The Danger of the People | Teen Ink

The Danger of the People

April 25, 2018
By Anonymous

Do you think every gun owner has the intentions of misusing the gun and using it in violent ways? The issue with guns is, a handful of people think only certain types of firearms like semi automatic, automatic, and shotguns should be banned. In reality, all guns can can kill. I believe guns aren't the problem, the people behind them are. Owning guns, gun control, and gun violence all have good points from both views. My own personal belief is that the issue isn't being caused by the gun itself but the people that get their hands on them.

People believe raising the age to purchase/own a gun from 18 to 21 will make a difference. If you think about it, the legal age to consume/purchase alcohol is 21 but underage people can find a way to get ahold of it, it doesn't take much. There is more that goes into buying a gun than buying alcohol but in conclusion, anyone can get their hands on anything.

In the article “Why I Didn't Participate In My Schools Walkout” high school student Dakota Hanchett explains how him and his family shoot guns for fun and go hunting. His reasoning for owning guns is “I think they’re cool, but also because they are considered a tool in my family” I relate to his statement because I grew
up in a house which holds easily over 20 guns. They are used as a tool in my house and in my family as well. By no means has my family ever used these guns in violent ways and to harm anyone. We simply have them for protection, hunting, and as a hobby.

Gun control plays a role in owning a guns. To purchase a gun in Texas (other states have different rules/regulations) first, find a dealer with a Federal Firearms License (FFL), visit the dealer to find your firearm, be prepared to show identification, complete required paperwork, wait for the dealer to complete a background check. Purchase completed. How easy does that sound? I'm sure people can find find their way around some or even all of those steps. One important program in owning, buying, and having rights to owning guns is the N.R.A. The N.R.A (National Rifle Association) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for gun rights. The N.R.A spends about $3 million per year to influence gun policy.

Since the year 2000, the United States has experienced 194 school shootings. No matter what the rules and regulations are, there's always a way to bend the rules.  I do believe regulations should be more strict to help the issue, but the issue will never be completely under control and stopped. The most we can do is lower these numbers with more strict ways to purchase and own guns.

Some peoples lifestyle depends on these guns as one of the main components of living and for survival. Taking that away from people could cause a whole issue to debate about. Yes there should be better more safe ways to purchase guns but no, I do not believe the gun itself is the problem. The gun doesn't buy the person, the person buys the gun. The issue may never be solved but we can start completely but we can start by creating new, strict, harder regulations.

 

A few facts about school shooters from abcnews:
-73% have no prior criminal background.
-96% are male.
-81% someone had information that the attacker was planning the shooting.
-68% got their guns from relatives or at home.


 



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.