Why We Need to Ban Guns in America
America is facing a major public health crisis: Gun violence. It has lasting impacts on people’s mental and physical health. As well as everyone’s safety in the US. The US has gun ownership and firearm-related death rates that tower over those of other comparable countries. For the safety and future of this country, banning gun ownership is a necessity.
To start, in the US alone, tens of thousands of people die yearly from gun-related violence. A big portion of these are firearm homicides, which also includes the number of suicides and unintentional deaths. It’s been documented that firearm ownership rates are directly associated with the increased firearm-related death rates. It’s also important to note that more than 600 people die a day from gun violence just in the US. Countless others are left injured or stuck with lifelong injuries.
There’s a myth that guns keep us safe.
Additionally, supporters of gun ownership often argue, “guns keep us safe,” but the gun lobby and gun manufacturers have aggressively pushed this belief. That creates a narrative of “good guy with a gun” saving us. In reality, this isn’t realistic. Studies have shown that defensive gun use isn’t the main way guns are used. Research shows that private gun ownership, including firearms carried for “self-defense,” is often involved in crimes, accidents, and suicides, not self-defense. The gun industry, as well as groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA), has marketed guns as “essential tools” for personal protection. This strategy encouraged people to buy firearms simply out of fear.
How Guns Impact Children and Schools
As well as fearing, gun violence has become so normalized in the lives of American children and teenagers. For the past decade, “taking shelter under desks” has become a regular drill. This drill is meant to prepare students for a school shooting and can cause anxiety and trauma to students, increasing stress. Gun violence in schools is all too familiar to students; hundreds of incidents are reported every year in the US. Sources suggest that students are more and more worried about a school shooting happening in their school. Students who’ve survived school shootings are more likely to experience depression and have lifelong emotional trauma. We shouldn’t have to live in a country where it’s normal for our school districts to be forced to teach kindergarteners to hide under desks for school shooter drills.
This ties to the main legal problem of gun laws, which is the Second Amendment, which people argue gives law-abiding Americans the right to keep and bear arms. However, saying “gun control doesn’t really work” ignores what’s actually happening here. Gun control laws vary a lot from state to state. Strong gun safety laws are highly effective, while more dangerous policies can lead to high rates of gun death. Data has also shown that states with lenient gun laws see death rates rise faster than states with strict laws. When people are given the idea that criminals will ignore gun control laws, they are missing a major point. Background checks and other requirements make it hard for just anyone to get their hands on a firearm. By reducing the amount of guns in circulation, especially ones that are easier to get ahold of, gun violence rates go down.
All in all, gun violence is a significant factor that makes this country worse, and I can confidently conclude that banning the possession and sale of guns is necessary to save lives, protect children, and make our country truly a greater place.