Research Paper on Gun Laws in the State of Texas

Introduction

Gun laws issue has been hotly debated for many years. In Texas, it is permitted by the state that individuals should carry concealed gun as long as one is licensed. However, the lawmakers have recently changed this law from concealed to open carry where people can walk in schools, across the streets, and in malls without hiding their guns. There are many reasons to support gun laws in Texas. People carry to protect themselves, family members, and properties from criminals. The citizens that have these licenses to carry also are mostly willing to protect other citizens that are not armed or cannot defend themselves. On the other hand, there are people who feel that guns should be controlled by enacting different laws that limit their exposure to wrong hands. Those that are against the laws may be against them for many different reasons. Some of those reasons may be the fear of being harmed, school shootings, active shooters in the streets, robberies and more. Although the opinions and facts will be supported, those who are against the gun laws in the state of Texas are within their rights to be so. The purpose of this argument is to discuss the different views of why people should and should not be able to open or conceal carry any weapon in the state of Texas. Although permitting the open and concealed carry is helpful to the Texans because they protect themselves from robbers and other harm, it is involved with a lot of cons such as increased crime and gun deaths.

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People buy and possess guns to protect themselves and their loved ones from criminals or any other attack. The biggest worry of guns is how to keep them from wrongful acts including children because there have been several cases where a child takes her parents un and kill another child. The 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution gave the Americans the right to hear guns and therefore they have the right to buy and possess handguns and rifles. Guns are sold to everyone in the United States, and one only thing one has to do is to license it. Whenever gunfire happens, such Columbine, the Navy Yard shooting, or the Aurora Theater Shooting, the question of gun sales control arises in politics again, and many debates may find ways to regulate these criminals' affairs. The topic does the last longer since, after a month or two, the topic is dropped. The US should emphasize making certain potential criminals ensure that guns will not be available in the hands of criminals. Several laws prevent guns sales and control the use of guns by the public. The gun control laws include the Open and Concealed Carry, firearm act, gun transport law and the stand your ground law. The state set up these laws to reduce gun-related crimes by controlling gun ownership and carrying in the state (Fernandez, Manny, and Montgomery, 54).

The state should allow the open and concealed carry of firearms so that individuals can protect themselves. Police cannot protect everyone in the state because their duty is to maintain peace and order to everyone. Police to citizen ratio is too high that no matter how they try, they cannot protect all of them. The citizens who have guns can protect themselves and others against violent crime. Moreover, the police are not liable for violent crimes that occur across the streets. The proponents of the legalization of open and concealed carry argue that it prevents crime (ConnectUS, 1). After its legalization, crimes such as rape, robbery, and aggravated assaults decreased significantly. People in all 50 states can carry a concealed handgun if it follows the law. There are for different type of permits, but "shall issue law" is the most common one which allows citizens who have a clean background to be able to carry a gun (ConnectUS, 1). This article speaks on both the pros and cons of people having a weapon. Some pros that it talks about is crime be lowered, people feeling more secure and safe, and to be able to stop a shooting spree (Sowell, 10).

Most laws and concealed carry citizens are there to protect themselves and the public safety. The rules are put in place to protect the people and the law-abiding citizens that only want to protect what they have and worked hard to maintain. The vast majority of citizens feel comfortable when they can defend themselves and detour crime from happening in their vicinity. It is hard to keep the non-carrying public safe and not vulnerable because of the delay that the peace officers have when they become aware of the crimes that happen (Sowell, 10).

The legalization of open and carry law will reduce deaths in schools. In the United States, there have been several massacres and school raisin an alarm to both state and federal lawmakers. Schools should be safe from firearm violence and laws are being enacted on arming teachers who would stop school shooting (Coia, 20). This law should be legalized because it would stop children from being exposed to such violence. The federal laws and state laws that are now being in place to help the schools become more of a safe place for the children (Gifford's Law Center, 24). Moreover, an article by Colvin (2018), discusses how the law of armed teachers can be established. The current president of the United States urges that teachers should be trained on how to use firearms to maintain safety in schools. According to Trump if more teachers are armed, there will be less school shooting spree and the teachers will be able to protect their students and themselves (Colvin, 25).

There are many arguments against gun laws in Texas. Firearms are extremely powerful weapons which may cause massive destruction, harm or even death. In most cases, guns are used to defend, protect or to threaten and kill. Youths commit most gun-related crimes in the United States which indicate that they easily access the firearms. Most of these youths and children access guns at homes because their parents do not store them locked and unloaded. Other sources of guns include the black market where people buy them without registration. Gun acts and policies in America aims at regulating possession, sale, and use of guns and ammunitions Texas State has tried to mitigate gun accessibility to the youths by passing laws and policies.

In 2013, Texas passed a law called "stand your ground law" which reduces the use of a gun in self-defense if retreating will prevent death or bodily harm. The law provides illegal arms such as short-gun, short-barreled rifle, and machines guns. The law states that it is a crime for a minor to carry firearms. In this case, a minor is a person under the age of twenty-one. People who have been committed to mental institutions should not own a gun. These laws also should prohibit carrying firearms in or near a school (Gifford's Law Center, 1).

Lawmakers are proposing to take up more strict laws on in 2018 to reduce gun access to youths. These laws are aimed at restricting gun possession and ownership. For instance "Stand your ground" aims at regulating the use of guns for self-defense. One should not use a gun if it causes death or serious bodily injury and if one does it, he will be taken to a court of law to defend his case. "Open Carrying of Gun" law state that it is a crime to carry a loaded gun openly in public unless one is permitted by the police department. This law aims at reducing youth's access to guns since they cannot carry guns in elementary schools, public colleges (Isensee, 1). According to this law carrying a gun openly is a first-degree crime while carrying a concealed gun is regarded as the third-degree misdemeanor.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "Concealed and Open Carrying of Gun" is a law that allows Texans to carry firearms openly. The people who support the laws argue that they help in ensuring public safety as police cannot protect everyone. They also propose that it minimizes deaths and other crimes and it deters people from committing crimes. To reduce school deaths, the proponents of these laws state that teachers should be armed to prevent students' shootings. On the other hand, arguments against firearms laws propose that they cause an increase in crime, confrontation can turn lethal, and make people uncomfortable in public. Individuals walk in fear as they do not know who may fire his or her firearm. There are many reasons why people are for or against guns. However, individual states should assess the pros and cons of these laws to decide whether to allow or restrict the open and conceal carry.

Works Cited

Gifford's Law Center. "Guns in Schools." Gifford's Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2018. 01 Feb. 2018. Web https://lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-laws/policy-areas/guns-in-public/guns-in-schools/.

ConnectUS . "8 Significant Pros and Cons of Concealed Carry". ConnectUS. 24 July. 2015. https://connectusfund.org/8-significant-pros-and-cons-of-concealed-carry

Colvin, Jill. "Teachers Will Be Given Gun Training Under President Trump's Plan to Address School Shootings." Time.Com, Mar. 2018, pp. 24-25. EBSCOhost, Academic Search Complete

Fernandez, Manny, And David Montgomery. "Texas Becomes Gun-Friendlier with New Law." New York Times, vol. 165, no. 57098, 01 Jan. 2016, pp. A1-A14. Late Edition (East Coast) ed. ProQuest. 26 Jan. 2019, Academic Search Complete

Coia, David Alan. "More Guns Mean Less Crime." Human Events, vol. 66, no. 23, June 2010, p. 20. EBSCOhost, Academic Search Complete

Isensee, Laura. "Controversial Campus Carry Law Takes Effect At Texas Colleges". Houston Public Media. 01 Aug.2016.https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2016/08/01/162422/controversial-campus-carry-law-takes-effect-at-texas-colleges/