Dear Editor,
Gun control is a necessity for the safety of the American people, and can be implemented through the banning of assault rifles.
The banning of assault rifles will protect the safety of the American people. Richard Perez points out in a New York Times article called “Gun Control Explained” that almost every mass shooting in America is carried out with an assault rifle. It is not necessary for a citizen to own a gun that was specifically designed to kill another person.
The Second Amendment is not an unlimited right to own guns. The United States has banned assault rifles before. Owning an assault rifle is a privilege, not a right. The ban of assault rifles was enacted in 1994. It only lasted two years, but it is important to realize that in those two years,gun crimes significantly declined according to Cooper Kenneth in an article titled, “Gunning for a fight.”
The Second Amendment is referring to a well-regulated militia. However, according to the amendment, citizens should be armed in the event of a revolution. Even if a person had a stockpile of military weapons in their basement, they still could not overthrow the strongest military in the world— and the most powerful country. One should be reminded, the government has nuclear weapons and drones! In the event of a revolution, a well-armed citizen and their guns will absolutely nothing.
The most invalid argument that is often asserted to protect this privilege of excessive gun ownership is self-defense. Assault rifles were designed for infantry use. In other words, for the military to kill people efficiently. A common citizen has no use for this military style weapon. To claim that if a person breaks into a house, the homeowner needs need a rapid-firing, magazine-fed automatic rifle designed for infantry use is absolutely absurd. According to a 2015 article titled “Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use,” of the 2,960,018,300 violent gun crimes committed annually in the United States only 0.79 percent are acted out of self-defense. To make the claim one needs this style of gun to protect themselves is invalid.
There are measures that can be taken to protect a home from intruders, however, a military style weapon is not within these measures. As stated in an article named “Think Like a Burglar: When Do Burglars Strike?” 65 percent of burglaries occur between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.. This is for obvious reasons. The chances of a property owner actually encountering their intruders is slim. According to Safeguard, about 30 percent of all burglaries are through an open or unlocked window or door. A home without security systems is up to 300 percent more likely to be broken into.
The only defense that a person has to keep this privilege of owning an assault rifle is that he or she likes to shoot it at a range. This is valid in America, but the question arises, when does America start putting people’s lives over their own hobbies. According to Junior Scholastic, there have been roughly 142 school shooting since the year 2013. Innocent children are dying. Assault style rifles have been used in seven of the eight high-profile mass shooting that have taken place since July of last year. The American people must stop exercising this privilege at the expense of people’s lives.
America has a problem and gun control is a rational solution. There is actually a correlation between the amount of guns a country has, and its gun violence rate. The United States, of course, has the most gun owners compared to all other developed country. So, it should come as no surprise to learn that the United States has the most gun violence.
Where do the American people draw the line? Australia did draw the line on April 28, 1996. As stated by a Scholastic Journal, Australia had suffered one of the largest mass shooting the world had ever seen. After that tragic event, Australia banned all types of firearms. Since that ban there has been virtually no gun violence. The United States had the second largest mass shooting in the world recently, acceding Australia’s, and nothing has been done. In fact, the NRA pushes for more guns. As if more guns would equal less gun violence. Study after study has shown that this not the case at all. Although a complete ban of firearms like Australia’s is unethical and unnecessary in America, a person can still see not only the importance of gun control but also how it can positively affect a country. People are dying and the solution is clear: gun regulations must be stricter throughout the country lives are literally depending on it.
The American people have an obligation to try to prevent every act of violence that they possibly can. We have a legal responsibility and authority to control gun possession. It is important to recognize that gun control does not mean gun removal. By regulating gun control through the requirement of strict background checks, and banning assault rifles, gun violence will decrease and America will be safer for all.
—Markie Whitney
(Ed. note: The preceding letter was written for an assignment in Debb Proctor’s Freshmen English class. Please send any responses to this letter to *protected email*)