Sociology (Research Paper Sample)

Guns Control
Student’s Name:
Institution:
Guns Control
Abstract
Studies have developed a strong connection between gun control and criminal activities. Many people in the US report to own guns particularly based on the reluctant and less-restrictive gun control laws in the country. However, the more the restrictions on gun ownership the less individuals possess firearms. The discussion presented in this paper strongly argues that restrictive gun control policies are effective in reducing ownership of firearms. Studies have reported that individuals living in states with more restrictive gun control laws are less likely to own guns.
The topic of gun control was not very popular in the US until 2012. This is the year that marked the beginning of the gun control policies in the country. Following the mass killings in Newtown, Connecticut, the topic came on top of the nation’s agenda. This created an opportunity for local gun control groups, as well as national advocacy organizations, to come up and mobilize support for stricter gun laws. In demonstrating how gun control laws have helped to enhance order in society, the paper also refers to gun control laws in Brazil and how they helped to reduce violence in the country. For the first time, firearm-related deaths declined by 8 percent from the previous year, 2003. Similarly, firearm-related hospitalizations declined by 4.6 percent from 2003. The changes were attributed to the gun control policies passed in late 2003 and the disarmament campaigns conducted throughout the country since 2004.
The last section of the paper is the point of view in which guns are highlighted as the major weapon used to execute crime in society. If everyone was allowed to own a firearm, national security would be at stake. Crime rates would increase, as well as firearm-related deaths and hospitalizations. For this reason, it is important for the government to formulate stricter laws for gun possession. This will help to reduce crime rates in modern America.
Gius, M. (2008). “Gun Ownership and the Gun Control Index”, Atlantic Economic Journal 36, 497-498
The article reports the link between gun control and crime rates and how gun ownership impacts on criminal activities. The issue is of significance in the sense that if it is reasonable to undertake that, given firearms are used in most murder cases, and if gun control laws would reduce the rate of gun ownership, then it would also mean that criminal activities would be reduced by such laws as well. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was used to provide data for this study. According to the BRFSS 2001 data, out of 175, 674 individuals who were interviewed on gun ownership, 58, 023, roughly 33 percent of the individuals reported owning a gun.
The measures of gun control used in the article include firearms registration, safety training, and enhancement of local laws to restrict gun ownership. The Gun Control Index (GCI) takes into consideration the extent to which the gun control laws have been in use. The GCI can take values of 0 to 10 and the higher the GCI the greater are the gun ownership restrictions. Following data analysis, the study reported that the GCI is negatively related to gun ownership. This indicates that individuals living in states with more restrictive gun control laws are less likely to own guns. Moreover, the same study reported that Caucasians, males and married couples were more likely to own guns. Similarly, persons under the age of 25, adults over 65 years old and college students were found less likely to own guns. Therefore, the study reported that legal restrictions on gun ownership reduce the probability of individual owning guns.
Wasserman, L. M. (2011), “Gun Control on College and University Campuses in the Wake of District of Columbia V. Heller and McDonald V. City of Chicago”, Virginia Journal of Social Policy Law, 19(1), 1-55
The article examines the capacity of students in college and Universities to ratify campus gun control regulations affecting students, faculty and staff. This is expressed in light of the individual US citizens, with reference to the US Supreme Court’s McDonald v. City of Chicago and District of Columbia V. Heller. State constitution and statutory constraints are also discussed in the article. Using this analysis, the article derives guidelines for campus staff in the quest to meet their policy while remaining faithful to the Second Amendment right of individual citizens to possess firearms, as well as the limitations impacted on campus institutional mandate by the state.
In the second section, the decision of US Supreme Court pertaining to the District of Columbia vs. Heller and McDonald vs. City of Chicago have been discussed. In the third section of the article, post-McDonald cases pertaining to Second Amendment challenges have been discussed. These are the challenges to statutes that abridged citizens’ capability to possess firearms. The methods that the courts used in evaluating the Second Amendment challenges have also been incorporated in this article. This involves the degree of scrutiny to which courts have subjected measures of gun control.
Part IV of the article discusses the University of Utah v. Shurtleff and DiGiacinto v. The Rector and George Mason University (GMU) visitors. All these cases were decided in 2011. These cases are unique because they were the only state Supreme Court cases that have assessed the authority of colleges and universities to formulate gun regulation policies under state constitutional enactments.
In conclusion, the article contends that public college and university governing authorities embracing campus firearms regulations will have little or no chance of violating the Second Amendment right to possess firearms, particularly when the restrictions announced by the Supreme Court in Heller and McDonald are executed.Dreier, P. (2013). “Massacres and Movements: Challenging the Gun Industrial Complex”, New Labor Forum 22(2), 92-95
This article recounts the beginning of the gun control policies in the US. In 2012, gun control was not an important issue of discussion in the US. Nevertheless, following the mass killings in Newtown, Connecticut, the topic came on top of the nation’s agenda. This created an opportunity for local gun control groups, as well as national advocacy organizations, to come up and mobilize support for stricter gun laws. The article reports that; on a daily basis, thirty Americans, on average, are killed by gun. However, no action seemed to be taken even after recurring incidences of gun murder. Many Americans feel that the government bears the responsibility to keep dangerous weapons off the hands of the general public. At the same time, others still believe that the Second Amendment’s “right to bear arms” allows the rights to buy and possess firearms. These two contradicting views have created myriad debate over gun ownership in America.
According to studies that have been carried out since 2000, many Americans are reported to support stricter gun laws. The studies reflected a consistent core belief in restriction of access to assault weapons. The massive support for stricter gun laws has come up following the Newton massacre, which has changed political odds, with anger on gun laws circulating through the country.Update International, “Reductions in Firearm-Related Mortality and Hospitalizations in Brazil after Gun Control”, Health Affairs, 26(2), 575-584
The article documents research evidence suggesting that gun control measures have effectively helped to reduce violence in Brazil. For the first time, firearm-related deaths declined by 8 percent from the previous year, 2003. Similarly, firearm-related hospitalizations declined by 4.6 percent from 2003. The changes were attributed to the gun control policies passed in late 2003 and the disarmament campaigns conducted throughout the country since 2004. If the initial trend of gun possession and firearm-related deaths was not checked, there could be as much as 5, 563 firearm-related deaths in 2004 alone.
The study in the article makes use of information from the Ministry of Health of Brazil in acquiring important statistics. The study employed natural experiments since the two countrywide interventions that intended to regulate gun possession were executed at two different time spans, almost a decade apart. The first observation by this survey took place in 2004 after the implementation of gun control measures in October 2003. The second survey was conducted following the voluntary arms buy-back program that was implemented in July 2004. Statistical data reveals that more than 450, 000 guns were returned during this period. The linear time series regression approach was employed in modeling the best-fitting mortality line based on the historical time-series built from observations from each of the federative unit of Brazil.
The study reports a significant decrease in firearm-related deaths for each six-month period between 1996 and 2005. However, in 2004, the decline was even more pronounced. Based on this, study suggests that government measures in reducing the availability of firearms directly impacts on the rate of firearm-related deaths. In view of this, study suggests that the government should formulate stricter laws for the deaths to decline to insignificant digits.Braman, D. Kahan, D. M. & Grimmelmann, J. (2005). “Modeling Facts, Culture, and Cognition in the Gun Debate”, Social Justice Research, 18(3), 283-301
This article is based on the research question of whether empirical data can generate consensus about gun regulation. Individuals’ cultural worldviews explain their positions on the issue of gun control ...