Art Of India Essay Research Paper A

Art Of India Essay, Research Paper

A fast rising issue today in America is whether handguns should be allowed on the streets or not. Some believe that all guns should be banned and they do no good but destroy human lives. Others believe that from the beginning of time guns have been legal and should always stay that way. Some major questions have arrived with debate. Should handguns be at easy access to get or should there be tougher laws. Are the rights of Americans infringed upon if handguns are regulated. The Second Amendment states that American civilians have the right to keep and bear arms, but some interpret this Amendment differently then others. Gun control started with the Gun Control Act of 1968. This stated that manufacturers, imports and dealers in the gun industry have to have a license from the Treasury Department, which is the authority on gun law. This act also banned a type of handgun called the Saturday night specials (Diaz, 12). These guns were small and could easily be hidden. It was made with a poor quality of material. By stopping the import of this gun it regulated other guns in the certain areas of performance and design standards (Diaz, 13). For a civilian to purchase a hand gun they need to be over the age of 21 and have a good record. They have to fill out an application signing that why will follow the rules and abide by the gun control rules. They also need to submit a set of finger prints a long with the application. This licenses can last up to three years (Diaz, 13). This act also covered the prohibition of rifle sale by mail (”Gun”, 1). On March 30th, A man named James Brady was waling out of the Hilton Hotel with President Reagan. A man aiming to shoot at the president struck Brady in the head (”James”, 1). Brady spent nine months in the hospital, two operations to reduce the fluid in his brain and now confined to a wheel Chair (”James”, 1). This not only changed his life but also would later change the lives of others. For if not for this event there would have never been the Brady Bill. The Brady bill was fought by James Brady to add our first Federal Handgun – Control Law (”James”, 1). In 1994 President Clinton signed the Brady Bill that stated that when purchasing a gun from a licensed dealer a five day wait must happen before a person can own the gun (Encyclopedia, 755). During this period authorities check the criminal background and history of mental illness (Encyclopedia, 756). This bill also with an assault-weapons ban. This banned 19 different semiautomatic guns (Encyclopedia, 755). Recently the Justice Department has said that it has stopped about 225,000 civilians from being able to purchase guns, so it has had a positive effect (”James”, 1). Baily vs. the United States was a bill made in 1995. It stated that if a criminal is to be convicted of using a gun in a drug or violent crime under 18 usc 924(c) the criminal has to be “actively employing” (”Criminal”, 14) it. When they say employ they are talking about in the process of firing it, trading it, or brandishing it. The way this bill was stated it has taken away the control federal prosecutors use on criminals (”Criminals”, 14). As soon as criminals that were behind bars found out about this new bill they wrote corpus appeals to get out, and they did. One criminal Lancelot Martin was one criminal that got out because of this new bill. He was running a Haitian drug Trafficking operation when he was caught sending and accepting drugs through the mail. He was then apprehended and with the drug, there was a gun. He got five years in jail just for having the gun and more for drug trafficking charges (”Criminals”, 18). After hearing this Senator Helms, Senator Hatch and Senator Dewine wanted to make a new bill so that more criminals ill not get out. This bill will state that a criminal that is caught carrying a gun, while in the process of an illegal act, will automatically get five years in jail. It will also add a ten year minimum if the gun is actually fired (”Criminals”, 17). This will be a strict messages sent out to criminals that if you have a gun it’s already five years in the slammer, no question.The debate on weather guns should be tighter regulated or just completely banned has been a hot issue. Looking at the statistics can be one way of deciding which side a person would stand on in the gun control debate. Most Americans love having their guns but most admit that they would like to see stricter laws (”Fire”, 1*). Around 40% of all Americans have a gun in their home, and about half of all men own a gun (”Fire”, 1*). Out of every 10 people there will be one will carrying a handgun away from the home. On a random day one out of 50 adults will have a gun on them (”Fire”, 1*). Every year roughly 30,000 Americans are killed by guns. Gunshots are the second most common way to die (”Fire”, 1*). During the year 1990-1991, 2,857 gun related deaths were unintentional, that’s 4% of gun deaths. 1%, 711 were unknown. 46%, 34,493 were homicide. Suicide ranking the highest with gun related deaths were 49% at 37,411 dead (Encyclopedia, 757). This statistic would effect some but others see it as if it didn’t effect them or their life then it doesn’t matter. When polled that same year about gun laws, adults were asked what they thought on the severity of gun laws. At 7%, the people said that the gun laws should be less strict and 1% had no opinion. About 25% said the control laws should stay the sa