Gun Control Case

     Gun control is a contentious issue that comes up every time there is an election or whenever there is an act of gun violence.  Citizens, gun lobbyists, and lawmakers have been debating the issue for over a century with no clear definitive answer.  Gun control is a complex issue where both sides of the debate are deeply entrenched in their positions.  The federal government continues to debate the efficacy as well as the constitutionality of federal regulations governing firearms and ammunition.  

     Proponents of gun control argue that they reduce access by criminals and other “high-risk” individuals.  Gun control advocates believe that stronger laws can prevent needless acts of violence and loss of life.  Those that are in favor of gun control point to the growing violent crime and gun related crime rates as their reason for needing tougher gun control laws.

     Opponents of gun control contend that federal policies do not keep firearms out of the hands of high-risk persons.  It is their contention that gun control often create burdens for law-abiding citizens and encroach upon constitutional rights provided by the Second Amendment.  Those who oppose gun control argue that widespread gun ownership is one of the best deterrents to crime.

     My assertion is that we as a nation do not require more gun control laws; rather we need to refine and strictly enforce those gun laws currently enacted.  A survey conducted on ten law enforcement officers regarding their thoughts and opinions on gun control in the United States.  The survey, totaling ten questions allowed officers to share their perspectives concerning gun control and gun violence.  

RESULTS

     80 percent of respondents stated that a federal ban on certain semi-auto weapons termed as “assault weapons” will have zero effect on reducing violent crime.

Part B

     In an article by William Vizzard of the University of Wisconsin discusses why the political gun control agenda has stagnated without any resolution for years.  According to Vizzard (1995), the political environment in the United States is skewed in favor of “individualism, incrementalism, and pluralism” that produced an impasse.  Since 1968, Congress has proposed numerous gun control policies.  Many presidential commissions have made suggestions regarding stricter gun control laws.  The battle for gun control is control of the language and focus on the cultural paradigm.  Political adversaries use the ever-changing public opinion to define the debate through control of the language.  Gun control advocates associate the high violent crime rate with a large number of weapons and ease of access.  Opponents counter with a variety of arguments such as low crime rates in areas where gun ownership is high.  Vizzard believes that gun control would have worked best in the 1960’s before the steady increase in gun ownership.  Any gun control laws enacted must be logically consistent, focused, and easily understood.

     In 1995, Robert Spitzer wrote the politics of gun control paper.  In the journal, Spitzer divulges the problems, players, and myths surrounding what he calls the gun control quagmire.  Spitzer provides the reader with a plethora of statistics that support gun control.  He sees the NRA pitting against the weapon control supporters as opponents like the Cold War standoff between the United States and Russia.  While both opponents agree that gun violence is a security issue, each side has complete opposite solutions to the problem.  One side is wanting to increase the number of gun owners, and the other wants disarmament.  According to Spitzer (1995), the federal government should concentrate on “nonproliferation of new weapons and arms control for existing weapons.  

     National survey data, combined with city demographics were utilized to determine if support for gun control increases in areas where high crime rates occur.  According to Kleck (1996), legislative proposals for or against gun control are passed for two primary reasons.  The first, known as the instrumentalist explanation, are passed because supporters believe the laws will help solve social issues.  The second, known as the conflict perspective, are used by conflicting social groups to gain or maintain an advantage over the other groups.  Kleck found that support for gun control was stronger among liberals, high-income persons, those with higher education, and those who do not hunt or own weapons.  Results of research conducted determined that high crime rates and or prior victimization do not increase support for gun control among the general population.  He states that support for gun control is a product culture conflict rather than a response to crime.