Imagine enjoying a movie at Cinema 10, eating a meal at Taco Bell, or even sitting in a history class at Carman-Ainsworth High School while people all around you are carrying loaded guns! Although this may seem unbelievable, it is possible because the United States gives citizens the right to possess and carry guns. It is understandable that Americans would want to possess guns such as shotguns and rifles for the popular sport of hunting. However, it is ridiculous that our government would allow people to carry handguns. Handgun possession should be strictly limited, because they are made solely to kill people, they have increased the murder rate in the U.S., and they have even allowed children to easily kill other children.
The first reason handguns should be outlawed for ordinary citizens is because their main purpose is simply to kill other human beings. Why would our country allow us to have the right to own an object that is deadly? Our government seems to want to protect us. For example, seatbelt laws and motorcycle helmet laws were created to protect our lives. The country endeavors to enforce pollution laws to keep us safe and healthy. They also inspect food and tests drugs to make sure citizens are not harmed by nasty food and dangerous drugs. Yet, our government allows just about anybody to own and walk around with guns. It does not appear our government really cares about our safety. If it did, handguns would be outlawed for the general public, because their only purpose is to kill people.
The Essay on Guns don’t kill people, People kill people
... and firearms should be tightly regulated by the government, reasonable measures should be taken to minimize ... handgun during a robbery or an assault, have the least chance of being injured, or the crime being finished out. Anti-gun people ... a new gun law added to the long list of gun laws. In Colorado and Oregon the law was passed ... be remembered “Guns do not kill people, people kill people.”
Second, we should ban the possession of handguns, because the homicide and robbery rate in the U.S. is much greater than in Canada where there are stricter handgun laws. Between 1987 and 1996, firearm homicide rates increased by 2% in the United States but decreased by 7% in Canada. Furthermore, handgun homicide rates in the U.S. are 15.3 times higher than in Canada. Finally, firearm robbery rates in the U.S. are 3.5 times higher than in Canada. Obviously, homicide and robbery rates involving handguns are higher in the U.S. where handgun laws are not as strict as in Canada. Our high crime rate is another reason handguns should be banned.
The third and maybe biggest reason that citizens should not possess handguns is because handguns can easily get into the hands of little children. For example, about one and a half years ago, a six year old boy in the Beecher School District took a loaded handgun to school and shot and killed a six year old female classmate. This young boy may not have understood the concept of death. However, because he had easy access to a handgun, he was able to hurt someone he didn’t like. This has happened all over the country, like at Columbine High School and many other places. It is sad that this happens, but we shouldn’t be shocked. After all, the law allows us to own guns, guns made simply to kill.
In conclusion, handguns create an unsafe environment and should be outlawed! Some may argue they are needed for self-defense, but if no one except police officials had handguns there would be no need for that kind of defense. If handguns were outlawed, homicides would decrease, children could not obtain guns, and our country would be less violent. Until the law is changed, people will continue to kill other people.
