The Other View
In order to make a fully educated decision about the protection one is entitled to, it is important to look at all sides of such a highly debated topic. The Kentucky Concealed Carry Coalition listed forty reasons that attacked the right to carry using many different opinions in which pro-Second Amendment associations would disagree with highly (source). However, the two groups do not disagree on everything. It is agreeable by both sides to restrict such privilege to those of a criminal, mentally ill, immature, abusive, or irresponsible nature. However,the question remains how to keep weapons out of the hand of such people. It is felt by Gun Control groups that this is to be done most effectively by restricting everyone’s right to carry. Those who approve of the Second Amendment feel strongly that by allowing qualified law abiding citizens, to carry protection, people will be best protected against an opposing threat. Each has the best of intentions to provide a safe environment for people in society. How does one decide who is right?
Criminals are those who have made the choice to willingly break the law set before them by legislators. These people have already decided to put others in danger by disobeying the law; therefor if it were illegal for everyone to carry a weapon, criminals could not be trusted to follow this, or any other law. In this circumstance, law abiding citizens would be without protection, and criminals who already break the law would have possession of weapons. This would endanger the lives of millions of law abiding citizens simply because no lawmakers can control the actions of the irresponsible and abusive criminals. Dr. Robert A. Demarais discovered this trend in his murder victim studies (Source). He stated “In 1985 Philadelphia killers' most commonly used semiautomatic was the 25 caliber, a small often nonlethal handgun. These "Saturday night specials" were restricted by the government to save lives. Not able to purchase the 25 calibers, criminals apparently are switching to bigger handguns. By 1990 the much more lethal 9 mm. (Lugar) was the gun of choice. The MDS reported that the 9 mm. guns are seven times more lethal. Gun control may actually be causing more deaths” (Source).
Although gun control groups and Second Amendment supporters agree on whom to keep guns away from, there are a number of matters in which they disagree completely. It is thought by millions that increasing the number of weapons in society would increase crime rates, others passionately disagree. To discover who is right we must take a look at statistics. When looking at schools related to this topic we find something very consistent in the trend of guns. Arizona, Utah, Texas, Nebraska and New Mexico all allow concealed weapons on campus verses California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania who do not (Source). According to this source, California, Ohio and Pennsylvania had ten times more shootings compared to the five states listed that allow guns on campus (Source). It is not a coincidence that Switzerland has the lowest gun related crime rate of any civilized country in the world (Source). Their government issues a gun to every household and trains every adult to whom the issued a rifle (Source).
So now that it is clear, according to statistics, the idea that an increase in guns increases crime is false, it is essential to examine why this is. When we take a step back from statistics and look at what is logical in society it is understandable why these trends are connected. Studies and common sense show these criminals are more likely to target victims that they feel they can easily overpower. In WWII, Japan stated that they would not attack United States individuals on the U.S. homeland "There would be a gun behind every blade of grass." Therefor if criminals know the majority of citizens' posses a firearm they will be less apt to attack for fear of their own safety.
Criminals are those who have made the choice to willingly break the law set before them by legislators. These people have already decided to put others in danger by disobeying the law; therefor if it were illegal for everyone to carry a weapon, criminals could not be trusted to follow this, or any other law. In this circumstance, law abiding citizens would be without protection, and criminals who already break the law would have possession of weapons. This would endanger the lives of millions of law abiding citizens simply because no lawmakers can control the actions of the irresponsible and abusive criminals. Dr. Robert A. Demarais discovered this trend in his murder victim studies (Source). He stated “In 1985 Philadelphia killers' most commonly used semiautomatic was the 25 caliber, a small often nonlethal handgun. These "Saturday night specials" were restricted by the government to save lives. Not able to purchase the 25 calibers, criminals apparently are switching to bigger handguns. By 1990 the much more lethal 9 mm. (Lugar) was the gun of choice. The MDS reported that the 9 mm. guns are seven times more lethal. Gun control may actually be causing more deaths” (Source).
Although gun control groups and Second Amendment supporters agree on whom to keep guns away from, there are a number of matters in which they disagree completely. It is thought by millions that increasing the number of weapons in society would increase crime rates, others passionately disagree. To discover who is right we must take a look at statistics. When looking at schools related to this topic we find something very consistent in the trend of guns. Arizona, Utah, Texas, Nebraska and New Mexico all allow concealed weapons on campus verses California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania who do not (Source). According to this source, California, Ohio and Pennsylvania had ten times more shootings compared to the five states listed that allow guns on campus (Source). It is not a coincidence that Switzerland has the lowest gun related crime rate of any civilized country in the world (Source). Their government issues a gun to every household and trains every adult to whom the issued a rifle (Source).
So now that it is clear, according to statistics, the idea that an increase in guns increases crime is false, it is essential to examine why this is. When we take a step back from statistics and look at what is logical in society it is understandable why these trends are connected. Studies and common sense show these criminals are more likely to target victims that they feel they can easily overpower. In WWII, Japan stated that they would not attack United States individuals on the U.S. homeland "There would be a gun behind every blade of grass." Therefor if criminals know the majority of citizens' posses a firearm they will be less apt to attack for fear of their own safety.