I don’t come from a
family that owns guns. We’ve never even
talked about having a gun before, but that one incident made my dad change his
mind. Within the matter of a few weeks,
he had purchased a handgun and was regularly going to the gun range to target
practice. Even though I don’t think I
would want one, I strongly support the Constitution and the people’s right to
have guns. Plus, it was on my bucket
list to shoot one, so a few weeks ago, I went with him to target practice.
Being at the gun range
was definitely out of my comfort zone.
There were lots of people, in fact lots of kids, and obviously a lot of
guns. There were also a lot of safety
measures in place. What was shocking to me however, was the type of guns people
were using. I understand some people may
use rifles and shotguns to hunt. Other
may be practicing with handguns for protection – but what were the snippers
practicing? Too old for military
practice, I couldn’t figure out why the average American would need all the
equipment necessary for being a sniper.
Maybe I’m just ignorant about guns, or maybe we’re taking this whole gun
ownership a bit too far.
I was also curious how
my dad had purchased his gun. You see,
my dad has a diagnosed mental health disorder and a history of violence. It seems to me like he fits the mold for a
person who probably shouldn’t have access to guns. However, he told me there was no waiting
period, no mental health checks, nothing.
He literally just walked in, and after a quick background check,
purchased any gun he wanted. Again, I
support the Constitution, but I also think there should be better regulations
around an industry that contributes to thousands of deaths each year – (yes, I
know people kill people, not guns, but guns certainly play a role J).
I support the owning of firearms but I think that we should not be able to own certain kinds of firearms. No one needs a sniper rifle or an AK-47 to hunt. those guns are only made for killing other people. I think to curb the gun-related deaths we should have stricter background checks for a history of vilonce and mental heath issues.
ReplyDeleteI am for gun ownership. I feel as if there should be many more restrictions and a harder background check as far as mentally disables people. I feel as if there should be more of a waiting list so they can look at each person as an individual instead of a number in line. I also feel as if there are any things they can do to prevent so many deaths accruing from guns. One way they can do this is by limiting certain citizens to certain guns the murder rate should go down if so many people are not using guns like the snipper for example only military trained people should be allowed. I feel as if people want the bigger better guns they should take specialized training
ReplyDeleteI think people should be able to have a gun, but only under the circumstances of having background checks and being checked for any mental illness. They should also have to take a course on gun safety, proper use, and storage. We hear too many stories of teens and adults taking guns from home and shooting up school or facilities. I think the major problem with guns is that people are not responsible with them. Also I don't think it's necessary for people to have AK-47s and sniper rifle, I think that's where obsession comes in. People are also overly fearful that's why they feel like they need all these different kinds of gun like there getting ready for the zombie apocalypse or to go to war. I just think that they need to be more strict and educate the people more before they can get a gun.
ReplyDelete“Do you support or oppose gun ownership? What do you think should be done to curb the staggering amount of gun-related deaths in this country?”
ReplyDeleteEven though I personally don't believe in owning guns, and rather believe that federal officials, law enforcement officials, and trained military professionals should only be allowed to carry guns or own them, I don't oppose of gun ownership. At the same time, I find it hard to trust anyone with a gun, due to so many shooting massacres that have occurred since the Columbine school shootings in 1999 and violent hate crimes occurring. I did hear about the break-in and shooting that took place in an Indianapolis pastor's home, that was really sad and terrifying.
Secondly, when it comes to the question 'What do you think should be done to curb the staggering amount of gun-related deaths in this country?”, i honestly don't know, other than the perpetrator or criminal should pay the price and time in jail. I do however think that in the case of shooting a pregnant women. where two lives are affected, and both the lives are lost, the unborn and the mother, the person who committed such a crime should get life in prison punishment and not just some amount of years in jail. On another side, I also feel the need for criminal recidivism or criminal rehabilitation and second chances in certain crimes that involved gun shooting. This is my utmost honest opinion.
Well, I support gun ownership, as I own a handgun. A handgun, now that being said I feel that a vast majority of fire arms sold legally and illegally should never even make it to the shelves. Anything that fires in three round bursts or fully automatic should never make it to the hand of civilians, at all, ever, period. And to curb the deaths from fire arms is almost impossible. People get mad and reach for the one thing can just make there problem go away, and sometimes people are just showing it off and it goes off, boom, another fatality from a fire arm. It is sad, but Americans love guns way too much, and as a service member I have fired a vast array of artillery, form m9's, that's a very common nine millimeter handgun, to MK19, that's an automatic mounted grenade launcher. And yes, it is fun just to hear the bang, and think that's why people fall in love with guns, but then they forget why they were manufactured, for the purposes of dispatching living things to the after world. I collect swords, specifically samurai swords. One of which was very well made, and every time I look at it, and it is a remarkable weapon, I remember, that it is a made for the sole purpose of ending life. I don't use it for that (lol) but that same goes for guns, they look cool, they make the owner feel cool, and they go bang.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe in the ownership of such weaponry but I also cannot ignore the fact there should be much more systematic evaluation of individuals purchasing guns.I think one good way to set structure is to also have certain levels and clearance for certain weapons so that certain individuals can't have access to high profile guns and ammunition. The constitution is something to respect and practice dearly as well as utilize the use for protection but as a responsible citizen one should closely consider the consequences of their choices.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we should have the right to purchase guns and carry them for protection. Though, I do think we should regulate what guns can be bought and what there purpose is. Not only should we run a background test but we should also have a physical and mental work up done. Any person that wants to buy a gun should have to take a safety class and purchase a safety box to store the weapon. Even after all that I still think we will be unable to control the amount of weapons that are floating around illegally.
ReplyDeleteI support gun ownership. If people want to own a gun then that should be their right for protection. Now I think people should get a background check and pass it to be eligible to get a gun permit. I think this would help the gun related deaths. The problem with the background checks is that people will start to get them illegally. It is a situation that I think will never really get better. If we take all of our guns back and start fresh then maybe that would work, but that entails everyone to cooperate. After we take all the guns then the people with gun permits can go and get legal guns.
ReplyDeleteI believe the gun control debate was over after we normalized the slaughtering of children. Of course, I'm referring to the Sandy Hook incident. The debate probably should have been over well before that, but Sandy Hook ought to have been a wake up call. I found it incredibly disturbing that after the aforementioned incident, many right-wing/conservative people responded with claims such as "this could have been prevented had there been armed protection at the school" or even "the teachers should have been carrying," completely breezing over the fact that 20 children and six adults are now dead due to an armed killing spree. When we, as a society, decided that the gun control issue was not whether we should make strides to prevent such violence but rather whether or not people can open carry absurd weaponry such assault rifles and other automatic weapons, we also completely lost the track. As a society, we are responsible to respond to tragedies like Sandy Hook with positive progressive action, not open a discourse about whether or not the general public should have access to automatic weaponry. In my mind, it is a no-brainer that people shouldn't have access to weapons like that. Assault weaponry in the hands of the general public is entirely unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people will also say that even if we made guns illegal, there would still be illegal sales of all kinds of weapons. Well...yes. Of course illegal firearms deals would still exist. Does this mean that the violence committed by illegal firearms holders is prevented? No. Acts of violence are premeditated, not meaningless and if people are dangerous enough to seek illegal firearms, then by all means they will acquire them. Many if not most of the mass shootings that occur in the US were perpetrated by people who purchased these weapons legally. Statistically, this is true.
Ultimately, I guess my point would be that both the liberal and conservative solutions are too simple. The answer does not lie in the conservative approach - more guns, more policing, etc - or the liberal - take away guns, typically - but rather somewhere in between. To quote philosopher Slavoj Zizek, "Every violent acting out is a sign that there is something you are not able to put into words. Even the most brutal violence is the enacting of a certain symbolic deadlock." I think the real solution to gun violence comes when we attempt to make positive social leaps in the discussion of gun violence. One of the clearest roadblocks of social progress to end gun violence is acknowledging the impetus behind gun violence. We like to wave these issues away by claiming these murderers are insane and that there's no motive outside of mental disorder. Not only does this paint mental illnesses and disorders in a negative light, but also dehumanizes the perpetrators and thus normalizes the violence. Because we can't conceive of the fact that the murderers behind the gun are actually fairly typical humans, we reject the notion that humans (especially Americans) have a socially manufactured predilection towards violence. To make any sort of progress with gun violence we have to first tackle our view of the violence itself. This would be my first step. Change the way we think about gun violence and we begin to make progress. Violence is reactive. There is meaning behind violence and we must address meaning, not the act itself. There are so many facets to the meaning behind violence, but it is vital we approach it not as an individual insanity but more of a social sickness.
Personally, I am opposed to gun ownership. I would never personally own a gun and do not have any friends who own guns. However, weapons are so deeply ingrained in our society that it is almost meaningless to try and directly oppose gun ownership. For now, making attempts to remove gun ownership in America would only cause more problems. As such, I've concluded that if we can generate a global or even local debate about how we have misinterpreted gun violence we can begin to move forward.
I support gun control and people owning guns to a certain degree. I believe everyone should go through a background check before receiving a permit and gun. I think it's also nonsense to own many guns, or a sniper, or any usual guns. I think there's so many violence and deaths from gun shootings not only in this state but the country because there isn't always proper background checks.
ReplyDeleteI think gun ownership should be aloud. I think restricting wouldn't change anything. If anything should be done there should be better background checks but not prohibiting use of firearms. Although there are many deaths because of firearms does not make crime less likely to happen. Most crimes are committed with illegal firearms. When everyone has a right to own a gun I think that crime may not happen as often. With the possibility of people being able to defend themselves is an unpredictable variable for criminals.I think this topic has completely changed since the Paris attacks last week, which I'm sure will be brought up in class. In Paris they have strict gun control laws, but with recent events what did that accomplish. When it comes to gun ownership I don't think you can just say no and it happen, its too late to control that.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't believe I'll ever own a gun I guess I do support gun ownership in America. That being said I firmly believe there should be an extensive background check including a mental health test before the administration of a gun license. I think prohibiting guns will do nothing and will only cause people to gain guns illegally which would cause even more gun problems.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI support the right to posses a firearm, but mainly for reasons such as protection and hunting. Although certain firearms can be more extreme than others, it still can only take one bullet to easily end a life. I do believe that people should undergo well rounded background checks and a mental health test before planning to purchase a weapon though.
ReplyDelete-Hayden
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYesenia Garcia
ReplyDeleteI support gun control and people owning guns to a certain degree. I believe everyone should go through a background check before receiving a permit and gun. If people want to own a gun then that should be their right for protection
We all should have guns! The people who of course without a history of violence or severe mental health issues. More education needs to be enforced, along with better regulation. Obviously, fully-automatic weapons are not necessary for anything but war. I have several guns in my home and have a ccp. I know to never touch them unless I'm going to the range or someone has intruded my space. People get this crazy idea that taking guns away from EVERYONE will make America SAFER. That's absolute horse----! Bad guys don't care about laws and never will! If someone wants a gun bad enough they can and will find one. That's why the citizens in this great nation need better education on how guns can save lives. Mental note: A crazy man enters a crowded theatre and pulls out a rifle, I'm 100% sure every one of you would want one (or more) pedestrians with a firearm. We cannot have as many police officers as pedestrians and sometimes need to protect ourselves. Think about it.
ReplyDeleteI support owning a gun but I also feel there should be more strict regulations when going to purchase one as well. There should be background checks, mental checks, and safety classes/instructions. Alot of the problems going on in the world is that too many have have east access to get a hold to a gun. There should also be regulations to what type of gun you can purchase as well, certain gun should only be used for the military purpose only.
ReplyDeleteI support owning a gun control to a certain degree. Because most people who own guns use it for protection and hunting. but I also believe there should be more rules and yearly check ups like background, mental state of mind safety classes and instructions on how to use a gun. But over all I honestly feel that gun control will not stop shooting and killings in America, Because who know where people are getting gun from now days.
ReplyDeleteI support gun ownership, as far as what to do about gun related deaths, I am oblivious. Possibly requiring more licensing for guns, which would promote more gun knowledge and saftey.
ReplyDeleteI don't oppose or support gun laws I just think that there should be more control on who can get on gun and what happens to guns after they are reported missing. I think that more control would eliminate more casualties.
ReplyDeleteI support the ownership of guns. Simply because they are used mainly for protection. But I think the first step to minimising the gun related deaths in this country is changing people's idea of what guns are, which are harmful weapons. Target practice is fun and pretty safe when done in a shooting range or in an open area out in the woods. I have a friend that owns property in North Indy with more than enough space to do some target practice. We used to go out there during the summer and shoot bottles and toys and it wasn't that big of a deal. They do a lot of hunting so they have a lot of guns. But they never carry them at home or in public. On the other hand you have criminals who have just as many guns that have taken a lot of innocent lives that are contributing to gun related deaths. To solve the problem is much easier said then done because owning weapons is a right. But they end up in the wrong hands. The first step is figuring out how guns are being placed in the wrong environments and getting rid of them. Its something that will take decades to rectify. But I dont believe the government should take away everyone's right to hunt, shoot in safe areas, and protect themselves altogether. It is sad to say that we live in a country that requires such a weapon for protection at times but that's just the reality of the current age that we live in. Sometimes its unavoidable.
ReplyDeleteI support the ownership of guns. Simply because they are used mainly for protection. But I think the first step to minimising the gun related deaths in this country is changing people's idea of what guns are, which are harmful weapons. Target practice is fun and pretty safe when done in a shooting range or in an open area out in the woods. I have a friend that owns property in North Indy with more than enough space to do some target practice. We used to go out there during the summer and shoot bottles and toys and it wasn't that big of a deal. They do a lot of hunting so they have a lot of guns. But they never carry them at home or in public. On the other hand you have criminals who have just as many guns that have taken a lot of innocent lives that are contributing to gun related deaths. To solve the problem is much easier said then done because owning weapons is a right. But they end up in the wrong hands. The first step is figuring out how guns are being placed in the wrong environments and getting rid of them. Its something that will take decades to rectify. But I dont believe the government should take away everyone's right to hunt, shoot in safe areas, and protect themselves altogether. It is sad to say that we live in a country that requires such a weapon for protection at times but that's just the reality of the current age that we live in. Sometimes its unavoidable.
ReplyDeleteI think gun ownership is fine to a certain point. I'm all for supporting hobbies and the constitution but there is a reasonable limit. Nobody needs to own automatic weapons or anything extremely offensive. They should be used for home/personal defense and a large array of weapons are overkill in that sense. More intensive background checks, waiting periods, and health screenings need to be in place of who is capable of owning a gun.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone who takes and passes a class and is going about the legal way to obtain a gun should be allowed to own a gun. I think people who commit the crimes or violence are irrational and don't feel like they have a voice. Maybe having a hotline for free therapy so people can vent and not get so mad.I have a lot of different opinions on this topic but I'm not 100% on any of them.
ReplyDeleteI support ownership of guns. I think we should do screenings for everyone who goes to buy a gun.
ReplyDelete-Hayley