minutes and 20 seconds, to then walk free for an hour disguised as a student. This massacre led to a huge activist movement that demanded stricter gun control measures. On March 14, 2018, exactly a month after the Parkland shooting, tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C. to protest for gun control under the name “March for Our Lives”. These students called on lawmakers to enact tougher gun control laws to prevent mass shootings.

Even though President Donald Trump has pointed to mental health as the major issue regarding mass shootings, experts say the opposite. Yes, there is an association between gun violence and mental health, but it is not strong.

When analysing 235 mass killings, most carried out with firearms, experts found that only 22 percent of the executioners could be considered mentally ill.

Mental illness is an issue that every country in the world faces, yet the U.S. is the only developed nation that has such terrible issues with gun violence. A 2015 research found that 31% of the perpetrators in mass shootings across the globe are American. This clearly shows how mental health is not the root of the issue, but the immense amount of guns (42% globally) in the United States is.

According to a Department of Defense report, the number of children killed by firearms in the U.S. since the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, surpasses the total of American soldiers killed in combat since the 9/11 attacks. In the five years since the massacre at Sandy Hook in Connecticut, about 7,000 children have died by gunfire. This number rivals the tally of overseas U.S. military deaths, which is 6929 soldiers, in 11 fewer years.

As a protest for more gun control regulations, an activist group placed 7,000 pairs of shoes outside the Capitol building representing every kid that has been killed by firearms since the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school. This is just one of the many demonstrations that Americans have made against gun

violence. Moreover, the Gun Violence Archive has found that between 2014 and 2017, about 2,710 children under the age of 12 have been killed by gunfire.

One of the countries with the lowest number of gunfire deaths is Japan.

The number of death cause by firearms in Japan equalled 6 in 2014. Japan having such a low number of gunfire deaths is due to their strict gun control laws. Under current law, citizens are banned from possessing, carrying, selling or buying handguns or rifles, and importing gun parts. Only licensed hunters are permitted to have shotguns. Nevertheless, the process of obtaining their licences is very strict. A part of this process includes background checks by police, and mental and drug tests at hospitals.

If the United States took stricter measures regarding gun violence like Japan and Australia do, they could lower the amount of gunfire deaths. Many gun control measures have been proposed since the Parkland High School shooting and they are still being considered. These proposals include: banning bump stocks, banning semi-automatic weapons, performing background checks, rising the age limit to own guns, and arming teachers. Still, not all of these proposals will be effective, nor have they been approved by Congress.

This implies that more deaths due to gun violence will occur while the United States remain useless and motionless.

As stated before, the United States must modify their gun control laws and make them stricter to protect the lives of its citizens. A massive amount of deaths due to gunfire have occurred in the United States during the past years.

Even though some people like to blame the issue on mental health, experts have said otherwise, and have proved that the root problem is the amount of guns in the U.S. The United States should take Japan as an example, and start making stricter gun control laws to lower the amount of gunfire deaths. Yet, it is not strictly the government’s job. We, as citizens, must stand up for ourselves and fight for our rights. Like Emma González, a survivor of the Parkland High School shooting, said during her speech at the March for Our Lives event: “Fight for your lives, before it’s someone else’s job.”

Bibliography: Ratner, P. (2018, February 27). Poor mental health is not why Americans are more likely to commit mass shootings. Retrieved from http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/mental-health-issues-is-not-why-americansare-more-likely-to-commit-mass-shootings Weller, C. (2018, February 15). Japan has almost completely eliminated gun deaths - here's how. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/guncontrol-how-japan-has-almost-completely-eliminated-gun-deaths-2017-10 Lucero, L., II. (2018, March 25). What Emma Gonzålez Said Without Words at the March for Our Lives Rally. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/24/us/emma-gonzalez-march-for-ourlives.html McCarthy, T. (2018, February 27). What gun control proposals are being considered – and will they succeed? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/27/gun-control-proposalsflorida-school-shooting