Gun violence proposal essay

Abstract

Gun violence has become one of the hot topics in many avenues of discussion across the rest of the US in the recent times. Such developments have resulted from the increasing incidences of violence from the streets to school and even in homes. In an endeavor to understand the matter with increased clarity, the study seeks to answer various questions raised that seek to support the hypothesis of the increased gun violence in the streets mainly stems from the increased guns in the community. With the help of recorded literature from various respondents, the piece endeavors to create a sound method that will advance knowledge in the matter of gun violence in the community. Main units of analysis include the NRA, the teenagers in high school and the community as a whole.

Introduction

Gun violence in the community has been on the rise in the recent years with the impact of the same activity becoming more and more pronounced in the society. When the Obama administration took office, it recognized the immensity of the problem it had at hand and committed to eradicating the vice eventually. The administration of president Trump as well shows a similar commitment to the fight against gun violence. Nonetheless, it continues to be a struggle as more and more gun violence incidences are recorded. Incidences of public shooting at nightclubs, schools and in the streets have become synonymous in the news items. The struggle affects children and the adults alike; it does not recognize race although the minorities are the most affected. The impact of gun violence in the country cannot be understated as the statistics have revealed. Gun violence is a national struggle although the urban centers have more cases due to the high population.

Research Questions

1. How deep is the issue of gun violence in the current society?
2. What makes the issue so difficult to manage?

Hypothesis

1. The high number of guns in the hands of citizens have increased the activity of gun violence in the society.

Units of analysis

Children and teenagers in school, adult women, black men and the NRA. The children and women form a very vulnerable group who in the majority of the cases are victims of others and by themselves. The black men, in this case, are identified a very high-risk group more than the white men. They are reported to die in such shooting five times more than their counterparts the whites. The NRA is identified as among the leading reason for more guns in the wrong hands in the community which directly increases the risk of gun violence and deaths consequentially.

Measurements

Measurements presented include age measurements of children and adults. Others include death rates in times frames ranging from daily, weekly, monthly and annually.

Literature review

Statistics indicate that in the year 2015, 372 mass shooting incidences were recorded whereby 475 people lost their lives while another 1870 citizens being injured at these occasions. Such numbers reflect negatively on the efforts directed towards correcting the matter. More notable was the 64 gun shooting cases recorded in schools across the country. These activities add to previous incidences such as the 2012 Connecticut Sandy Hook elementary school massacre which experienced shooting of school children by shooters. The Gun Violence records that 2015 witnessed 13,286 people killed in the US by firearms whereby during the shootings another 26,819 citizens reported to have been injured in the process (Aldhous, 2013). The immensity of the gun violence affects more and more citizens regardless of age, gender or ethnic background although the intensity might vary according to cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

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In the recent years, the number of guns in circulation has increased with more people now finding easy means to illegally possess firearms. As such, the number of killings continues to surge as more and more guns find their way into the community. Study findings have shown that on an average day up to 96 citizens are killed in gun violence. Other statistics have reflected an average of 13000 people killed in gun shootings cases every year. These numbers are increasingly rising in the rankings of top reasons for death in the country as some scholars now fear that gun incidences take up more lives as a preventable cause of death. With the above statistics, it becomes apparent that gun violence affects more lives in the manner that for every single gun violence killing an approximate of two other get injured. For instance, 2015 recorded 13286 deaths whereby another 26819, people got injured in the ordeal (Garbarino, 2017). In this manner, it becomes quite clear the impact gun violence has on the lives of the people in the community (McCarthy, 2013). While gun shooting violence has been showcased as mainly from aggressors, research findings have shown that up to 62% deaths remain suicides more than aggressors towards innocent people. Such outcomes show the impact of more guns in the hands of people who in many cases do not have the adequate knowledge nor do they have the legal qualifications to possess firearms.

Guns in the hands of school going children have also impacted the fight against gun violence as more and more children get caught up in the violence. For instance, recent findings have indicated that up to seven children and teenagers get killed on an average day in America. The vulnerable population has been caught in devastating gun shooting incidences. One such incident is the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting whereby a 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother in their Newton home before driving to his school where he shot dead 20 students aged between six and seven years (O’Callaghan, 2013). He also shot six more adult school staff before the situation was brought under control. It is such incidences that make the gun violence such a sore spot in the contemporary society. Another very vulnerable group in the study remains women who according to findings have been suffering quietly in the hands of their spouses. More precisely, more than 50 women are shot to death by their intimate partners every month in America. At the same time, it has been established that in domestic violence incidences, the presence of a gun escalates the likelihood of a woman being shot and killed five times more than in cases when the gun is absent. These statistics do not reflect any success towards combating the impact of gun shootings in society. At the same time, the black men are more vulnerable especially in gun violence incidences with statistics showing that black men are 13 times more likely to get shot and killed in a gunfight more than their white counterparts.

Given the intensity of the matter and the manner in which it is highlighted with great concern by diverse elements of the society, it begs the question why the fight has produced limited outcomes. The holding hypothesis posits that the increase of guns in the community has increased gun violence and its implications. The presence of these many guns has been fostered by the presence of solid and robust groups that lobby for gun rights in the society such as the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) whose influence in the country goes unquestioned. The group has a huge membership in addition to very influential individuals such as the former president Bush and the support of president Trump and others (Mechling, 2014). Such support makes the group very vocal in lobbying for gun rights and pushing for people to walk around with their firearms as they believe this increases individual security while in the real sense, it has been established as a clear way of escalating the tension and incidences of gun shooting. Nonetheless, the NRA seems quite rooted in its cause and continues to grow in numbers and impact alike which has created a situation of crime and gun violence thriving. In recent times, the NRA has been pushing for the government to resale the guns confiscated from the public back to the public arguing the destroying the functioning firearms only increases financial impact, especially when considering the price of getting new guns for replacement. While such campaigns might seem noble in their intention, it cannot be forgotten that indeed guns kill on average 96 people in a day in the country (Mechling, 2014). While such lobbying groups seem productive in the way of high membership and huge spending, more control is required to direct the activities of such groups in the society.

Conclusion

Children and the adults are all affected by gun violence activities as reflected in the number of seven children and teenagers that die from gun activities every day in America. More children can now easily access firearms which increases the risk of gun violence and deaths in schools as was witnessed in the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. Women are as well noted as a very high-risk group with more than 50 women dying from domestic-related gun deaths in the hands of their intimate partners. Police brutality has also been identified as potential source of gun violence that has led to killings of many people. Overall, it seems that the hypothesis of more guns promoting more gun violence and deaths holds in this case. The presence of NRA enjoys broad and robust support which makes its presence more impactful. Nonetheless, the more guns do not always land in the hands of responsible users and have been shown to cause deaths to young ones in schools, to adults at work, in the streets, at homes from spouses and others. As such, the study recommends a better gun management mechanism that has only the legally qualified people handling guns which reduces the incidences of unqualified people having guns. In this manner, accidental and preventable shootings can easily be avoided which translates to limited deaths and gun-related injuries.