Gun Violence in the United States: Debate & Discussion - Essay Sample

Introduction

The debate and discussions in the video are based on the gun violence in the United States. In the video, it is recognised that Gun violence has become prominent in the United States in the last few years. Mass shootings like the ones that happened recently in Colorado, North Carolina, and Parkland are fresh in our collective memory. These are painful memories and obviously problematic in any society. The global incidences of such mass shootings are few and far in-between. The United States perhaps has a higher share of such incidences.Gun violence has a devastating impact on American children and teenagers. Research from the reports indicated in the video places such figures as high as more than 2900 children, who are killed and other injured annually in issues related to gun violence. It is undeniable to mention that gun violence a unique problem in the United States when compared to other high-income nations.

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One major specific argument as observed in the debate is that the federal government of the United States should enact stricter laws and regulations with an aim of preventing the gun ownership amongst civilians as well as those who may need to get the gun just for leisure. As part of this argument, the strict laws integrate the provisions of granting only those who deserve the rights to own a gun. Such laws are essential because they prevent criminals and other people with mental illnesses from owning a gun. Additionally, it provides the policing agency the opportunity to conduct necessary assessment on individuals before they are allowed to own gun. Majority of the debaters in the video further agree that imposition of stricter laws will even reduce the mass shootings such as those that have been experienced in many states such as North Carolina, New Jersey, and Colorado.

Personal Commentary

On a more rational level, gun violence is no different from other problems facing us. A good parallel is that of smoking. We have pretty strict cigarette smoking policies. While we have moved towards enormous control with cigarette smoking since the 1960s (the proud Marlboro man on a horse has a limp cigarette in ads now), we have moved toward a rather generous ownership of guns. Contrast with Europe it has much looser controls on cigarette smoking and much higher restrictions on guns. Clearly, policy and administrative conversations across the globe are different. In my view, the increase in the incidents of mass shootings in the United States has been attributed to the fact that the existing policies and legal frameworks necessary for the control are weaker and thus do not adequately protect the citizen. Recent reports have shown that the protection tops the list of reasons for gun ownerships among the citizens. This implies that majority of those who own gun purposely do so with an aim of protecting their lives and property. These data are a true reflection of an administration that has failed to provide its citizens the adequate security, making them to seek for protection on their own. Among the Americans who own gun, around two-thirds term that they own more than one firearm, which range from the handgun, pistol and the short gun. Thus, stricter laws will not have a huge significance on the ownership if at all the government has failed to offer security to its citizens as stipulated in the constitution.