Monday, December 3, 2007

Step SEIS: The New Brief

Thesis: Controlling or banning guns has proven to be ineffective in lowering the amount of violence; however, some safety measures must be taken to enhance the safety of everyone. A more detailed background check is necessary to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands. Also, every person who owns a gun should be required to keep their gun on lock while not in use and to attend a gun education class that promotes safety.

Introduction:

1) People will kill others regardless of whether guns are controlled or not. “Individuals who commit violent crimes will either find guns despite severe controls or will find other weapons to use," (Kates and Mauser).

2) There is no correlation between gun ownership and number of deaths per year (Kates and Mauser).

3) In Washington, D.C. when guns were banned, “D.C.'s violent crime rate went up, not down, after the ban.” Also, “…in the five years before Washington's ban in 1976, the murder rate fell from 37 to 27 per 100,000. In the five years after it went into effect, the murder rate rose back up to 35.” (John R. Lott)

4) In Chicago and its neighboring suburbs, “Chicago's murder rate fell from 27 to 22 per 100,000 in the five years before the law and then rose slightly to 23. The change is even more dramatic when compared to five neighboring Illinois counties: Chicago's murder rate fell from being 8.1 times greater than its neighbors in 1977 to 5.5 times in 1982, and then went way up to 12 times greater in 1987.” (John R. Lott)

Reason: Guns lead to an increase in violence.

Evidence: In 2005, 71% of all homicides, 42% of all robberies, and 21% of all aggravated assaults were committed with a firearm. (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics)

Evidence: In 2004, 29,569 people in America died from firearm-related deaths. 11,624 (39%) of those were murdered; 16,750 (57%) were suicides; 649 (2.2%) were accidents; and in 235 (.8%) the intent was unknown. (WISQARS Injury Mortality Reports)

Evidence: In 2005, it was estimated that for every firearm related mortality in America, there were more than two non-fatal firearm injuries. (WISQARS Injury Mortality Reports)

Evidence: In 2005, guns were responsible for 11,346 homicides, as opposed to more than half as many homicides, 5,346, with knives, blunt objects, and other weapons. (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics)

Reason: Guns are too easy to obtain.

Evidence: There are currently no required background checks for the sale of guns between family, friends, or other private sales.

Evidence: A survey of State Prison Inmates in 1997 showed that, of those who owned a gun, the gun was from family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source for 80%. (Bureau of Justice Statistics)

Evidence: “How insane is today’s situation where no civilian under any circumstance can own military vehicles or communications equipment, but where young men barely past puberty can buy the deadliest of all firearms through the simple act of going to any gun shop, filing an application, then waiting a few days as his papers are processed?” (“Gun Control Now” article in The Philippine News)

Evidence: A bill that prohibited the sale and ownership of assault weapons expired in 2004 and was not renewed. People can now legally obtain and sell assault weapons as long as they meet the qualifications to own a gun in the specific state (Brady Campaign). Assault weapons serve no practical purpose in today’s society: hunters don’t kill deer with uzis; a machine gun would not protect citizens any better than a handgun; assault weapons fire at a rate too high to ensure the safety of any bystanders.

Reason: Guns are necessary for protection and recreation.

Evidence: The personal account of Alan Contreras, a gun owner

i. His reasons for owning a gun: self-defense from criminals and dangerous animals
ii. “Surely each person has the right to decide whether to kill or die” (In Defense of Self-Defense)
iii. “Some people would not shoot another person in self-defense. I would.”
iv. “the police can't be everywhere,” and “there are few police officers in rural America."

Evidence: Many people enjoy hunting, skeet shooting, and other hobbies that involve guns.

i. 12.5 million hunting licenses were sold in 2006 (Rocky Barker)

Reason: Necessity and positive effects of a more detailed background check and a gun education class.

Evidence: Virginia Tech tragedy was the result of false information reported during background checks. (Virginia Tech Report pp 71-73)

i. Before purchasing a gun, a person must go through a background check to determine whether or not the person is qualified to own a gun.

ii. Because Cho had been involuntarily admitted to a mental health facility and was deemed “a danger to himself or to others,” he was ineligible to purchase a gun.

iii. When Cho went to purchase his guns, neither of the background checks performed at the licensed firearm dealers prohibited the dealer from selling him the gun.

iv. “The FBI indicated in a press release dated April 19, 2007, that just 22 states reported any mental health information to the federal database.”

Evidence: There is a bill currently in Congress that would require that all states keep the National Instant Background Check System (the system used in background checks) current. “Under the bill, states would be given money to help them supply the federal government with information on mental-illness adjudications and other run-ins with the law that are supposed to disqualify individuals from firearms purchases.” States would face penalties if they failed to comply. (Dingell, NRA Working on Bill to Strengthen Background Checks)

Evidence: A person should have to attend a gun education class in order to purchase a firearm. This class would promote gun safety, teach the individual how to safely use a firearm, and ensure that the individual understands why he is legally allowed to own a firearm. The instructor of this course must meet certain requirements made by the federal government to ensure competency in firearm use and safety. A person would only need to attend this course once. This class would also increase the amount of time between when the person goes to buy a gun and when the person can purchase a gun, giving the background check system more time to ensure its accuracy.

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