Colin Gallagher

Ms. Boyle

ENG 160

November 28th, 2021

 

Gun Control: It’s No Easy Debate 

 

There are a lot of debates happening in the United States today. One of the most controversial topics to discuss is the issue of gun control. The question is, should our ever growing need for security trump an individual’s right to own a firearm? A lot of Americans are passionate about this topic, many with their strong opinions blinding them from the facts. Both sides of this debate can agree that there have been too many mass shootings in the United States as of late, and the time is running out. We need a solution fast, and we only have the facts. What both sides can agree on is that there needs to be better regulation of firearms, so after conducting my own research I believe I have found a definite solution. 

 

First things first, the research. According to CDC statistics, in 2013 there were 33.636 people killed by firearms. (CDC National Vital Statistics Report, 2013). At first glance one could conclude that the United States is full of murderers, but when you look closer you find that roughly two-thirds of these firearm deaths were from suicide. This whole time there has been a whole other issue made invisible by all this talk about mass shooters and street violence. Before we can solve those problems we should take things one thing at a time and solve the easiesr problem first, deaths by suicide. Suicide is often an impulsive and spontaneous act, and there are many things we can do to stop it before it happens. First and foremost we can change the way we handle mental health in the United States. We can campaign for counseling and other things that could help a good state of mind like campaign for the 4 day workweek. Also, we can put an emphasis on men’s mental health since they’re shown to die 3.5x more often than women from suicide. (National Vital Statistics Reports, Kenneth D. Kochanek, M.A., Sherry L. Murphy, B.S., Jiaquan Xu, M.D., and Betzaida Tejada-Vera, Volume 65, No. 4). And now, how does this relate to guns? Well if there are better gun restrictions then there will be less deaths by suicide. It’s easy to say that if someone really wanted to kill themself they would find anyway to do it, but that’s just unsympathetic and cruel to be honest. According to a study conducted by Harvard T.H. School of Public Health, firearms are the most effective suicide method, holding a 82.5% chance of succeeding with the act, while methods like drowning and jumping are less likely to be successful. Once again, suicide attempts are often impulsive acts. Many who have failed a attempted suicide are glad they’re still alive.

Here’s another way to reduce deaths by suicide as well as preventing firearms from getting into the hands of dangerous people. You may have heard of the FBI database used to conduct background checks on individuals who wish to purchase a firearm. That sounds good on paper, but in practice the universal background checks have been proven to fail. The universal background checks are conducted by accessing an FBI database for criminal records. This FBI database however is outdated, and the data it can give isn’t always decisive over whether or not the person in question is allowed to own a gun. Dylann Roof, a white supremecist known for perpetuating the Charleston church shooting in 2015, was able to buy a gun despite having an FBI universal background check. (Nakashima, Ellen, “FBI: Breakdown in background check system allowed Dylann Roof to buy gun”. The Washington Post, 2015, July 10). 

Instead of only using the FBI database to conduct universal background checks, we should universally adopt the state of Massachusetts’ current system for gun licensing. Using this system will reduce the amount of  homicides and suicides using legally obtained guns. It works like this: First, people who want to buy a gun must take a firearm safety course, then they must go to their local police station and submit an application alongside a fingerprint and references for a background check. Then the FBI database is consulted alongside all local law enforcement agencies as well as the department of mental health. This process takes around 3 weeks to pass, eliminating the possibility of an impulsive suicide attempt. 

 

And now the hardest problem to face, illegally obtained firearms in the United States. If this nation is seriously invested in reducing it’s record breaking rates of gun violence, then law enforcement agencies need to work harder to crack down on firearm trafficking and criminal markets. The statistics show that our current regulation of firearms is ineffective. According to a 2016 survey, of the convicted prisoners who committed a crime using a gun, 43% of them obtained it off the street or from an underground market, and 25% of them obtained the gun from a family member or friend, or as a gift. (https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/suficspi16.pdf). In light of this survey, it’s fair to say that stronger government regulation will not help the issue, and explicitly banning guns will not solve anything either since they will continue to be obtained illegally. More time and effort needs to be put in by government agencies to stop the underground trafficking of firearms. Only then will our nation be safer from the domestic threat of firearms. 

 

In conclusion, there are a lot of things we can do to solve this growing issue of gun violence in the United States. In this political climate it’s very hard to separate fact from fiction, so it’s always best to do your own research and to not take someone’s opinion at face value. United we can take on the threat of gun violence, don’t let anyone tell you that this problem is impossible to solve. If we work together then we can surely reduce the amount of deaths by firearms. There’s so many options, but we’re running out of time. 

 

Works cited

 

CDC National Vital Statistics Report, 2013

 

National Vital Statistics Reports, Kenneth D. Kochanek, M.A., Sherry L. Murphy, B.S., Jiaquan Xu, M.D., and Betzaida Tejada-Vera, Volume 65, No. 4

 

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/case-fatality/

 

Nakashima, Ellen, “FBI: Breakdown in background check system allowed Dylann Roof to buy gun”. The Washington Post, 2015, July 10

 

https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/suficspi16.pdf