Australian Gun Laws

Guns have been the weapon used in thousands of homicides in the United States, yet politicians have failed to find a simple solution that could save lives. Guns are too easily accessible to all kinds of people. This is extremely dangerous and *the reasoning behind banning guns* can be broken down to how weak laws have failed in the past, how other countries have handled guns, and how licensing and registration could prevent crime. Events such as the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting have been recognized nationwide, but no politicians have made a strong enough push to change the laws. The Sandy Hook Elementary shooting occurred in December of 2012. The perpetrator, Adam Lanza, killed twenty children and six staff members with a semi-automatic
America needs to take in some of these policies. Australia hit gun laws extremely aggressively after the Port Arthur massacre of 1996 left 35 dead and 23 others injured. Just two weeks after the massacre, the government completely banned semiautomatic and fully-automatic weapons. They also managed to take over 650,000 of these weapons out of public circulation. As the council on foreign relations states, “Many analysts say these measures have been highly effective, citing declining gun-death rates, and the fact that there have been no mass killings in Australia since 1996” (“U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons” 1). Australia has found a simple solution saving many Australian lives. However, Japan is the country with the lowest crime rate in the world. Japan’s strict gun laws date back to the end of World War 2. Among these laws are rigorous background checks, annual inspections, and multiple drug tests. However, these are not needed as most Japanese don't think they need guns, unlike Americans. As reported by the council on foreign relations, “Because the overall crime rate in the country is so low, most Japanese see no need for firearms.” (“U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons” 1). America needs to start looking at policies that have saved thousands of lives in other
Licensing and Registration have worked for several years in the automobile business and could be incorporated in the same way for guns. The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence states, “In the same way that we license drivers and register cars, this approach would license gun owners (to ensure that they follow basic safety precautions), and register guns (to reduce the chances of illegal sale).” (“The Licensing and Registration of Handguns Would Help Reduce Gun Violence” 1). Background checks and gun safety courses could be put into place as well, dropping the rate of manslaughter, and preventing guns to get into the wrong hands. Almost all other countries have a licensing and registration system. America is one of the only countries that haven’t, causing lives. As presented by The Coalition To Stop Gun Violence, “Firearms kill nearly twelve times as many children in America than in twenty-five other industrialized nations combined.” ("The Licensing and Registration of Handguns Would Help Reduce Gun Violence" 1). Licensing and registration is a system we know works today with cars and could be implemented in the same way with guns. Many critics will argue that all citizens should be allowed to acquire a gun, or to bear arms, according to the constitution. However, it is common sense to know that the Founding Fathers did not have any knowledge of fully automatic weapons, such as an AK-47.