Banning Guns Equals Saving Lives

Lauren Flynn

Two months ago this week a senseless tragedy hit the streets of Detroit. Matthew Bowens and Jennifer Fettig, two Detroit police officers, were gunned down and killed during a routine traffic stop.

Amendment II of the Constitution states a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. There is a clear public support for enacting stronger gun control legislation to reduce the chance of accidental or deliberate gun violence. Six in ten Americans say there should be stricter gun control laws. Large majorities support mandatory trigger locks, safety courses, backround checks at gun shows and banning assault weapons. Just a third of Americans want to ban handguns entirely because people are less sure about whether these measures would actually curb violent crime.

The current gun policy is wrong for America because so many innocent lives are taken by guns. A backround check for people applying for a carrying a concealed weapon permit (CCW) does not show their mental history or crimes they were acquited of. It is not only criminals who kill. Only thirty percent of murders are commited by robbers and rapists. Handguns annually murder at least fifteen thousand Americans and accidently kill another one hundred thousand. Citizens use the excuse that they need guns to protect themselves from robbers. They should know that 90% of robberies are commited when the person is not at home. There is an estimated one hundred thousand handguns stolen annually from law abiding citizens.

These alarming statistics show how much danger our children are in from guns. Everyday, fourteen American children aged nineteen years and under are killed in gun accidents, suicides, and homicides. Many more are wounded. An estimated 1.2 million elementary aged, latchkey children have access to guns in their homes. Guns are the leading method (60%)used by teenagers to commit suicide. Everyday, sixty-five American men, women and children are killed with handguns. According to the Michigan Department of Public Health, the majority of victims of fatal firearm accidents in Michigan are children and adolescents.

What should be done to protect innocent victims from violent gun crimes? The government has many options to reduce the death rate by firearms.

One option for our administration is to only allow military and police officers to carry and own firearms. Major efforts should be put forth to collect and destroy firearms owned by Americans. The gun industry has been profiting for to long at the expense of people's lives. I understand that the gun manufacturing business has provided employment for many people in this country. To prevent an even greater unemployment rate, the people whose jobs were to make guns can now combine efforts to collect those guns and save lives. It will take many years to complete the job of confiscating firearms so umemployment would not be an issue in banning firearms. We as Americans need to look into our hearts and take control of the problem that is taking lives of our children, friends and family. We all need to come together and vote out the legislators who support the use of guns. Our government should be filled with people who would rather protect our lives than increase their bank account.

A less dramatic approach to eliminating all hand guns would be to limit how many guns individuals can own so they can't illegally distribute them. A more thorough back up check should also be done. Mental history should be looked at to decrease the risk of violent outbreaks and mass killing sprees. I think the process of getting a gun permit should be long and complicated so maybe people would not want to go through the hassle.

A third approach wold be to just eliminate handguns. A person would have to pass the required backround and mental check, have taken a gun safety course, have a hunting license and be able to prove they are using the rifle for hunting purposes only. This would be effective to reduce who is able to recieve a gun permit and rifles are far less easy to conceal.

I believe my policy proposal is better than the current policy because in a society full of hate, eliminating guns would be eliminating one more trigger for evil in the world.