The Gun Control Act of 1968 was passed by Congress following the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The act, as amended over the years, is the primary vehicle for the federal regulation of firearms.
Since then, the debate on gun control in the United States has been a hot topic, and is still a highly controversial issue today. On one side, some argue that more stringent gun control laws are necessary to prevent gun violence and mass shootings. On the other side, there are those who believe that the current laws are sufficient, and that any further restrictions on gun ownership would be a violation of their Second Amendment rights.
Proponents of gun control point to statistics that show the high rate of gun violence in the United States compared to other countries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2017 there were 39,773 gun deaths in the U.S., 60 percent of which were suicides. They also point to the number of mass shootings in the U.S., which is higher than in any other country. They argue that stricter gun control laws, such as universal background checks and bans on certain types of weapons, would help to reduce the number of gun-related deaths and injuries. Gun control advocates believe that such laws would help to reduce the accessibility of firearms, making it harder for those who should not have access to them. They argue that this could help to decrease the number of gun-related deaths and injuries.
Opponents of gun control, however, argue that the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms. They point to the fact that the number of gun-related deaths has decreased since the 1990s, and that crime rates have also decreased in recent years. They argue that the current laws are adequate and that further restrictions on gun ownership would be a violation of their constitutional rights. They also argue that more guns lead to more safety, as more people are able to protect themselves from potential attackers. Furthermore, they contend that increased gun control would make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to own firearms, while criminals would still find ways to obtain them.
Both sides of the debate make valid points, and the issue is far from being resolved. It is clear, however, that something needs to be done in order to reduce the number of gun-related deaths in the United States. Further research is needed to determine the best way to balance the right to bear arms with the need for greater gun control. In the meantime, it is important to educate the public about gun safety and the risks associated with gun ownership.
Most likely, there is a middle ground between these opposing viewpoints. However, as the famous evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins once wrote: “…when two opposite points of view are expressed with equal intensity, the truth does not necessarily lie exactly halfway between them. It is possible for one side to be simply wrong.”
