The right for private citizens to bear arms and be able to use them whenever it is necessary is a constitutional right in many western countries. This right, however, is no longer guaranteed in some countries, considering the nature of the current world where misuse of guns has become prevalent.
Apart from the intentions associated with possession of arms, such as hunting and self-defense, guns have also been widely used to execute robbery, murder, assault, and rape, among other forms of deviant behavior.
These are some of the reasons that have necessitated the idea of gun control in most regions across the world where the right to issue guns remains a mandate of the government.
However, there are many people opposing the move, who tend to view this restriction on gun ownership as a negative factor affecting the society.
The right for civilians to bear arms has always been a serious issue of concern, especially in the current world where crime and other acts of violence appear to be very rife.
Constant arguments between the supporters and the opponents of gun control policies have raised much controversy, thus making gun issue one of the highly contested social debate (Jacobs, 2002).
This move should be proved as detrimental to society in several ways as it may be evident in the example of those countries that have already adopted gun control policies.
While it is the constitutional right for American citizens to bear firearms for security purposes, things are different for UK citizens, who should undergo a series of legal procedures with the police department to ascertain whether they are good citizens before getting an allowance to acquire a gun.
This gun control policy has not been effective in eradicating the possession and usage of guns by private citizens. It is undeniable that guns are also used in promoting human safety and security. People have always used guns to safeguard themselves and their property from criminals.
Possessing a gun by a victim also plays a key role in preventing criminals from executing their plans. It would be difficult for anyone to pursue his or her evil intention against other people, especially when they are aware that they also possess firearms and can protect themselves.
In this regard, gun control policies have to a great extent restricted people from possessing protective weapons, thus making them more prone to criminal harms.
There is strong evidence that effective gun control policies applied in some countries have become the main cause of why innocent citizens have been turned into easy targets of criminals who use illegal channels to acquire guns.
As evident, criminals and thugs do not have any respect for the law, and an assumption that they will honor gun control laws is indeed the purest form of deception.
In this regard, it is beyond doubt that criminals having different sorts of ill motives will still be able to acquire guns through illegal channels. In this case, implementation of gun control laws will have less effect in making the society safer since it is not the guns that kill, but those who use them.
As many proponents of gun rights tend to observe, gun control policies are not pathways to crime control. According to Spitzer and Christopher (1995), the policies may neither stop criminals from possessing guns nor make them change their deviant behaviors.
This statement means that people will still attack and kill each other using firearms in case they are willing to do so, regardless of the existing gun control policies.
As we all know, guns may be necessary for ensuring human safety and their property in the society, and therefore, implementation of gun control policies will only make the society unsafe (Rostron, 2008).
Even though the presence of gun laws may help control acts of violence to some extent, this will not eliminate all the violence. The main reason for this is because there are still other weapons which can be used by criminals to execute their evil deeds.
These include stun guns and gas, knives, spears, clubs, sticks, and stones, among a variety of other things which are legal and accessible.
The base of this argument is that criminals can turn the ordinary things that are available in their surroundings into dangerous weapons and use them to harm other people.
For this reason, criminals do not need firearms alone to be able to execute their evil acts in society. This perception is enough to make the gun control policies more ridiculous, especially on the grounds where they have been established with the aim of controlling or eliminating violence.
Based on the above arguments and observations, gun rights are necessary for global plans to save human lives and protect society. This, unlike the gun control policy, will tend to play a key role in promoting and enhancing human security across the world.
References
Jacobs, J. (2002). Can Gun Control Work? New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Rostron, A. (2008). Incrementalism, Comprehensive Rationality, and the Future of Gun Control. Maryland Law Review, 67(3), 24-29.
Spitzer, R., & Christopher, J. (1995). The politics of gun control. New Jersey: Chatham House Chatham.