One in four households in the United States have a loaded handgun. This stunning
fact is unbelievable yet true. Anyone in the household could gain access to this
deadly firearm. Gun control is needed in today’s society. Gun control would
prove that guns aren’t a necessity of today’s life. It would also lower the
crime rate. Gun control is a large factor of safety. Gun control is essential
since it will prove guns aren’t needed in today’s world. Our society and our
way of life have changed since the constitution was written. When the
constitution was written, people did not live close together as people do today.
People lived on huge farms and hunting was their main source of food. They
couldn’t just run to the store to buy food. They had to hunt animals for food.
They also had to protect themselves from the trials of the harsh wilderness.
They also needed a gun to protect themselves from animal attacks and thieves in
the night. To these people, guns were absolutely necessary for survival. Today,
guns are not needed because we no longer are in danger from those situations,
considering the times have changed. Another example is the fact that guns are
used for protection. Guns cause more havoc than protection. It is very rare that
a gun is used to create peace. In today’s world, there are police forces
keeping peace. The controlling of firearms would cause the crime and murder rate
to decrease. Most crimes today involve a firearm. Between 1933 and 1982, nearly
one million Americans were killed by firearms in murders, suicides, and
accidents. Since 1960, more than half a million people have died as the result
of gun injuries. In 1992, at least 35,000 people had died by gunfire. Today,
among all consumer products, only cars outpace guns as a cause of fatal injury.
Guns will likely pass them by 2003.№ If guns were better controlled, the
crime rate would go favorably down since guns cause many fatal injuries. Between
1985 and 1994, an average of 274,000 guns were reported stolen to the FBI each
year.№ It is obvious that guns cause crimes. If firearms were under
control, America would be a much safer place. When a gun is involved, there is
always a chance someone will be injured or killed. On April 27, 1998, a teenage
boy opened fire on fellow students and teachers at a school dance in rural
northwestern Pennsylvania, killing a teacher and wounding two youths.І
Handguns and assault rifles are suited for killing people therefore they should
be controlled or even banned. People are not using these weapons in the proper
way. Children as victims of guns is another example of gun hazards. In
Greensboro, North Carolina, a four-year-old boy shot and killed a six year old
playmate. The six year old was shot in the neck on his birthday, after the
children found a loaded .38 caliber semi-automatic handgun in a purse.І A
child doesn’t know much about how deadly a loaded firearm can be. This is why
children shouldn’t ever be in a situation involving a gun. If guns were
properly controlled, this wouldn’t be a worry. Gun control is an essential key
in today’s world. There is absolutely no practical use for automatic assault
rifles. More weapons mean more crime. Guns under control would create a much
safer environment. Sadly enough, a person will be murdered by a handgun in the
next sixty minutes.