Gun Control Persuasive Paper Essay

A gun control law is any law that restricts the use, purchase, or possession of any firearms (Conservapedia). These laws are implemented to reduce the use of firearms to authorized members of a state’s government. Each state in America has its own laws regarding gun control; however, among all, California has the strongest laws, scoring 81 out of a 100 (O’Mara). Gun control laws are necessary in a state because they decrease violence, increase government’s protection in the state, and decrease the lethalness of other crimes. Gun control laws can reduce violence and crime. In the United States, 67% of crimes in 2010 were committed with firearms (Rogers, 2007). This means that majority of crimes committed in America had guns and other firearms involved. If firearms are prohibited in the state, then in theory, crime rates will go down by 67%. Guns have the ability to take someone’s life. Having that said, disallowing the use of guns can not only decrease crime rates, but lower causalities as well. Ozanne-Smith et al (2004) arrived at a similar conclusion in a study conducted in Victoria, Australia after examining the trend in the firearm-related deaths in the context of strong legislative reform. They found the following: â€Å"Significant and dramatic declines in rates of firearm related deaths occurred in Victoria and Australia after periods of strong legislative reform. Statistically significant reductions in firearm related suicides were observed after legislative reforms. In 2000, rates of firearm related deaths were less than two per 100 000 population for Victoria and Australia compared with 10.4 per 100 000 population for the United States. In Victoria, reductions in the numbers of registered firearms of 25% and of licensed shooters of 15% were seen over the four years between 1997–98 and 2000–01† (Ozanne-Smith, 2004). Prohibiting civilians from using guns can increase the effectiveness of the police in one’s state. When a person owns a gun, in theory he can protect himself and therefore does not need protection from the police. Thus, he becomes independent. However, if a person is not allowed to own a gun, he becomes more dependent upon the government for his safety and the police and the government now becomes more aware of the importance of their task in protecting their state. Lastly, the restriction of firearms can decrease the lethalness of crimes other than murder and homicide. Often times, minor criminals like thieves and robbers commit their crimes with a firearm, when in reality; the commission of their crime does not require it. They simply use the guns for self-defense. As a result, they are more likely to kill their victims rather than just stealing from them. Therefore, they not only steal, but they kill as well. The prohibition of firearms can lessen a criminal’s ability from committing another crime by decreasing the probability of murder and homicide. However, firearms have its benefits as well. But if the aforementioned is not used in the right way, it will lead to serious consequences: including death. That’s why gun control laws are implied in a state: to regulate and prevent the misuse of such firearms.