The Benefits of Strict Gun Control According to Hobbes
Mass shootings and deaths from gun violence have become almost an epidemic in the United States. It seems as though every few weeks or months there is news of another horrific shooting claiming the lives of unsuspecting Americans. And there are many more shooting deaths that don’t make the national news that are just as pressing in the lives and mentalities of our people. With the increasing impact that gun violence is having on the fabric of our society, it is crucial now more than ever that our government takes action to protect its citizens from harm. That action must come in the form of stricter gun regulations. Through clearer legislation and more strictly enforced regulations, the
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This administration does not intend to patronize Americans or make claims that the people of this nation are incapable of making decisions for themselves. As Thomas Hobbes (1998) asserts, men are reasonable beings whose actions are ordered by self-preservation. Humans are essentially rational, but the killings of hundreds of innocent people at the hands of gun violence is not rational (Hobbes, 1998). Our citizens are certainly capable of taking care of themselves, but it is the role of the government to take care of everybody, to take as many steps as possible to ensure that everyone can live a life free of fear and violence. As Hobbes (1998) writes, people create a government and submit some of their rights to it in order protect themselves from each other and from greater threats (p.114). This is the role of government. With the laidback gun control policies that we currently have in place, this administration is not living up to that role or fulfilling the expectations of the people. When Americans enter into greater society with the fear of mass shootings over their heads, this administration is failing. Stricter gun control is an attempt to remedy that …show more content…
As Hobbes (1998) writes, “to seek peace and follow it” is the fundamental law of nature, a goal that we should aspire toward against our natural inclination toward conflict and war (p. 87). Weak gun control regulations do not enforce this law of nature. Having dangerous firearms in the hands of people who either intend to do harm or who simply aren’t qualified to handle them threatens the sense of security for the entire nation. It is important to acknowledge here that by submitting to stricter gun control regulations, the American people are being asked to graciously surrender to a limitation on their freedom, and one which they have enjoyed for so long. With that thought in mind, we must remind those who have concerns about stricter gun control that this is a societal sacrifice. This collective compromise connects us to another one of Hobbes’ laws of nature: that men, with the intention of seeking peace, must surrender certain natural rights with the knowledge that others are doing the same (p. 87, 1998). All citizens are being asked to adhere to more stringent regulations in order to make society safer for everybody. It is only fair that in the pursuit of peace, we practice equality as
The less regulation there is on the purchase of firearms the more and quicker people buy them. This isn 't an issue of whether there should be certain rights should be given up for the protection of citizens or whether that firearms should be an American value as a form of protection, in the politics and corporations eyes. Its simply two things they are focused on, whether it will get them reelected for the next term, and whether it will generate enough revenue from
Stricter Gun Control Laws: A Safer Society The debate over gun control has been a longstanding issue in the United States. With the rising number of mass shootings and gun violence, stricter gun control laws have become a topic of discussion. The question remains, would stricter gun control laws be better for society? This essay will argue that stricter gun control laws would indeed be better for society.
For the past 232 years, Americans have had the right to defend themselves against crime, tyranny, and victimization through the rights given to us by our founding fathers. If these rights were restricted or even taken away from Americans, the crime rate would soar, and the safety of the people and families of America would be put in jeopardy. If these rights were restricted, the generations to come would be brought into an environment of violence and crime. (Purpose Statement) While many think that gun control can fix the rate of gun homicides and crimes and mass shootings, it will most likely have the opposite effect and will restrict our right to defend ourselves.
Within American ideals, laws, and opinions concerning gun control, firearms continue to be a critical matter in the government, schools, and communities. Notably, the nation 's government has attempted, and or passed, laws that inhibit guns in some kind of way. Now, generally the issue of gun control is viewed differently by either political parties; liberal Democrats tend to sway towards the side that is in favor of gun control laws, while Conservative Republicans have opposing views about these ideas. Therefore, since our nation is executively governed by Barack Obama, a democrat, the concern around firearm laws have intensified over the past eight years he has been in office.
Implementing gun control policies in a nation with a large number of gun ownership is difficult because these policies are bound to be opposed by some citizens. Striking a balance between protecting the right of Americans to own guns and controlling gun ownership
In a nation of pioneers and settlers, where we capitalize upon a bear wielding a firearm to represent “our right to bear arms” there has come to be quite a bit of bloodshed because of that right. Fear has been interwoven into the school system, a kind of fear that even the greatest school safety measures cannot prevent. Such instances being the Columbine, Newtown, and the more recent Parkland school shooting. It cannot be controlled who does the killing, but what can be isolated is the weapon those chose as their aid in the slaughtering. So many lives are lost in these devastations a step towards preventing more from being lost is increasing gun control.
Did you know that in 2016, 33,000 people in the US died from firearms, nearly 1 in 3 of which are suicides? Gun legislation has been a controversial topic since the second amendment was added to the constitution in 1791. Ever since, organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA) have gotten into arguments with the citizens of the US and the government involving laws regarding the people’s rights to own and bear firearms. Although gun advocates say that firearms are necessary for self-defense, these weapons have done more harm than good. The US should enforce stricter national gun laws because firearms are not effective for self-defense, the Founding Fathers of the constitution had different things in mind, and because it would decrease
Statistics show that comparable to other democratic nations the United states has a higher proportion of gun related violent incidents than those states where gun control legislation has been adopted. An example would be the case of the United Kingdom, which had approximately 2,261 Violence Against the Person (VAP) Offences involving firearms, including low velocity Air weapons in 2015/16 . If this is then compared to the United States which had, in the same period, 9,616 gun related murders and a million VAP offences that did not end in a fatality, then it can be argued that the NRA’s outdated mantra is illogical . There are many further problems with the NRA argument that can be identified in the modern era. , but the main issue would be the NRA’s reasons for the existence of the Amendment.
I think it is clear that America’s lenient Gun Laws have no doubt been a huge factor on the staggering amount of gun violence for a long time. I do believe, however, in people’s rights to defend and arm themselves, it is part of their constitution, I just feel that it is necessary that the laws regarding the 2nd amendment need to be reinforced and should introduce some restrictions to ensure that only the people who are mentally capable of wielding a firearm, without causing harm to society, should be allowed to acquire one. I do also recognise that there are already a staggering number of guns in the possession of the general public, and I feel that the only way to tackle this issue is cultural change in America, changing the views of individuals on the idea of guns, but change is always
Moreover, if the ownership of guns is limited, it will help prevent unnecessary deaths and violence caused by gun owners, especially students. Gun ownership should be totally controlled and regulated by the government because they will help in limiting the number of people who own guns. When gun
In today’s society, one of the most alienating issues in American politics is gun control. More specifically, the issue is whether or not guns should be banned in the United States. Some people would say that guns should be banned because it would reduce crime as a whole and keep citizens safer. These people, enthusiasts of stricter gun laws, fear being safe in their country where there are so many people who have access to guns. Opponents of this argument, however, also fear losing safety.
Alexis Clarke Professor Frank English 110 29 October 2015 Gun Control Will Not Eliminate Crime The big issue of gun control in the United States, is that many people believe that it takes away the 2nd Amendment rights, which is the right to bear arms. Citizens of the United States are promised the the right to bear arms in the Constitution, and by applying gun control laws takes away that same right. Crime is high enough in cities with very few laws pertaining to gun control, but taking guns away from people who are registered with license will not solve the problem either. Placing more limitations on gun owners, particularly responsible gun owners, will not reduce gun violence.
The use of and the owning of guns is a very hot and debated topic in society today. For many, this is a life and death debate due to the recent and numerous school shootings. These school shootings have caused an outcry for more gun control, specifically in relation to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Despite these calls, increased gun control is not the answer. Most gun owners’ use their guns responsibly and for good purposes.
Gun laws give too much power to the government and way less from the people, which will lead to government corruption. And, stated by ClearPictureOnline.com,”Guns don 't kill people, people do. We need to concentrate on the values and morals of our citizens and at the role the media plays in glorifying violence and the lack of respect for law.” (Shootout: Do We Need More Gun Control Regulations?) What people don 't understand is that they are taking away their own freedoms with Gun Control.
Everyday in the United States, ninety families are changed forever; guns claim an average of ninety lives every day in the United States, 33,000 lives in a single year. Gun control has been a debate in the United States for many years and is constantly thrusted back into the public’s attention by horrific shootings. These shootings constantly cause individuals to petition the government to place stricter and stricter regulations of guns. However, these policies cannot be the solution to this problem. To determine a solution that will be both effective and constitutional, we must look at statistics and research that has been conducted to determine the best course of action.