Gun Control In America Essay

With the increase of mass shootings in America, many propositions have been suggested as ways to prevent or lessen the amount of these attacks with the most prevalent being to ban or reduce access to guns. America has the highest amount of gun related deaths each year in the world. “In Germany 381, in France 255, in Canada 165 in the United Kingdom 68, in Australia 65, in Japan 39 and in the United States, 11,127” (Moore Michael, 51:15-51:48). America has 270 to 310 million guns, which is 88.8 to every 100 people in America, which is the highest total and per capita number in the world (ProCon). The correlation between the number of people owning and dying from guns in the United States cannot be denied. However, the Second Amendment of the
A member of the Michigan Militia said in the documentary “This is an American tradition, it is an American responsibility to be armed if you are not armed you are not responsible, who is going to defend you kids, the cops? The federal government? It’s your job to defend you and yours. If you don’t do it you’re in dereliction of duty as an American. Period” (Moore Michael, 8:37-8:56). Being armed does not make Americans responsible; paying taxes, being a good citizen and helping the community makes an American responsible. Owning firearms is a choice not a responsibility. Besides, the Second Amendment has never been updated. Before, being armed meant being responsible because the United States did not have law enforcement to protect Americans like today. If Americans need gun to defend themselves from other Americans, it is because of fear and not because they are being “responsible”. A Canadian man states “If more guns made people safer, then America would be one of the safest counties in the world. It’s the opposite” (Moore, 82:26-82:36). We become fearful and believe we should own a gun for protection from criminals. However, every person who owned a gun in the documentary “Bowling for Columbine”, had never been