Research Paper on Stricter Gun Regulations and The Average American

Almost every household morning starts the same; wake up, get the kids ready or school, make breakfast, and prepare for work. Then the News comes on, and there has been another mass shooting. With unknown injured and multiple people killed. It feels like these tragedies are the norm. However, some of these situations can be prevented, and that is through gun control. Stricter gun regulations benefit the average American by, reducing suicide rates, preventing dangerous people from accessing firearms, and reducing the amount injured or killed in shootings through the ban of assault class weapons. 

One issue with gun regulations is the ban on assault style weapons and high-capacity magazines. However rifles like the AR-15 are quite popular, “Americans own over 11 million AR-15s and buy hundreds of thousands of new ones every year.” (“Assault Weapons”, “Large” Magazines”) This popularity though can lead to terrible things. According to ("Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines must be banned.") “An analysis of mass shootings committed from 2009-2018 had led to six times more people being shot when Assault weapons were used.” Which is a horrifying statistic considering the 11 million AR-15s owned by Americans. Another study conducted by ("Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines must be banned.") Found, “[a] 2019 study showed that 77% of mass shootings committed from 1990-2017 occurred in states with less strict regulations on High-capacity magazines and assault weapons.’ Though this issue can be remedied, also found on ("Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines must be banned.")  “Researchers analyzing public mass shootings from 1982-2011 found that both state and federal bans on assault weapons would result in a decreased rate of mass shootings.” With these facts in mind banning these types of weapons and magazines is helpful. Though it is not enough for the average American to worry less about Mass shootings. 

The second point benefits Americans through background checks. Universal background checks can be used to prevent dangerous people from acquiring firearms and should be required by anyone who wishes to purchase a firearm. One study found that, “Of the 116 mass shootings between 2009-2016 approximately 44 incidents or (34%) involved a prohibited person acquiring a firearm.”(Prohibited Person: minors, convicted felons, and people with mental illnesses.) ("The Effects of Background Checks") Knowing that these tragedies could’ve been prevented is a saddening sentiment and could’ve saved hundreds of lives. But even more lives can be saved through lower homicide rates. “States that go above federal law and regulate background checks for unlicensed gun sales are associated with 10% lower homicide rates.” (“Background Checks on All Gun Sales”) Considering that there were, “39,707 deaths from firearms in the U.S. in 2019. (“Facts and Figures”) This factor also shows that background checks could also reduce the number of regular homicide deaths as well. And by a factor of 4,000. Through the past two points it has been made clear that these gun regulations benefit people from having to deal with violent gun issues. But the next topic is another example of how gun violence can be used against ourselves. 

Every year it seems that mental health is an ever-important issue. Becoming more and more relevant as the years go on. There’s nothing more devastating than losing a family member. Especially to suicide. Studies have shown that stricter gun control laws would lead to a decrease in suicides. Reported from 2001-2005, “states with higher rates of gun ownership experience much more suicides by an amount of 4 times.” ("America’s unique gun violence problem, explained in 16 maps and charts") Also taken from ("America’s unique gun violence problem, explained in 16 maps and charts") , studies also show that, “policies that limit access to guns have decreased suicides.” These facts also support the background check claims since, “people with mental illnesses.” are prohibited from buying firearms. Which in turn makes sense as to why the suicide rate would decrease.  

Most people who oppose gun control like to say, “The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects my right to own firearms.” Which is true, and every American has the right to own a firearm. That is what the founding fathers wanted. However, The Second Amendment is not an unlimited privilege to owning firearms. “Like most rights, the right secured by the second amendment is not unlimited.” ("Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted?") Also, most people need to bear in mind the 2nd Amendment was written at a time when most weapons were single fire rifles. Not a time where automatic rifles could shoot “The AR-15 can fire 400 rounds per minute.” (“Stephen Paddock used a "bump stock" to make his guns even deadlier.”) With that type of shooting capacity, a family can be decimated from losing a loved one in just 0.15 seconds.  

Through the points mentioned above the message is clear. Firearms are a right of every American. But that right is dangerous. That right comes at a cost of semi-automatic rifles, bump stocks, and lack of background checks permanently causing someone to lose a parent or child forever. This is unacceptable, no human being should have to go through the trauma and pain of these horrific mass shootings. The American people deserve better, and therefore there should be stricter gun regulations.   

Work Cited 

Nra-Ila, & Association, N. R. (2019, September). Ila: "assault weapons": "large" magazines. NRA. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.nraila.org/get-the-facts/assault-weapons-large-magazines/. 

Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazines Must Be Banned. americanprogress.org. (2019, August 12). Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/guns-crime/reports/2019/08/12/473528/assault-weapons-high-capacity-magazines-must-banned/. 

The effects of background checks. RAND Corporation. (2020, April 22). Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/analysis/background-checks.html. 

Background Checks on All Gun Sales. Everytown Research & Policy. (2021, April 7). Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://everytownresearch.org/solution/background-checks/. 

Facts and Figures. Facts and figures. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://health.ucdavis.edu/what-you-can-do/facts.html. 

Lopez, G. (2017, October 2). America's Unique Gun Violence Problem, Explained in 16 Maps and Charts. Vox. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/2/16399418/fedex-indianapolis-mass-shooting-gun-violence-statistics-charts. 

Pros & Cons - ProCon.org. Gun Control. (2020, August 7). Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://gun-control.procon.org/. 

Leefeldt, E. (2017, October 4). Stephen Paddock used a "bump stock" to make his guns even deadlier. CBS News. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bump-fire-stock-ar-15-stephen-paddock-guns-deadlier/.