Essay, Research Paper: Gun Control

Gun control is a topic that, because of the issues involved, is very controversial. Some of the issues involved include firearms training, children being exposed to violence at a young age, personal protection and money. Examination in depth of these subjects proves that legislation on the control of guns is mandatory. Issues surrounding children being de-sensitized to violence is a source of much grief to most people. Society blames firearms for most problems it has. They cannot be argued against since the numbers don t lie. Firearms are a source of joy and enjoyment to a lot of people, when used in a proper way; they are part of society s heritage and it cannot be forgotten. Firearms legislation must be passed, not only in Canada, but also throughout the world, thus it will prevent violence caused by guns, and reach the ultimate goal of making firearms a non-issue when society tries to prevent violence against itself.
The first step to firearm safety is following strict rules, involved when operating and storing a gun. Licensees should have rules that are strictly adhered to, such as, safe storage of guns and the use of firearms around others that are not trained. It all begins with safety of gun ownership; the use of guns around the inexperienced eye is a key issue, and most would firmly argue that firm guidelines are to be followed. For example everyone should be standing behind the operator at a safe distance so there is no blow back. The government realizes, as well this is a major situation as O.P.P Officer John D souza says, It is placing a heavier restriction on gun control than ever before in Canada. The government has taken actions and placed restrictions on storage tools such as trigger locks, which do not allow anyone except the owner who has the keys for accessing the gun. These locks that Officer John was referred to, is a vital tool in the protection of youth across Canada who might be playing with their parents guns. There are also storage alternatives for example, gun cabinets and lockable safeties, these also work well, but are not as reliable as trigger locks. Another big step the government has taken is that now ammunition must be stored separately from the gun, which will significantly reduce the use of weapons for self-protection on their owners. Safety is the key to firearm usage, and is the number one priority; if guns can be used safely then they are more enjoyable for everyone.
Hand-held firearms are cause of major concern to many Canadians due to there lack of use, except in sports and self-defense, to most they are licensed killing machines, and this is why heavier restrictions should be placed on them. According to a study conducted by W. Cukier, Firearms Legislation: Canada in International Context, Chronic Diseases In Canada, in April 1998, the murder rate in the U.S is 1.3 times that in Canada, but the murder rate with handguns is 15 times higher than in Canada. This is partly because of the stricter gun laws and lack of weapons to population in the United States is 7:30 and the ratio in Canada is 1:30. Nevertheless it is still is not enough; until handguns are used for sports and only sports alone will they not be a threat to the rest of society. Handguns are the choice for criminals and self-defense advocates, due to their compact nature, they can be carried without anyone knowing or any harm done to society if they are seen, which makes them even much more dangerous because of people can carry them without anyone else knowing. Unless handguns are slowly phased out of society will it be safe to say that handguns are no longer a threat. As in England for example, they have banned all handguns; not even law enforcement officers can carry handguns with them.
One of the biggest concerns with people buying guns is that they have no use for them, they don t go hunting, they don t join clubs and they certainly don t fire them regularly and safely. This means that they are an even bigger danger to society because they are sitting around the house without being used. Gun club or hunting club memberships should be mandatory to make sure someone who buys a gun know how to own and operate it. This will first of all, create a safer environment for shooting guns for recreation and second will provide a solid boost to the economy by creating more jobs, because these facilities will have to be built and maintained. Making gun clubs mandatory for gun owners will be a very important step in keeping guns off the street and in children hands.