Gun Control Regulations

Caitlin Estill

English 10

Ms. Long

Since 2013, there have been 149 school shootings, an average of about one a week. And that’s only school shootings. In the last 7 years, numbers of mass shootings has exceeded 900. Gun control laws, and regulations are not strict enough or thorough enough in the United States, or the numbers would not be anywhere near this. I think that the gun laws and restrictions need to be much stricter and more thorough in order to reduce those numbers and make people feel more safe.

The United States is the country that takes the lead for most mass shootings every year. And, interestingly enough, we also take the lead for highest gun ownership per capita, with roughly 270 million firearms, which equals out to about 89 firearms per 100 people. The next country down is Yemen, with 11.5 million. The United States represents less than 5% of the world’s population, but accounts for approximately 31% of the mass shooters. Why is that? It is so easy for a person to go into a store and buy a gun. Not only that, but there are so many loopholes around owning a gun that make it even easier. Federal background checks regarding guns take roughly 3 days to complete. It can take up to a year for a background check for a graduate of law school to start work in a government facility.

Some examples of the loose gun laws in the U.S. come from the most terrifying events: the mass shootings. A man named Christopher Harper-Mercer shot and killed eight students and teachers at Umpqua Community College. Christopher was known to be “hate-filled” and he had struggled with mental health issues for a while, yet he purchased all 14 of his guns legally. He passed his background check with no problems, despite his mental health concerns. Another example is Andrew Engeldinger, a man who shot six people at his place of work, before turning the gun on himself. Just like Christopher Harper-Mercer, he was known to have mental health issues prior to his background check, which he passed completely, allowing him to buy the two guns he used to kill the owner and five other people.

These examples are only a couple of the many horrific events that happen in the U.S. And, most of them have one thing in common. They bought their own guns and ammunition after clearing their background check, despite their history of aggression or mental health concerns. This is a huge concern, and is more proof that the background checks taken to buy guns are not thorough enough, and they can skim over some critical information.

There are so many loopholes that allow people to buy, own, and operate guns that don’t require any sort of moderation, another reason why we need to make laws stricter. For example, Dylann Roof, the Charleston church shooter, was able to own his guns before actually having a background check completed by the NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System.) This was because of a loophole that states that if a background check takes longer than three days to complete, the gun dealer is allowed to sell the gun to the person anyways. In some states, gun shows are held for people that enjoy guns. The problem with these shows is that you are able to walk in and buy a gun from any of the gun dealers there, with no background check or anything. This is because the guns are being sold in a private transaction, making it possibly the easiest way to obtain a gun. Another loophole is the laws that states are legalizing. For example, five states now allow college students to carry a gun with them wherever they are on campus. One state that consumed that role is Austin, Texas, where now multiple professors are retiring, solely for the fear of getting a gun pointed at them. That does not make a campus a safer place, it ends up making it more threatening, and in the long run, actually makes it less safe than before.

Like any other major concern, there are two sides to every story. Many people on my opposing side may say that guns are a way to protect yourself, a solid self defense mechanism. They may say that the background checks are thorough enough and that the background checks will know if a person isn’t stable enough to own such a weapon. This position is simply incorrect. Self defense is not meant to kill a person. The definition of self defense is “the act of defending one's person when physically attacked, as by countering blows or overcoming an assailant (dictionary.com).” Self defense does not mean that if you feel threatened, you have the right to immediately pull out a gun. Guns are not the only self defense mechanism. And it is rare that you would even need a gun in a self defense situation. And as for background checks, they are not thorough enough, and many times, the background check comes back clear and the person is not mentally stable.

In order to make our nation a safer place, owning a gun should be a very difficult process, and it should take a longer time to complete than it does right now. Background checks should be looked into much more, and if there is even the slightest piece of information that could mean the person is not okay to own a gun, either it gets looked into much further, or the background check stops and the person is denied the right to a firearm. Also, all loopholes should be stopped, so that the only way to obtain a firearm is through the background checks, no matter how long they may take to complete. As well as having more thorough background checks, every person should have to go through gun training, meaning that they need to know how the gun works, the parts of the gun, what it can do, and the instances in which you would need to use it. These are only the beginning changes that need to be made in order to make the U.S. a safer country.

Works Cited

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Kohrman, Miles, and Jennifer Mascia. "Everything You Need to Know About Federal Background Checks — and the Gaps That Let Dylann Roof Slip Through." The Trace. N.p., 11 July 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015

LA Times Staff. "Deadliest U.S. Mass Shootings | 1984-2015." Latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2015. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.

"Mass Shootings Toll Exceeds 900 in past Seven Years." USA Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.

"Self Defense." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web

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"7 Craziest Gun Laws in America." Salon. Salon Media Group, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.

"149 School Shootings in America Since 2013." Everytown. Everytown, 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.