You can tell me that guns don’t kill people, people kill people but its people with guns to kills people. The relationship with guns that America has stemmed from the American Revolution and goes on to the protection of ourselves from the French, Spaniards and the Native Americans. I personally don’t feel that we need them anymore. It should also be said and I am sure it is obvious that I was not raised in a home with guns either. I am from Colorado and remember the day that Columbine happened and I also had a friend that shot and killed himself and should have not been able to purchase a gun. So I am happy that I will raise my children in a country who doesn't believe everyone should have gun.
Here are some interesting facts about guns from The Economist, "Colorado's Dark Knight':
- IF you live in America, you are four times more likely to be murdered than if you live in Britain, almost six times more likely than in Germany, and 13 times more likely than in Japan.
- Two-thirds of all murders in America involve guns, whereas in Britain the figure is under 10%.
The UK has the toughest gun laws in the world. There is a lot of paperwork that you have fill out and you must prove the police officers that you are not a danger to yourself or to others. It is devised to try to ensure that a firearm doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. People have to provide a good reason why they want a gun. If someone wants a firearm, it is harder to obtain than a shotgun. Guns that fire bullets have to be used for a specific purpose like hunting deer. Farmers tend to use shotguns to protect their livestock from foxes. Independent referees provide character statements about the applicants mental state, home life, and attitude towards guns. The police check that the applicant does not have a criminal background and they speak the their doctor for evidence of drug and alcohol abuse and mental instability. They must also make sure that there is a secure location for the weapon and the certificate is renewed every 5 years. Semi-automatic rifles have been banned because of a massacre in 1987 by Michael Ryan of 16 people in Hungerford. Handguns were banned after Thomas Hamilton’s massacre of 16 schoolchildren and a teacher in 1995 in Dunblane and violation of this law carried a mandatory fiver year jail sentence.
I wish that the US gun control was more like the UK because the only thing that is in your way to buy a gun is whether or not you have a criminal record not the fact that you are sane or not. It is never reviewed unless you have a run in with the law and there are no mandatory safety courses to have a gun. I know that each state is different but the Federal Law only states that you have to 21 to buy a handgun or ammunition, and 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun from a shop. Under-18s cannot possess a handgun or ammunition and it is illegal to provide these to minors. 2 out of every 5 guns are sold without a background check. The Norwegian shooter used the US gun laws to arm himself for the his attack where he killed 76 people.
Every time another massacre happens in the States, the British think to themselves, why won’t they give up the guns?
