guns should be banned

So... I've tried to steer my entries clear of political leanings, but it is inevitable. The things I read and see often get me fired up and I might as well tell it the way I see it.

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/15/4054755/chp-poi-poi-upoi-upoi-upoi.html
This is a news article about a truck driving man at the end of his rope and commits suicide by cop.
After reading this story, I couldn't help but feel the need to point out that this is another example of why we should ban guns.

This man was clearly troubled and had a lot of issues, but he was issued a concealed weapons permit. He cleared all background tests that were required, and was given the permit. Because of this "right", another man is dead, and an officer is seriously injured from gunshot wounds and possibly disabled for the rest of his life.

The United States experiences epidemic levels of gun violence, claiming over 30,000 lives annually, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For every person who dies from a gunshot wound, two others are wounded. Every year, more than 100,000 Americans are victims of gun violence. In addition to those who are killed or injured, there are countless others whose lives are forever changed by the deaths of and injuries to their loved ones.

Every hour in the U.S., 3 people die from gun violence.

Felons somehow get their gun rights back. Crazy people go crazy and shoot people. Normal people who have guns go crazy and shoot people.

We no longer need to hunt for food. Why do we need guns?

Last year, the night before Veteran's Day, I got held up at gun-point with three other people and one of them was seriously injured (21 stitches to the ear). We were held up by two young kids in hooded sweatshirts with guns. They pointed the guns at us and told us to empty our pockets. Actually, I think that's what they said- I don't actually remember hearing words. I just remember seeing the gun in my face. The world stopped. My hands went up. My mouth became dry. Everything was in slow motion. It was not cool.

Would it have helped the situation if we had guns too and we had a big shoot out? Someone said, sure, if they didn't have bullets, but we did, we could have shot and caught them.
But what if they did have bullets? If we pulled our guns out, they would most certainly shoot back. It could have been a blood bath.

Why does anyone have to have guns?


These are my top reasons for why I am against guns.


1. They are too dangerous. A person can get really hurt getting into a fight, but after a fight, you can live to see another day. But a gun can be a little thing you can carry in your pocket and it can put a hole in your brain, your heart, your stomach, and it's just too much power for one person to carry around.


2. As humans, none of us are "stable". We get emotional, because that is what humans do. When you're angry or sad, and you have a gun, you feel like using it. I don't care how rational you think you are, we all have our emotional ups and downs. If you are likely to purchase and own a gun, you are likely to think about using it every excuse you have.


3. Accidents happen all the time- having a gun increases the chances of a gun-related accident. You might think you're responsible and doing everything right- but what about that curious kid that gets into your drawer and accidently drops it or sets it off?



4. Other countries who have banned it get along just fine, and have very low gun violence statistics. Iceland and Denmark are two of the top ten countries with the lowest murder rates and they completely ban all firearms. In Iceland all hand guns are banned, you have to be at least 20 years old to be able to buy and use a riffle or shotgun, and each year you have to enter a lottery that determines if you get a hunting permit that year. In Denmark hand guns are also banned unless you are licensed, and you can only get that license if you compete in tournaments, and the guns have to be kept in a safe at the club where you practice.
In order to get a permit to own a riffle you have to participate in a course that takes 3 months to complete, and you have to be at least 20 years old.



5. Washington DC's low murder rate of 69 per 100,000 is due to strict gun control.



6. Rifles and handguns aren't necessary to national defense! Of course, the army has hundreds of thousands of them. I can see how if we lived in a country that wasn't democratic, we would have a need for guns, but we spend how much on our military? I think they got the national security thing covered.



7. "Assault weapons" have no purpose other than to kill large numbers of people. The police need assault weapons. You do not.



8. A majority of the population supports gun control, just like a majority of the population supported owning slaves. So it's not a good argument to say that because most people support it, it means that it's right.



9. The Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban, both of which went into effect in 1994 are responsible for the decrease in violent crime rates, which have been declining since 1991.



10. And lastly, because having a gun does not make you more sexy or cool. No, really, it doesn't.