Gun violence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gun violence - Research Paper Example Ownership of gun is restricted in most of the other countries including democratic countries. For example, an individual can own a gun India only if the court or the police authorities grand him the permission of gun license. He should convince the authorities that his life and property is in danger and ownership of gun is necessary for him to protect his life and properties. However in America, it is not necessary that an individual should convince the authorities about the reasons of gun ownership. Anybody, even school children in America can own a gun, legally or illegally. As a result of that, gun related violence is growing in America at present. The Sun (March 12, 2013), reported that a GUNMAN has shot two people at a high school in California - less than a month after 26 were slaughtered in the Sandy Hook massacre. It follows last month's slaughter by Adam Lanza who killed 20 young children and six adults at the Sandy Hook elementary school - reigniting the gun laws debate in the US (Two shot in yet another school shooting in America, 2010). Sandy Hook massacre shook America recently and the public debates over the topic of gun control heated up again. The relationship between gun ownership and gun violence is researched heavily by prominent scholars now. Many people believe that gun violence is directly proportional to gun ownership. In other words, when the number of gun owners increases in a society, the chances of gun violence also increases. This paper critically analyses this claim and argues that "The states (in the U.S.) with the highest gun ownership also have the highest gun violence related casualties". Literature Review A new study, led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher, Dr. Michael Siegel, published in American Journal of Public Health shows that U.S. states with higher estimated rates of gun ownership experience a higher number of firearms-related homicides. This study analyzed the claim by the National Rifle Associa tion’s (NRA) that increased gun ownership does not lead to increased gun violence and argued that these claims are totally baseless. They have conducted this study across 50 American states and the completion of this study (The largest in the history of US) took around 30 years (1981-2010). They found that for each 1 percentage point increase in the prevalence of gun ownership, the homicide rate increases by 0.9 percent (Siegel, 2013). The study by Hepburn & Hemenway, (2004, p.4170) supports the findings of Siegel and his associates. After a comprehensive study, they found that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide, both in the United States and across high-income countries.   They argued that in homes, cities, states and regions in the US, where there are more guns, people are at higher risk for homicide. The second amendments in United States’ constitution protect the right of individuals to bear arms. Self-defense is accepted as a human right in America. Even after plenty of unpleasant and cruel incidents, the authorities are not much keen in putting any control on gun ownership or gun violence. Even the immature teenagers can possess guns and they can carry such things easily to the schools. Even though president Obama expressed deep concerns about the gun control laws in America, after the Sandy Hook massacre, his earlier stands were neither in favor nor against the strengthening of gun