Paper Example on Gun Control and Ownership

Introduction

Gun control and ownership issues have dominated political and social discussions for many years since the passage of the Second Amendment in 1791. The debate surrounding the link between the availability of guns and gun violence has characterized the right to own arms as guaranteed by the second amendment. There are two sides to the argument. On the one hand, proponents of arms regulation argue that the high availability of arms causes a safety concern to the masses. Those against arms regulations hold that gun ownership is essential for self-defense and protection, and also has application in hunting, sporting, and general security among other purposes.

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Gun control movement has gained momentum in recent years owing to the increasing number of misuse of arms. The recent movement is youth-led movement sparked explicitly by the high number of mass shootings in schools that have been witnessed recently. The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parklands, Florida resulted in more than 17 children dead, one of the deadliest school shootings in the modern US history (Kestler-D'Amours, 2018). These parklands students have been at the forefront of spearheading the national movement that advocates for stricter gun control laws in the country. The agitation has been taken over by many other young people across the country who are pushing congress to spearhead changes in the law to allow for stricter regulations for gun ownership so as to protect the lives of young people in future.

The agitators for gun control bank on several advantages of such a move. In the first instance, America has one of the highest murder and crime rates in the world, and guns are a contributor to the same. When there is no controlled usage of firearms and absence of strong laws, it makes it easy for civilians to misuse them such as in the case of Parklands, Ferguson and other shootings that have been witnessed in the recent past. To further explain that, studies have indicated that unintentional shootings are four times more likely to occur than legitimate gun usage (Safewise, 2018). Statistically, one is more likely to shoot someone by accident or illegitimately as compared to shooting a home invader. Controlling gun usage will reduce such unintentional shootings and protect lives. Countries with very strict gun control laws are more peaceful, and the rate of crime is low. In 1996, for instance, Australia banned civilian gun ownership, opting to buy more than 650,000 guns and destroying them. Today, the rate of crimes such as robbery has reduced to about 60 per every 100,000 people (Bak, 2018).

The negatives of such a move are that it would infringe on Americans' right to own and use guns, contrary to the provisions of the second amendment. For many owners, having a gun gives a sense of security. Besides, most Americans keep the weapons for their safety. As mentioned above, the arms are also vital for hunting and other sports.

The gun control movement, if it succeeds, will influence the adoption of legislation in the area of gun ownership. Strong gun control laws in countries such as Japan, Australia, Norway, and the United Kingdom have seen a near-elimination of gun violence situations such as public shootings. Japan, for instance, has strict laws for obtaining a firearm one has to apply for the gun, attend an all-day class, pass a test, and have a minimum of 95% shooting accuracy. The applicants' mental health is assessed, background checks conducted and criminal record analyzed. Additionally, there are restrictions on the type of firearms one can buy. Having such strong policies in America will result in the number of times when guns fall in the wrong hands such as those of terrorists and criminals; hence minimize gun violence and crime (Weller, 2018).

From a personal perspective, America is at a time when there is a need for strong gun control laws. Lessons from other countries that have embraced such policies indicate that they have positive results and should be encouraged. The gun control movement should be inspired to go on to spread the plight of both young people and adults who have perished in the growing number of shootings. As mentioned above, the movement has more advantages than the disadvantages.

The Boiling Frog Theory and Population Growth

The boiling frog theory offers a concise look at the relationship that exists between the availability of food and population growth. The theory holds that when a frog is placed in normal water and the temperatures adjusted progressively, the frog tends to adjust its body temperature accordingly. It keeps adjusting as the heat applied increases. Just before the water attains the boiling point, the frog cannot adjust anymore and often attempts to jump out, but it is not possible because it will have lost all its strength, and it ends up dying. From a population perspective, the human population started to see massive growth at the inception of the agrarian revolution. This revolution made food more available, and the people experienced comfort. Over time, however, the availability of food to the population has been reducing owing to the increasing population. The consequences include violence, starvation, and deaths (Krugman, 2017).

Beginning at the inception of the agricultural revolution, humans were pleased merely with enough subsistence food production which guaranteed them a life free from hunger and starvation. The coming years brought aspects such as technological advancements and innovations in areas such as health and agriculture. The technological innovations brought some distress but people were still comfortable, and it was easy for them to adjust and the signs of pain were not seen. Later, states were introduced which meant centralizing power and control over a given people. The concept of power brought different political unrests, people fighting over control of power, and even plagues. It is important to note that the disruptions to the system of food are responsible for the increasing distress in the growing world population. As the population increased, food reduced more and more like the space for food production was taken up by the rising number of people.

Today, food is increasingly scarce. A large section of the global population is facing starvation due to lack of food. Historically, like the frog in the water, it was hard to see the connection existing between the availability of food and population growth. As the population keeps on doubling, food is becoming scarcer and scarcer. The growing population brings aspects such as deforestation and environmental pollution. The disruption in the totalitarian agricultural system continues to be the sole cause of drought, famine, and strife (Mitchell, 2016). As these activities result in deaths which implies decimation of the population, it shows that a lack of food can control the population numbers on its own. Furthermore, the ability of humans to reproduce is always high when food is available and lesser when it isn't.

As an adjustment strategy, there have been interventions such as the development of genetically modified crops and other foods. Consumption of GMO foods has had a mostly adverse effect, causing various diseases and eventually death. Today, the world can be said to be at a boiling point. The number of people dying as a result of the inadequate food supply is catastrophic. At the same time, the number of people who can afford food keeps on reducing. The land used for food production has diminished and taken over by human settlement, and there is increasing pollution of the available land hence furthering decimating food production. With no enough land for agricultural production, people will still keep on turning against each other in civil and political strife.

From the frog metaphor, it can be argued the situation in the present world was turning the world from the warm water stage when there were massive distress and suffering to the full heated level where aspects such as mass killings will be the order of the day. The explanation for the growing violence and strife in the world can be said to be the agitation of every individual to regain the power and ability to feed and sustain themselves and their families. There are growing cases of political genocide today, terrorist attacks and other serious crimes where massive deaths are witnessed. Conclusively, it can be argued that as long as food availability is reducing and there is the inability of the people to feed themselves, these deaths will persist (Mitchell, 2016). Like the frog, the world today is killing and maiming itself. To resolve the whole issue, the relationship between population growth and food availability need to be understood.

References

Bak, A. (2018). Gun Control in America: Pros and Cons. The Charles Street Times. Retrieved 12 October 2018, from https://lindynews.org/1434/opinion/pro-con/gun-control-in-america-pros-and-cons/

Kestler-D'Amours, J. (2018). Who are the US students leading mass protests for gun control?. Aljazeera.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/students-leading-mass-protests-gun-control-180316082945149.html

Krugman, P. (2017). Boiling the Frog: Creeping Disasters for the Economy and the Planet. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/opinion/13krugman.html

Mitchell, P. T. (2016). The Future Is upon Us: Failed Predictions, Boiling Frogs, and Gun Printers. In Emerging Critical Technologies and Security in the Asia-Pacific (pp. 143-153). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Safewise, (2018). Pros And Cons Of Gun Control: Gun Safety and Security. Safewise.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018, from https://www.safewise.com/resources/guns-at-home

Weller, Chris, (2018). These 4 countries have nearly eliminated gun deaths - here's what the US can learn. The Independent. Retrieved 12 October 2018, from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/gun-deaths-eliminated-america-learn-japan-australia-uk-norway-florida-shooting-latest-news-a8216301.html