Gun Control And The Amendment Of The Us Constitution

Controversy on the right to have and bear arms brings into question the cost in human lives for the protections of the 2nd amendment of the US Constitution . At issue is whether personal gun ownership promotes a safer home and community environment, or whether guns and gun availability correlate with increasing violent crime. Violent crime in the United States has been steadily declining for over the past two decades. However, most serious violent crime in the United States is perpetrated with guns and statistics have indicated a sharp increase in 2015. By proposing a gun crime prevention strategy to reduce such serious violent crime, violent crime will dramatically decrease. Problems surface with the increase of gun availability/use.†¦show more content†¦With high amounts gun violence exposure affecting one’s social networks, it is not surprising non-stranger homicides occur more often than stranger homicides. Non-stranger homicides consists of individuals that are k nown by the perpetrator, such as family members, neighbors, acquaintances, or any other individuals in their social group. Non-stranger homicides comprise four-fifths of homicides, while stranger homicides comprise of one-fifth of homicides (Stroebe 14). The presence of guns in a home increases an individual’s chance of being murdered nearly three times more than if guns are not present in the home. Factoring in the presence of illegal drugs and physical violence in homes with guns further increases the risk of murder (Kellermann et al 1993). The domain of focus for this paper is â€Å"gun laws.† Federal gun laws exist that prohibit federally licensed gun dealers from sales to potentially dangerous populations previously convicted of serious crimes determined by criminal background checks. However, in some states this requirement is met using instant check procedures that can be easily defeated using straw purchasers and forged identification documents. (Vernick 2nd p aragraph, 2nd column page 184). Vernick 352 et al? indicated that federal laws have been implemented to ensure all states abide by the same standard gun law. Federal law applies to all states and creates a