The hot topic of guns, and how easily available they are to the population of the U.S, has started to become an extremely controversial topic. This is due to the increasing amount of gun violence and deaths related to firearms. People all over the United States are taking two sides: One side wants increased gun control, while the other argues that guns are something that every American is entitled to.

Proponents of gun control argue that widespread gun ownership increase the rate of gun violence, while supporters of gun rights argue that gun control do not decrease the rate of violence, and that restrictions on guns violate individual rights.

The individual rights in question are curtailed in the Second Amendment of the Constitution. It reads, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” In essence, supporters of gun rights use the Second Amendment to state that people have the right to own guns, and gun control would violate this.

However, gun control does not violate the Second Amendment at all. Gun control calls for the increase enforcement of gun ownership, not the banning of gun ownership in general. In the United States, every licensed gun store must perform a background check on a potential buyer, to prevent mentally unstable people or criminals from owning a gun. However, unlicensed gun stores are not required at all to perform background checks. Because of this, over 40% of guns are purchased without a background check.

Compared to other countries in the world, it is extremely easy to get your hands on a gun in the U.S. Like, jokingly easy. The United States comes in at Number 1 for the highest rate of gun ownerships. In fact, in America, there are 112 guns per 100 people.

All of these statistics may sound dull and boring, but it does tell you about how a lack of gun control there is in the United States. A freshmen from Canada states, “I myself believe in gun control because I [do not] think it is that reasonable for that many people in the U.S to own guns,” he says, “Looking at the statistics, seeing that there are less guns in Canada than America, there are only 100-200 deaths related to gun violence each year. However, the number of deaths each year is much higher in the U.S.” he finishes.

His statement is statistically very accurate. In 2012, only 173 deaths were by the use of a gun in Canada. In the United States, that number is over 8800. Of course, there is a higher population in the U.S. than Canada, which would obviously lead to a higher death number. However, that still does not cover the discrepancy between the number of deaths by gun violence in the U.S. compared to Canada and the rest of the world.

In conclusion, there is clear evidence that America’s lax stance on gun control has caused deaths which are unparalleled by any other country in the world. If the United States aims to truly become the country that it says it is, it has to start by reinforcing gun laws. If the government does nothing, the country will start to see death tolls rising exponentially as criminals take advantage of our current situation. It is time for the United States to start working towards the day where no criminal can eye their next victim with a gun clutched in their pockets.

Poon Singhatiraj