The Problems with Gun Control in the USA

Gun politics is one of the most controversial topics among American politicians. There are two groups with different interpretations of the U.S. laws, resulting in confusing court decisions on cases related to firearms. It cannot be denied that the government has the right and responsibility to control arm possession among its citizens, but gun control is not the answer to all problems and raises new issues; mainly because guns have an important role in self-defense.

Nearly 50% of Americans belong to the “gun control” fraction, saying that the states should impose major restrictions on gun possession. The majority of citizens agree that the government should at least regulate gun ownership with minor restrictions. However, the number of people who believe that people should have the right to keep and bear arms is under a constant growth since 2012. The most important argument of proponents of gun control is that gun ownership leads to greater chances of suicide and homicide.

On the other hand, restrictions on gun ownership don’t guarantee that criminals would be left without guns; these laws would only create difficulties for the citizens of USA to get guns for their protection. History shows that gun control policies are a characteristic of tyrannical governments, such as the former Soviet Union, Turkey (1915-1917), Communist China, Nazi Germany, Uganda, Cambodia, and Rwanda. If the U.S. government bans guns, there will be a surge in the black market and the right for self-defense of law-abiding citizens would be jeopardized. When guns are outlawed, the neighborhood burglaries will surely be increased, since criminals will have greater confidence in their actions.

According to gun control opponents, the Second Amendment had a greater purpose than home defense against burglars; it guaranteed that Americans would have a way to protect themselves against domestic or foreign military power. Unfortunately, not all citizens of the USA trust their government and the politicians who hold the highest positions. Some of them want to keep arms because of the possibility of government agents endangering their rights. Edward Snowden’s leaked proofs of the government’s illegal spying actions are important arguments to pro-gun citizens, who consider gun control laws to be a threat to their liberty. The most serious issue with the laws is that they do not apply to criminals.

Although the highest crime rates are associated to high gun ownership, the imposition of gun control will not regulate the issue of crime. The American citizens who own guns are not willing to voluntarily give up on the weapons they paid for and intend to use solely in self-defense. Criminals would surely keep their weapons and organize a surge in the black market for guns. Banning guns won’t go in favor of the law-abiding citizens; it will endanger their civil rights and give criminals an advantage.