Many advocates of gun control support a ban on assault weapons. But, what exactly are "assault weapons"? They are not assault rifles, which are automatic guns. Rather, they are semi-automatic, meaning they fire one round each time the trigger is pulled. However, what differentiates assault weapons from other singe-shot guns, such as shotguns, handguns, and revolvers, is its "look." In other words, if a gun looks too much like a military assault rifle, it is considered an assault weapon.
This article argues that pushing for a ban on assault weapons, something that most Democrats support, won't have an effect on gun violence in America. Many studies confirm that most gun deaths result from handguns, not assault weapons. In fact, assault weapons make up a marginal percentage of gun deaths per year in America.
I agree with the author that a ban on assault weapons isn't effective. However, I definitely think more effective gun control laws need to be passed. And right now, neither the Democrats nor Republicans have a plan to effectively deal with gun control. The author of the article sarcastically suggests that Democrats should just ban handguns if they were serious about gun control. And I don't know if banning handguns would be effective, even if it was politically feasible. But I do think that the issue of gun control needs to be addressed more thoroughly- not just brought up when a violent disaster occurs.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/425229/assault-weapons-the-gun-controllers-phony-war-charles-c-w-cooke
I completely agree with the article, and Howard, that banning assault weapons is not the correct way to solve the problem of many gun deaths. As many studies show that handguns are the main cause of gun deaths, and attempting to ban handguns is an endeavor doomed to fail, I think that the only real method of establishing effective gun control laws is to make laws that instead of banning certain types of guns should attempt to impose more regulations on the buying of guns. As a whole, I think that any attempt at more extreme gun control laws probably won't be passed, because of the large resistance against any gun limitation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Jeremy and Howard. In the midst of devastation following unfortunate disasters revolving around gun violence, politicians bring up their plans for change, but to no avail. Imposing stricter gun laws on assault weapons alone will not drastically decrease the violence that takes place on a daily basis as most attacks are committed with handguns. Perhaps the politicians are suggesting such ridiculous policy changes to appear to make a difference in a battle that they can not readily fight. To an average citizen, what may seem like change may not be change when given a closer look. With the Republican majority in the house, it's highly unlikely that stricter gun control will occur. As Howard as stated in contrast to what the article suggests, completely banning handguns may not be the right answer since in some cases, guns are necessary and the guns already out to the general public will continue to plague America with crime. However, I firmly believe stricter gun control policies need to be placed if we want to see a decline in gun violence even if it doesn't seem that it will happen anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteEven if Assault Weapons are only a marginal problem in the vast predicament of Gun Control, they nevertheless should still be banned in my opinion. Just because a problem hasn't become an issue yet does not make any excuse to wait for it to become one. We must act before any assault weapon attacks occur in order to be safe and protected if one were to occur. However, I do agree that more Gun Control laws have to placed. I am a firm believer in Background Checks for any weapons in order to ensure that a person is applicable to hold a firearm.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jeremy and Howard also. With Jeremy I mostly agree with the fact that putting a ban on a specific type of gun will not solve anything. Although I see his point in creating more laws on guns as a whole, I still don't think that will solve anything. It is not the guns causing the violence but rather the people. Anyone can get a hold of a gun if they wanted to and no law will get in the way of a determined person. They do come in handy for defense but the problem will come into consideration is when someone is heated in the moment and has a gun on him/her.
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