Texas is a southern state with
citizens that like to go hunting for sport and protect their family, and property,
which means people in this part of the country really support their right to
bear arms freely for recreational and security purposes. So since these are the
only reasons for needing to bear arms, then Texas should be more than willing
to make it as difficult as possible for people like James Holmes to obtain a
weapon in this state.
Many restrictions can be implemented
in order for that not to happen, while still maintaining the Second Amendment’s
rights. For example, ammunition sellers should report a large quantity of
product being sold to law enforcement, or requiring a background checks or even
a psychological evaluations in order to be able to purchase a gun. It all seems
like a very easy solution, however lobby groups like NRA are too influential and
those that desire to purchase guns for sport or protection are uninterested in the
laws making it harder for them to acquire these weapons.
It needs to be a priority for not
only the state of Texas but also for the country as a whole that we get gun
control under control, because for all of the large massacres that are reported
nation wider, there are also smaller incidents that occur under the radar. The
state of Texas is one of the largest and most influential in the United States,
so if they take a stand on something that Texas has traditional supported and
decide to crack down on, then others will follow. We need to decide that making
a change is necessary, even if it means more tedious duties required in order
to purchase a weapon or ammunition. We should want every possible measure to be
taken to ensure our safety as a state and country.
3 comments:
While I support the second amendment right, I also think that there needs to be some kind of system that holds gun users accountable. I am strongly for requiring gun ownders to take safety courses before they are legally allowed to use them. I think your idea about creating some sort of psychological test would be beneficial. Perhaps some way to prevent such psychologically unstable people from access to fire arms would be to require a gun control course that had a psychological portion to it that was made mandatory before being allowed to purchase firearms. On the other hand, while background checks might help to a degree, they wouldn't have kept James Holmes from purchasing firearms because he had nothing on his record to encourage any sort of suspicion.
The intended audience of this article isn't made crystal clear, but one can determine that the reader, for which it was written, is one who has heard enough about the recent "tragedy in Aurora" to have had some sort of emotional response to the events. While the author isn't purely using emotional appeals to present her opinion, they are embedded in the argument because of the widespread remorse shared for the friends and families of the victims in Aurora.
These events also create quite a logical argument for the author because they are hard evidence that proves that the current gun control system has its flaws. However, I do feel that people will always be able to get weapons by means of the black market and other illegal ways, which would make such laws pointless.
While a reformed system may have stopped James Holmes from committing such a horrifying crime, there will always be those that bypass the system in order to accomplish their mission...no matter how disturbing it might be.
Although I am a proponent for the possession of handguns and self-defense, I also believe that there should be tougher restrictions on the possession and sale of firearms and quantity of ammo as well as where you can bring weapons. Unfortunately, the NRA has quite the solid grip on current gun laws via the 2nd Amendment, making it near impossible to restrict guns any further. Never mind the fact that we are in Texas, where gun ownership is a way of life and conservative views are rampant.
Despite all this, even if we did somehow manage restrict gun laws, no matter what we do, as long as guns exist, tragedies will still occur. You can do all the psychological evaluation you want, people will still get ahold of guns one way or another. Just look at James Holmes, a smart, "sane" individual before the incident, up until something made him snap.
My point is that even though we may not be able to prevent all gun violence, we can be smart about it as well as diminishing the chance of another massacre.
Post a Comment