Do We Really Need Gun Control? The Truth Nobody Is Telling You

30% of Americans claim to personally own at least one gun. Yet even though nearly one-third of Americans own guns, 60% want there to be stricter gun laws.

It’s no secret that there’s a lot of divisiveness in today’s political landscape. 

But most people with strong opinions on gun control probably haven’t done as much research as they should. With so much information available on the internet, it can be overwhelming to really figure out where your own opinion should land. 

But don’t worry. We’re here to help. Continue reading and we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of gun control so that you can make your own informed decision. 

Gun Rights and the Second Amendment

The Second Amendment is almost always brought up when discussing gun control. It’s just one sentence long but it’s at the heart of most political arguments when it comes to gun rights. 

Gun Control Pro Argument

Advocates of gun control argue that this amendment doesn’t grant people an unlimited right to gun ownership. In the 2008 landmark Supreme Court Case District of Columbia et al. v. Heller, the Supreme Court blatantly said that the Second Amendment had its limits.

The justices said that few people would argue that felons and mentally ill people should be allowed to have guns. Most would also agree that you shouldn’t be allowed to take a gun into a school, government building, or airplane. 

Eight years later, the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Second Amendment doesn’t grant people the right to carry concealed weapons in public either. 

Advocates point out that those limits could be extended even further. 

Gun Control Con Argument

Gun rights advocates argue that the Second Amendments grants individuals the right to own guns. Gun ownership has been a part of America’s culture longer than the constitution has been around and many people believe that stricter gun control laws would infringe on their right to bear arms. 

In District of Columbia et al. v. Heller, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the Amendment means that individuals have the right to bear arms, regardless if they’re in a militia. 

Proponents say that owning a gun is as much a right as free speech and freedom of religion. And to hinder someone’s ability to own a gun would be infringing on one of their most essential rights and freedoms. 

Gun Control and Crime

At first glance, it may seem like you can solve most gun-related crimes simply by outlawing guns. But a solution like that is not so simple. Let’s look deeper. 

Gun Control Pro Argument

Over 30,000 people die each year from gun-related deaths in this country. And many people don’t realize this but over half of gun deaths are suicides. Studies have proven that gun licensing laws, background checks, and gun ID requirements have led to a reduction in homicides in right-to-carry areas. 

Gun Control Con Argument

The main argument by people who are against gun control is the claim that gun control laws would only be making it harder for law-abiding citizens to buy and carry guns. Criminals already don’t follow the rules. 

Also, studies have shown that states with the most gun ownership tend to exhibit less crime. And when criminals aren’t afraid that the person they’re robbing will stop them, criminals will only feel more emboldened to commit crimes. 

Many gun owners claim that they own guns for protection. And to restrict their ability to buy guns will restrict their ability to practice self-defense. 

Guns and Suicide

As we stated earlier, most deaths caused by guns are due to suicides. Similar to the crime argument, one could argue that fewer guns means fewer suicides. But is that actually true or just a broad assumption?

Gun Control Pro Argument

Most suicides are committed by using guns. And proponents of gun control believe that when gun ownership decreases, so will the suicide rate. Many researchers agree with this. 

Experts believe that, by making it harder to acquire guns, you’ll be deterring people from going through the purchasing process and can reduce the number of suicides. After several states initiated “red flag” laws, gun suicides significantly decreased. And this happened while other methods of suicide did not significantly decrease. 

Gun control advocates believe that people who want to commit suicide but can’t access a gun will likely not go about killing themselves through other means. 

Gun Control Con Argument

People who are against gun control generally argue the opposite logic. Some people will point to a country like Lithuania. Lithuania has the lowest gun ownership out of any country in the world. 

Yet they also have the highest suicide rate. Japan is another country that has relatively low gun ownership but relatively high suicide rates. 

Today, the US has the highest gun ownership rate but we rank #27 for suicide rates.

Countries with Restrictive Gun Control Laws

Most arguments when it comes to gun control laws are backed up by showing examples from other countries. As we can already see, it’s easy for people to cherry-pick different scenarios and data in order to back up their side of the argument. There is no one example or source of data that can definitively argue that stricter gun control is or is not a good idea. 

That’s why it’s so important that people consider as many facts as possible before coming to a conclusion. Let’s look at how both sides argue when it comes to looking at other countries as examples. 

Gun Control Pro Argument

According to gun control advocates, countries that have tougher gun control laws also have lower suicide and homicide rates. According to Harvard professor Dr. David Hemenway, his research showed that when countries have more gun ownership, there are also higher rates of homicide. 

There are countries all over the world with far stricter gun control laws than the US and their murder rates are minuscule compared to ours. 

Gun Control Con Argument

Anti-gun control people combat this argument by citing countries with the opposite results. They point to a country like Mexico. Mexico has one of the strictest gun laws in the world yet they’re ranked #21 for Intentional Homicide Rate (the US is ranked #53). 

In fact, there is only one legal gun store in all of Mexico while there are tens of thousands in the United States. Mexico’s only gun store is on a secure military base. Anyone who wants to buy a gun needs to show proof of income, pass a criminal background check, be photographed and fingerprinted, and provide references. 

And if a person is allowed to buy a gun, they can only buy one gun and one box of bullets. Despite all of these deterrents, gun violence in Mexico is soaring. 

In Mexico, you could never buy guy parts online, while in America, we have a variety of reputable brands online. Many proponents say that this freedom and ability to choose what brands we want to buy from is what helps keep us safe. Strike Industries is one example of such a brand. 

Gun Control and Race

Many people do not realize it but, to some extent, gun control originated out of racial issues. People who are against gun control say that gun control is racist and harms the safety of minorities. Most gun control advocates aren’t buying it though. 

Gun Control Pro Argument

Gun control advocates claim that people who are against gun control couldn’t care less about race. And people who bring it up are simply playing that card as an appeal to pathos. 

We can look at the case of Philando Castile as an example. Philando Castile was an African-American man who was pulled over by the police. Philando told the officer that he was carrying a firearm and the cop told him not to pull it out. 

When Philando reached for his identification, the jittery cop shot and killed Philando. Critics called out the NRA who were silent on the issue for two days. They then spoke out by saying that they wouldn’t comment on an open investigation, which many people saw as a double-standard. 

One year later, the NRA finally commented and said that Philando was illegally carrying a weapon because he also had marijuana in the car. Many people were upset by this languid response.  

Gun Control Con Argument

Many gun advocates claim that gun ownership was crucial to the civil rights movement. Black protesters didn’t feel that the police adequately protected them so they went about arming themselves. One of the first major pieces of gun control legislation was signed into law by Ronald Reagan when he was governor of California.

The law was a response to Black Panthers who were conducting lawfully armed patrols among neighborhoods in Oakland. Proponents argue that most gun control laws harm minority neighborhoods and strengthen the government.

Understanding the Pros and Cons of Gun Control

Gun control is not an easy topic to debate. Both sides have legitimate arguments for why they believe what they believe. But this wealth of information only highlights the need to know all of the pros and cons of gun control.

1. By being well-educated on such topics, we can make better-informed decisions that impact our communities. Looking for more helpful articles? Check out the rest of our blog today!