The Pro Gun Control Laws In American Jurisdiction

Being from Oklahoma, I’ve grown up around guns due to the amount of hunting that goes in our part of the country. My grandpa was a very big hunter, which then influenced my dad to become fond of it as well. Sadly, I haven’t been able to go on as many hunting trips as my dad was able to during his early years. Yet, hearing all of the hunting stories from my dads childhood and hearing my dad’s opinion on the topic gives me a better understanding on the topic of guns and helped me come up with my own opinion. As I’ve gotten into my late teen years I have begun to learn more about our country causing me to value patriotism as well as fairness in our country. In this case, fairness in our country meaning being able to keep our guns due to it being a constitutional right.

With over three hundred million people living in the United States, it is evident that we will not all share the same opinion. I believe that everyone has the right to their own opinion and that there are many solutions to every problem, including gun violence in the United States. Many people believe that only certain guns should be available for purchase while there are others who want guns completely off of the market. Christopher Hale uses his religious knowledge to back up the question of why so many Christians are for stronger gun laws by stating “Christians are pro-life. We are called by God to protect, defend and develop life at all stages—from conception on. And with more than 30,000 gun-related deaths in the U.S. every year, our nation’s gun violence is an affront to these pro-life values” (Christopher Hale). As a Christian, this is a side of the discussion I can truly understand. I can not agree more when he says that Christians are pro-life, meaning that we care about the lives of every single person no matter if we know them personally or not. It is very clear to me that the author of this text is someone who values human life, which is something that every person should value no matter if they’re pro gun or completely against any kind of firearm. It is very clear that there needs to be something done that puts an end to gun violence in the United States, which is something that is starting to happen far too often. For every problem there is a solution, whether that be new and improved laws placed on gun sales or completely banning them. I believe there is a solution that will meet both sides demands, whether that be a stricter background check or some sort of new law. Christoper Hale says something that will cause some Christians to reconsider their view on gun control, he shares his opinion saying “Christians must lead the effort for meaningful gun control in the U.S. Because in the end, you can’t be pro-life and pro-gun” (Christoper Hale). Pro-life not meaning abortion, it also has the meaning of overall repsect for humna life and human safety. Many people would disagree with that quote, nearly every person that has a gun would never even consider hurting a human being, yet there are also a select few that can lose control and cause a mass tragedy. I understand where Christoper Hale is coming from, if we were to go ahead and remove all guns in the country and no longer sell them, then you would think there would not be any more gun violence. I also think we should consider and study what other countries do before deciding to ban anything, as Hale says “The United States of America is not the only country on Earth with violent or dangerous people. We are not inherently more prone to violence. But we are the only advanced country on Earth that sees this kind of mass violence erupt with this kind of frequency. It doesn’t happen in other advanced countries” (Christopher Hale). It’s a scary feeling for anyone that lives in the United States, knowing that at any time someone can walk into a building and cause a catastrophic event, whether it is a school, a bar, a movie theatre, etc. There are many cases that can be made to completely take guns away from every U.S. citizen, and there is plenty of tragedy to back it up. Christopher Hale is someone that values bettering our society and uses his religious beliefs to back it up, which is a very important type of person we need to better our country.

There are certain types of weapons that can be looked at as unnecessary and inhumane if used while hunting. Another question we all must ask ourselves is “What is a legitimate reason for any civilian to have access to or possess assault weapons?” (John Ludgate USA Today). People who have ever hunted know that fully automatic weapons of any kind are completely inhumane and have absolutely no reason to be used outside of a gun range. Many people enjoy going to the gun range, whether that be to practice or simply just to have fun shooting targets. I can personally say I enjoy going to shoot guns at the range, yet I could not imagine having such a high powered assault weapon inside of my own house and I think most people feel the same way. Automatic assault weapons are something that are primarily only used in the military, yet the people in the military have gone through years of training and have plenty of experience. These are the men and women who protect us, which is why people who are in favor of gun control think they are the only citizens allowed with these high powered weapons. Another writer for USA Today states that “Hollywood glorifies violence” (Barbara Fries USA Today), which is another problem we are facing in our society today. Nearly every movie that hits the theatres today contains at least some sort of violence. Reading this quote reminded me of when James Holmes dressed up as the Joker and shot up the Dark Knight movie premiere in Aurora, Colorado. There were many problems with this specific situation leading up to the night of the massacre. If you have seen or read anything about this man, James Holmes, you will see that he was never a very normal man and turned out to be very unstable mentally. Hearing this causes you to wonder how a man like this, a man who also had the materials to make a bomb in his apartment, yet somehow was still able to acquire multiple assault weapons. You could also say this movie theatre should not allow someone to go out of the emergency exit and re-enter five minutes later with multiple guns, a smoke grenade and also wearing a bulletproof vest. This man should have never been able to do something like that without being noticed prior to shots breaking out. Yet the fact that he was able to purchase these weapons and equipment will always be thought of as the main issue in this event. An event like this is not at all the theatre security’s fault, we should not have anyone in our country that is mentally unstable like this man in possession of any kind of weapon. Gun control has become a very political subject, many politicians say they will make changes if they are elected, yet do not have the resources or knowledge to put these changes into effect.

Gun control has become a serious problem in the United States. Some people judge their point of view based on the way they were raised, which is similar to my situation, due to being around guns when I was growing up. I have begun to learn more about the situation as I’ve grown older and I have also been able to gain a better understanding of both sides. There is no denying that gun violence has become a major problem in the United States and is only getting worse. On a positive note, “gun-rights and gun-control supporters find common ground. Both agree on the usefulness of gun-safety courses” (Norman L. Lunger). Finding a common ground between both sides is the most important part, if there is a middle area we can meet in we will be able to solve this problem quicker and much more peacefully. There will always be a question about weapons being distributed illegally throughout the streets, yet if we are able to strengthen background checks there will be fewer guns being sold illegally. Everyone has their reasons for being for or against gun control, but we can all agree that there needs to be something done about the frequent occurrences of violence. The United States is the most respected and Prestigious country in the world, yet we are having frequent tragedies that are bringing us down as a country. We need to look at our values and not just talk about them but use them in our everyday life to better our country as a whole.