Because of the rise of mass shootings, governmental talks of gun bans have been a hot topic recently. I do believe that candidates running for president or even public office in general will make this a big topic for the 2020 election year. Why is the this the case?
In the past couple of years, not just the US, but the world has seen a rise in mass shootings. We have been seeing more and more news reports of random shootings and unfortunately, they are becoming more and more common. They are becoming so common in fact that the news reports don’t surprise us anymore.
Granted, mass shootings are a concern as they need to be but, do they merit a complete gun ban? Some say that it does and some say that it doesn’t. The 2nd amendment exists for a reason. You also cannot just get rid of it easily. It has a long history within the nation. There must be more of a reason why more and more mass shootings are happening.
Lack of understanding guns
One of the biggest reasons I believe many Americans want to ban guns is because most individuals have no idea what the gun laws are and have never used a firearm in their lives. For many, the thought of firearms scares people to the point of not even wanting to see one in person. There is a saying I have always loved: “You always fear what you don’t understand.” This saying basically sums it up. It comes down to pure ignorance.
“You always fear what you don’t understand.” – Carmine Falcone
I’ve seen a number a videos online which showcased a number of people which described the “fear of guns” perfectly. From what I have seen, most have changed their view on guns on the first time shooting.
Check out these videos for reference:
People Shoot a Gun for the First Time Captured in Slow Motion
A number of folks here in this video are here trying to shoot a handgun for the first time. All have different reactions. Most of them positive. Check out their reactions and responses.
ANTI-GUNNER goes to the Range for the first time
John at Warrior Poet Society takes an anti-gunner shooting on the range. She’s obviously is scared at first but see how she reacts once she starts shooting.
History of gun bans and gun control in America
There have been quite a few attempts of gun bans in America over the past 200+ year of America’s existence. It is interesting that most of the gun ban and control attempts have been more common over the last 100 years. Recent history shows that gun bans have been a debate for a while now but, surprisingly, most in the last century.
1934
The National Firearms Act
The first major gun control act performed by the American government was the National Firearms Act set in 1934. This gun control act set new rules to gun owners and gun buyers and also imposed a $200 trade tax to a set number of guns included in the act. Some of the new rules included registering various firearm types. Guns that have barrels shorter than 18 inches, fully automatic firearms, gun suppressors and silencers were all subject to this new act.
1938
The Federal Firearms Act
A couple of years later in 1938, The Federal Firearms Act was put into play. This act required those who build and sell guns to be registered to do so. It also required gun sellers to establish records of those who were not allowed to buy guns. the Federal Firearms Act was repealed and replaced by a more extensive gun control act called the Gun Control Act of 1968.
1968
Gun Control Act of 1968
I like to nickname this gun control act the “Assassination Gun Control Act”. This gun control act was introduced in 1968 after the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. The Gun Control Act of 1968 was an updated version of the Federal Firearms Act. This act adds legislation to enforce “destructive devices,” including bombs, mines, grenades and devices that could potentially do similar harm.
1986
Firearm Owners Protection Act
In 1986, The Firearm Owners Protection Act basically helped out gun owners by loosening some regulations for the average gun owner and expanding the laws that the Gun Control Act of 1968 put in place originally.
1993
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention
The act is named after former White House Press Secretary James Brady. As many who were alive at the time know Brady was shot and disabled as a result of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan’s life. The purpose of this act is to require background checks for gun buyers. It was signed by Bill Clinton and would amend the Gun Control Act of 1968.
1994
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
Otherwise know as the “Assault Weapons Ban” to gun enthusiasts. This was another act put into play signed by Bill Clinton to ban certain “assault weapons” that mimicked military style firearms. This ban spanned from September 13, 1994 to September 13, 2004. This ban is no longer in effect and no new law hinders the firearms and the amount of ammo allowed in each respected magazine.
There have been more gun laws that have been established but these are the most major ones in recent years. For more information about the rules, regulations, laws and legislation on firearms, please visit The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) for more insight.
Racial Gun Bans
Now, there are specific gun bans that not many individuals talk about. During the 19th century, the REAL first gun bans were a number of attempts to ban guns toward “black people” or “people of color” in America. This was actually a big issue after the Civil War. Black people and other people of color were not referred to as “actual people” so in theory were not recognized to have the rights of men as stated in the constitution.
Gun Enthusiasts and Historians reflect on Racial Gun Bans in this video
Guns vs no guns (purpose of the second amendment)
What would happen if guns were removed altogether? Would we see violent crimes drop significantly? Would murder stop entirely? Lets take a look at some of these concepts.
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
The second amendment exists to keep the government at bay from terrorizing it’s citizens. It also exists to add protection to the American citizens. This made plenty of sense back a couple of centuries go when America was underdeveloped and most households needed some form of protection because Law Enforcement wasn’t just a phone call away. These days most people do not have a firearm plus open carry is prohibited in most states. The Wild, Wild West is not a thing anymore. So, one could say that guns, let alone “assault weapons” are just not needed anymore.
Unknown Risk for Invaders
One counter argument is that guns in homes present an unknown scenario for invaders. With the possibility of guns present in the home, burglars, criminals, and the like, never know if they are going to face a weapon of deadly force if they try to break in someones home or property. This goes the same for any foreign entities trying to invade the country. Invading soldiers trying to take over America would have a tough time securing the country. They would have resistance from not only the military but any civilians who are armed. Check out the movie Red Dawn (Any version) for reference. If other countries have the right to bear arms during World War II, Hitler might not have been as successful as he was during the beginning of the war.
What many don’t realize either is that illegal guns will still flourish if there is a gun ban or not. Imagine you have a robber who has broken into your home and he has a gun. Since there is a ban on guns, you don’t have one – this robber does due to the fact that criminals get their guns through illegal sources. This scenario is likely to happy with gun bans in effect. The only real loser here is the law-abiding citizen who got “caught with his pants down” with no real way to defend himself. This does not want to be me either at home or if I owned some property.
The Negatives
The bad thing about the right to bear arms is the fact that it puts the responsibility on the individual to use the firearm in the correct way. There have been many who have been killed by guns that probably shouldn’t have due to accidents and crime. Suicides are easier to commit because guns make it easy to kill yourself with. Those without guns are really powerless versus those with guns.
The debate continues and will continue as long as gun violence continues in America.
Is morality the key?
So why are these mass shootings happening so often? The second amendment has been around for centuries now. Automatic firearms have been around for over a century now. Gun bans have happened before and have been ineffective as a whole. Gun design and operation hasn’t changed drastically in this amount of time. What current situation in the world has changed so much that there would be so many mass shootings this day and age? For me personally, I believe it is due to morality.
People with some sort of believe structure tend to have respect for one another. This respect hinders the thought of using weapons like guns for murder on a regular basis. There was a time when just about all people in the world had a certain religious background which shaped the ethics, thought patterns, and how people carried themselves in life.
Today, many people have turned away from religion. With the latest scientific findings and the lack of evidence from older religions to prove true, it is hard to keep “faith” in young ones today. At the same time, there have been a rise in religious hate crimes. It seems like radical zealots have been prone to cause more frequent harm due to the fact that there has been a decline in religion in the world.
The Great Decline (1952 – 2013)
Religiosity in the United States is in the midst of what might be called ‘The Great Decline.’ Recently, the drop in religiosity has been quite more significant than the decline of the 1960s and 1970s when Baby Boomers were coming up.
Hate Crime Increase
On top of religion decreasing, hate crimes have increased. What’s interesting is that the BBC reports that most of their hate crimes targeted those who had a “no religion” identity.
I am not saying you need to believe in God, but humans generally to need to believe in something – a cause, a purpose, a way of life, words to live by, a code. Without a belief system, humans tend lose direction in life. There is often no fear or accountability. This in turn will generally lead humans in a path of anarchy and destruction. This is why a belief system is important in society – It keeps people in check.
Moving Forward
The question whether we need guns or even whether we need certain types of guns will be on most individuals minds. I do believe what it really comes down to is the type of weapons that are allowed. Talks need to happen and new laws probably do need to be put in place. An increase in morality is a major feature though. Illegal guns will continue to be in our streets and do even more harm if they are no one with guns to counter them. A good solution is due soon. Hopefully sooner than later.
Protect yourself. Get training. Start learning about guns. Practice Makes Proficient.
