With the current controversy about limiting gun use, you have probably heard various reasons why the United States should follow the example of other countries that forbid firearms. However, there are quite a few bad prospects for gun control as well. The supporters and opponents of the new policy which is in the making are trying to find arguments to demonstrate their points. The following article includes aspects why gun control might prove useless.
1. The Main Purpose
The main idea of gun control is to monitor who has firearms, and what type of firearms they have. However, those who already have the said firearms get to keep them, and this will only prevent people from buying new ones in a legal way. An estimate by Congressional Research conducted in 2012 has shown that there were 310 million guns owned by civilians in 2009. Roughly translated, this means that today every single United States citizen owns at least one gun, and most of them are unregistered. Unfortunately this only shows the first of the bad prospects for gun control, since it cannot really be conducted.
2. Criminal Activity
The gun control policy is also intended to lower crime rates. Many believe that by monitoring who has access to firearms we can greatly reduce violence and crimes. What they tend to forget is that criminals do not abide by laws, and they get weapons in illegal ways. Take a look at other countries where the sale of guns is forbidden, but those who want to harm others still manage to do so. There is no rule that demonstrates that stricter gun control is beneficial for citizens: in 2012 the highest crime rates were recorded in the South where the most people own guns, but Chicago also recorded a growth in murders after forbidding the sale of guns.
3. Prohibition
Prohibition is not always the best solution, as there will always be criminals who rise to take control of illegal importation, selling and buying of guns. The best example of bad prospects for gun control is in our own history. In the 1920s, the Temperance Movement appeared in order to ban the sale, production or transport of alcohol in the United States. All politicians supported the prohibition act, but the public found its own means of managing alcohol. Some started producing it at home and ended up poisoned, while criminals became rich after taking control of the import and export of alcohol in entire cities. The police was highly ineffective. The prohibition of gun might lead to a similar outcome.
4. Criminal Minds
Have you ever wondered why rampage killers have not attempted massacres in heavily guarded places? These people are willing to kill themselves and take many others with them. The bigger the impact on the media, the better. However, by attacking facilities where people are armed, they risk being disarmed of killed before fulfilling their purpose. Thus, the only logical resolution would be to allow anyone who wishes to defend himself to own a weapon.
5. Government Propaganda
People have been losing faith in the government for quite some time. The information leaked by Edward Snowden has surprised many, while others had a confirmation for their fears. The government’s dishonesty only makes people want to prepare for any eventuality. No one wants to be controlled, and no one wants to be vulnerable and defenseless in front of such a big power.
6. The Germany Case
Acts of violence by using firearms have taken place in gun-free Europe as well, and these stand as examples of bad prospects for gun control. Back in 2009, Timothy Kretschmer, aged 17, took the 9mm pistol of his father and killed 12 people at his former school. The rampage continued with a carjacking and a stand-off with the police, ending when Kretschmer shot himself. This proves that one person does not need much firepower to provoke disasters. Furthermore, someone who has set their mind on killing people will not take into consideration laws or rules.
7. The Texas Attacks
The first shooting intensely covered by the media took place in 1966 at the University of Austin, when Whitman climbed a tower from which he shot people for one hour and a half. The police were outgunned, but fortunately a bunch of students did not cower in fear, but took their own hunting rifles and helped. If they wouldn’t have been armed, Whitman would have certainly murdered more than 12 people.
8. Assault Rifles for Civilians
Gun control supporters have long expressed their wish that assault rifles should be equipped with only ten rounds at a time, in order to not overpower other types of firearms. On the other side, those who oppose this policy have made references to the purpose of the Second Amendment. According to the document, the citizens of the United States have been allowed to own guns not only to protect themselves from criminals, but also to defend the country itself in case the military power is defeated or wiped out.
9. Freedom Rights
As Thomas Jefferson once said, we cannot limit freedom without losing it, and our liberty depends on freedom. This comes as true for any type of freedom, be it freedom of speech, freedom of the press or the freedom of defending ourselves. Limiting the use of firearms will only lead to more vulnerability. People with mental disorders or criminals must be identified early and be prevented from taking lives. Furthermore, the illegal selling of guns should be completely eradicated, but there is still a long way to go until there.
10. The UK case
Our list of bad prospects for gun control ends with the United Kingdom, which has not been spared of school shootings. After the Dunblane Massacre with 16 victims, firearms have been completely banned in the UK. Even the police is rarely armed with guns. As a result, since 1997 there have been no more mass shootings in the UK. However, the crime rates in the country are as high as ever, because people can find other means of murdering, like using knives, blunt objects, poison and even fire. This demonstrates that killers will remain killers regardless of their resources.
