Debate Paper: Should Guns Be Outlawed?

It is important for me to start by saying that the gun control issue is an issue that affects many parties. It has become an education issue, a safety issue, a political issue and a racial issue and many others. In regard to these issues I have mentioned, there are two groups of people with a conflict in issues; those who want more gun control legislations and those who want less. It is a fact that guns are not for everyone, because there are those that will use them in the correct way and according to the law, while there are those that will use them for some purposes that are not within the provisions of the law (Gardner, 2007). There have been regulations formulated to make sure that gun use is monitored and controlled. Some of the legislations, I must admit are of benefit, but I must also point out that others, especially the recent ones have gone too far. The bottom line remains that keeping away guns from responsible citizens do no good but harm to the society. Some of the reasons as to why there is a negative impact because of the move to outlaw guns is because it affects the wrong people. Legislation like the “Assault Weapon”, which was included in the Crime Bill of 1994, is an example of a legislation that affects the wrong people. Despite the claims by the supporters in favor of this bill, that the weapons banned are those of gangs and drug barons, the FBI are of the contrary opinion, through their reports (Rosenbloom, Kravchuk, and Clerkin, 2009). This was also observed during the congress hearing, where several people testified to using the guns for self protection and preventing some kind of crimes from happening. Basing on this as an argument, it is evident that the society does not benefit from any loss of lives and they can use the weapons to save lives which are something remarkable. Another issue is the fact that crime is not the only aspect that is related to gun ownership. There are other factors like hunting, which is a popular sport in most parts of the country. Moreover, it is a good source of food. By looking at the shallow aspect of it, it can be termed that hunting is a threat to wildlife as well as the environment, but it the opposite, which is true. According to research by wildlife biologists, it has been established that hunting that is regulated and managed effectively is a great benefit to wildlife (Doherty, 2011). This is because if wildlife becomes large in numbers it will mean that food will become scarce, a factor that can be problematic. For this reason, wildlife biologists take count of the number of animals that are present in these areas and make recommendations to the state game, and fish officials to set up a hunting seasons as well as limits. By taking away guns, it means that people will not have the tools to do the hunting effectively. It will also be a challenge to the officials in finding a god alternative of managing this wildlife. It is also important to mention that 77% of revenue collected from licenses granted to hunters is beneficial when it comes to protection efforts of the wildlife (Rosenbloom, Kravchuk, and Clerkin, 2009). To add on this, firearms are beneficial when it comes to competitive sports. It has been observed that in Olympic Games, there are games that involve the uses of guns, pistols, and rifles. Shooting also forms part of the biathlon and it has been part of the pentathlon from 1912. There are many other forms of competition in the entire country that involve guns just to mention a few; bench rest, practical pistol, bull’s eye, trap and skeet among others. Many people are able to participate in these competitions since it does not involve the use of so much agility. It is important to note that even with no formal competitions; shooting can still be enjoyed in form of a hobby. So by taking away the guns, means that it will be depriving people of their hobbies and their abilities to practice efficiently for the competitive games. It is also important to say that violence has been part of the society, and the fact that there are laws that have been passed, it is still hard to be sure that these laws are effective in preventing any aspects of aggression (Durston, 2008). For this reason I think it is important to give people the opportunity to protect themselves. With the use of guns, a person can be able to protect themselves and the families from the attackers, since not all people are strong enough to face attackers. Having a gun also deters attackers from attacking someone as they fear they might be shot at. For this reasons among others I think there is a need for gun education to be conducted to educate and sensitize people on the effective and safe use of guns. The important thing is for them to remain law abiding and use the guns as per the provisions of the law (Krouse, 2002). With this, it will be automatic that the citizens and the society in general will benefit from the use of guns responsibly and safely.   References Doherty, B. (2011). Gun control couldn’t have stopped it. Reason, 42, 46-47. AN: 59284708 Durston, Bill M.D. (2008) “The Shameful Epidemic – Gun Violence in the USA.” DurstonForCongress. . Gardner, D. (2007) “A Terrible Toll in the Country Where the Gun Is Still Sacrosanct.” Daily Newspaper Source. EBSCO host. West Virginia State University Drain Jordan library, Institute Krouse, W (2002). Gun Control. Congressional Research Service. Policy Almanac. Available at Rosenbloom, D. Kravchuk, R. & Clerkin, R. (2009). Public Administration (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.