If you have been following the news lately, you must have heard about the US President Barack Obama’s federal gun-control proposals. School shootings around the world are an everyday concern. While the United States is the most vocal about such tragedies and likely suffers fewer when compared to other nations on the planet, it is also the country where gun ownership is a commonality for people of all ages and economic standings. In the United States, there are enough hunters to make up the largest army in the world!
Better than an army!
In just one rural state of the United States, as many as 700,000 men and women armed to kill enter the woods each season. Put all of those people together, and multiply by the number of states in the country, that’s approximately 35 million armed people—not even including the actual armed forces of the U.S.
So, when the current government administration in the U.S. decides to crack down on gun owners because of school shootings, you can imagine more than a few people get up in arms (no pun intended) about the situation. So what’s the big deal with gun control? Well, for one, not everyone thinks gun control is really an adequate way to stay safe.
The Two Opposing Groups
Here are the arguments: People who support gun control believe making firearms illegal will make it more difficult to put them into the hands of mentally unstable or criminal deviants. People who are opposed to gun control feel there are already so many guns out there that to regulate them now will only keep them out of the hands of well-meaning people.
So, are you for gun control or against it? Do you think a person who is inclined to hurt another would be deterred sufficiently by being unable to obtain a gun? Or would that person be determined enough to go out, purchase a sword and hack their way through a crowded room? Is the old adage “guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” really accurate?
Or, on the flip side of the coin, would making guns less available to the public make them more difficult to obtain, such as is the case with certain other dangerous items—like anthrax. Or, are we just disillusioned into thinking such things are hard to obtain. After all, illicit drugs are not readily available, but most people would not be hard pressed to find a way to get some within 24 hours.
And that’s just talking about an industrialized country like the United States. What about guns in other countries; countries where there is military law or no law at all? Would a lack of guns really make these places safer, or would bullies be bullies regardless?