Why Are Guns Part of Everyday Life in America?

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Many on the left believe in “common sense laws” such as: Mental evaluations, insurance on firearms, restricting the amount of ammunition allowed to be obtained and closing a “Gun Show loophole” – the official name “Bradley Law Loophole” – that has existed for many years. This loophole allows guns and ammunition to be purchased at gun shows without proof of criminal record. According to the law loophole, “any person may sell a firearm to an unlicensed resident of the state where they reside, as long as they do not know or have reasonable cause to believe the person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms”. Essentially you may walk in without anything but an ID. This loophole has allowed guns to be placed in many American homes. Many on the right believe such basic laws are invasive to an American citizen due to the constitution; they believe the government has no right to keep them from obtaining weapons.

The loudest debate currently concerning guns seems to be centered around Assault Rifles. In 1994, then President Bill Clinton signed into law, the “Violent Crimes Control and Law Enforcement Act”, calling for the “prohibition of semi-automatic assault rifles, assault weapons” and magazines defined as “high capacity magazines” (more than 10 rounds is considered). in September of 2004, due to a “Sunset Provision”, the ban expired. Since then there has been a lot of public opinion that it should be renewed, especially in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting.

Although daily through radio stations, television and social media debates, many people continue to gridlock at self-defense versus defense from guns. The argument can be made for both sides. On one hand, owning a gun is a responsibility many Americans believe is a duty. The passion and history run deep in the country’s short history. On the other hand, many people find the alarming number of casualties of gun violence to be the final straw in a law perceived to be out of touch with modern times. Daily, the polarizing gun issue continues to arrive in conversations both casually and intentionally. Whether we are seeing it through social media, or first hand, no one is quite sure how this very tricky issue will one day be resolved.

Works Cited

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/31/kids-accidentally-shot-people-5-times-a-week-this-year-on-average/

http://smartgunlaws.org/gun-deaths-and-injuries-statistics/

http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364/materials/musket/rev_gun5.htm

http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=19