Cultural Perspectives on Gun Violence Prevention and the Second Amendment (Essay Sample)

Cultural Perspectives on Gun Violence Prevention and the Second Amendment Student Name University Course Professor Name Date Cultural Perspectives on Gun Violence Prevention and the Second Amendment The recent history of guns in the country has continuously created pressure for a review of the way the nation and its society interpret the provisions of the Second Amendment. In light of these competing values, the issue of gun control is best framed as a struggle between individual rights and the safety of the public. Notably, gun violence is an issue of urgent concern primarily because it has real casualties. For instance, marginalized minority groups such as African Americans, Hispanics non-whites, and rural whites are often the disproportionate victims of gun-related crimes. Therefore, even as the nation endeavors to protect the freedoms prescribed by the Constitution, there is an urgent need to develop a broader understanding of perspectives as the starting point for more inclusive policies. There have been several attempts at reimaging the policy landscape surrounding the issue of gun violence and gun control in the past two decades. The expiration of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 2004 set the stage for more policy efforts to try and rein in the risk that emanates from the freedom to possess firearms (Gray, 2019). Notably, the development in policy has not focused exclusively on gun control. For instance, the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was put in place to protect firearm manufacturers from being identified or conjoined in state and federal suits where their products were used to harm people. At the state level, legal cases such as District of Columbia v. Heller helped to reverse Washington DC provisions that included a ban on handguns and their use in defense instances (Gray, 2019). Overall, the controversy surrounding gun violence policy is part of the reason why the issue continues to challenge the welfare of American society. African Americans African Americans stand out as the social group most affected by the issue of gun violence. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that this demographic group assumes the greatest burden from gun violence. The CDC estimates even as the rate of homicides increased from 2019 to 2020 by 34.6%, there were notable variations across demographic groups (Kegler, 2022). The African American population stood as recording the greatest increase. Further, it was noted that other social determinants of health such as poverty and limited access to behavioral healthcare exacerbated the effect of gun violence on this community (Kegler, 2022). Therefore, a review to improve the element of inclusivity in policies such as background is critical for this population. Rural White Communities The next group that bears the burden of gun violence is that of rural white Americans. These communities are defined by a culture defined by the use of firearms. Subsequently, incidents such as firearm suicides are found to be higher in such populations. Even as firearms are used for hunting and personal protection, they incur a price upon societies that embrace their use (Thompson & Trujillo, 2023). One reason why it is important to evaluate this topic is to allow for the enforcement of a culture of safety even as people indulge in constitutional freedoms. Hispanics (My Demographic Group) Lastly, I have first-hand experience with the way that gun violence adversely impacts the well-being of the Hispanic community. First, I have lived in Hispanic communities where a mix of social economic issues translates to a higher prevalence o...