Should We Change Our Gun Control Laws?
The graph depicts competing data for firearm homicides from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Center for Disease Control, and the Bureau of Crime Statistics. The FBI data point for 2011 is preliminary, and is subject to small changes with the release of the FBI report for 2012 (to be released later in 2013). Sources: BJS – CDC – FBI The BJS data is compiled by the FBI, but uses a different definition for firearm-related “Homicide and nonnegligent manslaughter” than the one used by the FBI for their Expanded Homicide Report (which seemingly excludes nonnegligent manslaughter). The CDC figures appear to be more inclusive still.
Shootings are something that happen every year all around the world. The U.S. has a bigger issue with firearms because of this. Many people think that we should change our gun control laws.
School shootings are a big problem, especially in the U.S. Locally, at Saugus High School, we had a school shooting, and we are approaching the three-year anniversary on Nov. 14, 2022.
What changes have we made since then? Mia Tretta, a student at Saugus High School who was harmed during the shooting, was not satisfied with there being no changes, so she helped organize a student walkout. To add, she has also made a plea for gun control. This was made to try to help prevent things that happened to her from happening again.
The U.S. has very relaxed gun control laws compared to other countries. Here you are able to buy a gun if you pass a background check. This checks things like your criminal record and mental health history, but there is an easy loophole to avoid this. If you buy a gun from a private seller, friend, or family member, there is no need for a background check.
How do other countries deal with gun control? Take, for example, Japan. Japan only had nine deaths from firearms in 2018. In comparison, the U.S. had 39,740 deaths from firearms in that same year. Japan has a total of twelve steps in order to attain a firearm, while the U.S. has only two. Some of the steps for getting a gun in Japan are applying for a gunpowder permit, allowing police to inspect your gun storage, and taking a firearm class. After taking the class you must receive a 95 percent on the written exam.
Having stricter gun control laws correlates to less firearm deaths, so do you think we should have stricter gun control laws?
Yair Gomez is a staff writer for The Pony Express at Canyon High School. He hopes to improve his writing ability to make better articles for the students...
