Hand Guns Must Go Essay Research Paper

Handguns Must Go

People own hand guns for many reasons. Some keep handguns for protection; others collect them as a hobby. There is a substantial amount of people in America that own handguns for one specific reason, to commit crimes. Usually they are committing a crime just by having a gun in their possession. The person is breaking current laws anyways; making tougher gun control laws will not change the fact that they are committing a crime. How can guns be kept away from criminals? By taking away their guns, and stopping them from getting replacements. Guns are an easy to use, low cost killing device. One pull of a trigger and a person can intentionally or unintentionally take the life of another. The only way to stop violent crimes committed with the use of guns is to have a complete band on handguns and automatic weapons, and stop the production of any further except for police use.

First, handguns are deadly devices that can easily cause thousands of accidental deaths a year. To be exact ?Guns annually accidentally kill three thousand Americans a year? (Desuka 422). Some of these guns that accidentally kill are in a home because they are collected as a hobby. Collecting guns is a dangerous hobby that can have a disastrous outcome. For the same reasons the government does not allow a person to collect nuclear bombs they should not let people collect handguns. Just because a nuclear bomb would kill thousands of people if accidentally set off, and a gun usually only kills one does not mean the government should allow people to collect handguns and automatic weapons. Moreover, guns that accidentally kill are in a house for protection. With regard to burglaries, ?90 percent of America?s burglaries are committed when no one is home? (Desuka 422). In the ten percent of burglaries that people are at home during, threatening a robber with a gun puts the victim more at risk of a violent attack than doing nothing would do. Taking guns out of households would lower the chances of them being a cause of an accidental death or injury.

Next, if handguns were outlawed the murder rate would decrease. ?Sixty percent of all murders are caused by guns, and handguns are involved in more than seventy percent of theses? (Desuka 422). Police would need to have a massive crackdown on criminals in order to take their handguns away. If production of handguns was stopped, and police continued to take away handguns, it would become increasingly harder to find guns. The amount of criminals with guns would decrease, and so would the amount of deaths and injuries caused by guns. In addition, killing would become harder for murderers and escaping would become easier for would be victims. Without guns drive by shootings would be nearly impossible. No longer could a person just pull a trigger, fire an automatic weapon, and take off in a speeding car.

Last, the Second Amendment in America?s Bill of Rights is outdated. The amendment states this: ?A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed.? This was written right after America had just broken away from Great Britain. The Second Amendment was written so that if a tyrannical government emerged in America, Americans would have a way of fighting back. Americans still had Great Britain?s past oppression on their minds, and did not want America to resemble the tyrannical aspects of Britain. In addition, guns were primarily used as hunting devices, and not to murder. The Revolutionary War had just been won though the use of militias armed with their guns primarily used for hunting. Guns were kept in each household to hunt for food. Today, Those who still use guns to hunt for food could still use hunting riffles. The framers of the constitution had no idea of the technological advances that would exist in the twenty-first century changing guns into a device capable of killing several people with the push of a trigger.

Tougher gun control laws will not stop criminals from using handguns. Most are not carrying weapons legally anyways. Not allowing handguns and automatic weapons to be made for the use of any person other than the police is the only way to stop criminals form having guns.

Desuka, Nan. ?Why Hand Guns Must Be Outlawed.? Current issues and Enduring Questions Fifth Edition. Ed. Sylvan Barnet., and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin?s, 1999. 421-424.