The Need To Ban Guns To Decrease Gun Violence In America

In the US, what is your biggest concern right now? For me, it's gun violence. Through the Second Amendment of the Constitution, people have a right to own a gun. There was research from Gallup in 2017, there was 43% of people in the United States own guns. However, in recent years, gun deaths are increasing. Thousands of people were died by the gun. According to the Gun Violence Archive, in 2019, 325 mass shootings occur across America. There are 365 days a year but now there already have 325 mass shootings. That means each day there was at least one mass shooting. It is an alarm for us to think seriously about gun violence. If there is no gun, there will be no death by gun. I think there is one way to reduce and void gun deaths is ban assault weapons.

To me, gun violence needs to solve right now. Why? Because gun violence may happen to me or people around me someday. I’m not sure what will happen tomorrow if the gun control haven ’t solved. When I go to public places such as supermarkets, churches, schools, concerts, etc. I feel scared than before because mass shootings usually occurred in public places. For example, school is seen as a peaceful and safest place for children to play and learn new things. However, that thought has to think again because of guns. “So far in 2019, there have been 22 shootings at US schools in which someone was hurt or killed. They have occurred across the country, from Georgia to California, at elementary, middle and high schools and on college and university campuses” (Lou and Walker). Have you ever imagined in just 10 minutes that more than 50 people were killed by guns? Yes, there were 58 killed in a concert in Las Vegas in 2017 by gun. That is just one of thousands of cases that almost all people in the United States know. What about the rest? For example, last August, 22 people were killed inside a Walmart in El Paso- Texas and 12 people were killed in Virginia Beach. In addition, in Senter Road, San Jose where I live, there were 3 cases of shooting which were occurred exactly just near my house with two to four block streets far: a shooting in coffee shop( 2 killed, 2 injured), a shooting in gas station(1 killed, 1 injured) and a shooting in a family(5 killed). However, gun violence has not been specifically addressed yet because gun violence is not just a normal issue, it is a big and alarm issue in America.

Banning guns does not mean ban all guns. The government needs to divide gun into 2 types: gun for protection and gun with strong damage. Guns with strong damage need to prohibit. In the 2020 presidential election, Vice President Jose Biden reveals some plans for his run. Banning guns is one of those plans. “Ban the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines” (Biden). This method will prevent companies that produce guns with strong damage. Also, Vice President Joe Biden will ban the importation of assault weapons through this plan. However, with guns for protection, they have to register and background check with the government and police before buying. The ways to ban guns successfully are to make a list of prohibited guns, to limit gun stocking, to rate tax on gun, to buy back all the guns from owners, to address the dangers of guns and to encourage people not to use guns, etc. Banning gun need a long process, step to step to success.

Another reason that banning gun plan will work because American wants stricter law about gun control. “Nearly six-in-ten U.S. adults (57%) say gun laws should be more strict, while smaller shares say they are about right (31%) or should be less strict (11%), according to a survey conducted in September and October 2018” (Gramlich). And banning guns is exactly the best solution. Gun is a tool that save life not take life away. In recent years, guns are used widely and as a result, thousands of people are killed by guns. I know banning guns is a very difficult thing to pass but only that law will help us live in a safer place. Like Japan, they let their citizen buy only shotguns and air rifles but no handguns. “Japan is among the lowest in the world at just three deaths in 2015, the latest year for which data is available. Most guns are illegal in the country and ownership rates, which are quite small” (Masters). Another popular solution to the gun problem is the background check. In my opinion, that plan just helps to reduce gun violence but cannot solve that problem completely. For example, in El Paso shooting mass, there were 22 killed by a young man 21 years old. With this young age, how can government check background. If it has, I believe he could pass the check. We can’t say what will happen today or even tomorrow. I think personality is the main reason to decide people can use a gun or not.

In conclusion, I think banning guns is the best solution to solve a gun problem until now. It can't be done in a day or two, it's a long process. Many people were killed by guns, even though they were innocent. Do they deserve to die like that or not? That is warning to the government. The government should take an action before it's too late. For the people, let's say no to guns to help and make our place safer. If we don’t do this, we or our loved ones will be the next victims in mass shootings in the future.