The Not So Silent Killer | Teen Ink

The Not So Silent Killer

January 3, 2014
By jinsyj BRONZE, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
jinsyj BRONZE, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Ever since the Second Amendment allowed citizens the right to "bear arms," there has been a relatively high percentage of those who have been killed by guns. "Nearly 800 children under 14 were killed in gun accidents from 1999 to 2010" (Szabo). A gun's intention is meant to kill or to permanently immobilize; therefore they are many other commodities that are also meant for defense like a teaser or pepper spray. Guns are not the answer to problems; instead they make the situation worse. Guns should be banned to protect the general population and to reduce violence and lower mortality rates.

Therefore, even as the government is working towards a common goal to ban guns, there has been a dilemma to remove guns from the mentally ill. The majority of mass shooting committed in the last five years was by mostly those whose mental problems was addressed after their shooting rampage. "James Holmes, the gunman in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater shootings in 2012, passed a background check. So did Jared Loughner, who in 2011 killed six people in Tucson and wounded 13 others, including Gabrielle Giffords, who was then a congresswoman" (Tanfani). The Newtown shooter had a list of mental problems that was only brought to attention after the shooting. Having guns restricted from every gun owner can ease the worry of going to public places. Mixing angered citizens with guns is not logical. When tragedy occurs everyone focuses on the shooter's deranged mind as the problem, but don't realize that guns allowed these mournful events to transpire. According to Fareed Zakaria, " Every time there is a serious gun massacre in the United States – and alas these are fairly common – the media focuses on the twisted psychology of the shooter and asks why we don't pay more attention to detecting and treating mental illness." Removing guns from the greater number can ensure that guns can't get into the hands from the dangerous and mentally ill.

Furthermore, gun related accidents have been increasing significantly, nevertheless restricting guns and tightening laws can aid the high and rising amount. Removing guns can decrease the need for someone to killed anyone with a gun if its not there, for that reason violence can reduce. "Now Chicago police said they have seized more than 6,500 illegal guns this year. That's 130 illegal weapons each week...Murders here are down from 507 all last year to 407 so far this year" (Reynolds). Taking guns from anyone's proximately, when angered can save the lives of many and placing stricter laws and promise that. Statistics shows that removing guns can reduce violence, which is a main problem in the US. Removing guns from the public, can allow the need for people to not slaughter and murder people with guns.

Though mass shooting are associated with the death of people, the extinction of animals is just as important. Many species have been close to endangerment or extinction due to guns.
"Last year, a record 443 black and white rhinos were killed in the country's public and private game reserves, up from 333 in 2010, according to government officials and conservation groups. Five years ago, the country lost only 13 black and white rhinos to poaching" (Wilson). Many animals have been hunted into extinction, which is senseless act. "With an arsenal of rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, handguns, bows and arrows, hunters kill more than 200 million animals yearly – likely crippling, orphaning, and harassing millions more" (Anti-Hunting). Squirrels are the essential reason for the still remaining trees, but 30 million are being hunted down annually. Squirrels scatter stashes of nuts, but forgets allowing these nuts to turn into trees, which vital because tress decrease air pollution. Animals are a part of this earth and shouldn't be removed by guns. Pro-gun control laws can significantly save many threatened and endangered animals.

While looking at the most publicized mass shootings, a similarity can be drawn from all of them. The assailant for no apparent reason felt to get revenge on innocent civilians or no motive, goes out to an assembly of people like a school and practices he/she's gun on these innocent bystanders. Coincidentally most assailants were diagnosed mentally ill or deranged after these tragic events. According to Ari Schulman, "But this line of questioning is peculiar to begin with. Even if evidence of bullying had been found, it could not possibly amount to a motive in any ordinary sense for a young man to murder people who had never victimized him—particularly not twenty children who had yet to be born when he himself was a child." Even though we can't fix mentally ill people, we can fix the problem of guns.

Today many folks believe that children currently are much smarter due to the amount of resources and various types of information that can be easily viewed by electronics, which was not as easily accessible years ago. Yet there has such an increase of children who have died due to guns. Children shouldn't be trusted with guns because they endanger themselves and their environment. " In an experiment in which researchers observed how 8- to 12-year-old boys behaved when left alone in a room with a hidden gun, 75% of boys found the gun within 15 minutes" (Szabo). Children aren't responsible enough to understand the dangers of guns. Many may say their child is wise enough to be trusted with a gun, but however that may not apply to most children. "Nearly 800 children under 14 were killed in gun accidents from 1999 to 2010" (Szabo). Having guns removed from adults and guns can help decrease the amount of children and general gun related deaths and murders

However even though pro-gun control laws can help protect animals, guns can facilitate the flourishing animal species, like pythons. For example, the rising the amount of pythons in Florida is creating a competitive atmosphere to kill the most pythons. As stated, "The state of Florida has a bounty out on invasive pythons, luring amateur snake killers into the Everglades for a month-long hunt. Hilarious, right? Not to those who say it encourages cruelty and does little to solve conservation problems." (Wagner). However this is a dangerous task and calling animal control is a possibility to ward off snakes instead of killing a snake with a gun. The greater number off those who claim that they need guns for protection and security should comprehend that guns are not the only form of protection. Therefore, having untrained people killing these slaying and slaughtering creatures can result in more deaths than guns can.

There are many loopholes in removing guns. If the elimination of guns does occur, there would be many black-markets carrying guns. That would be a problem within its self. However black-markets don't compare to the problems of the killing of many innocent people. Even though the Constitution states our right to bear arms, the Constitution was written 200 years ago. The problem of many shooting was never a major problem in the 18th century, and it was written for the means of that time, and should be update or reworded.

Through the course of history there has been many innocent lives taken from gun violence. Guns have such a negative impact to our society. They endanger animals, make schools and public places unsafe, and we fear for our life every day. Eliminating guns can reduce the significantly high homicide and suicide rates in the United States. Guns were meant for evil intentions and there are other ways to defend ourselves. Removing guns is the logical answer to America's high and rising gun violence rates.



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This article has 1 comment.


Eli Farley said...
on Jan. 6 2015 at 12:00 am
Sooo.... Taking guns away from the innocent protects the innocent? That makes absolutely no sense. Also, you mentioned the Aurora Shooting? I live in Aurora Colorado and one of my friends died in that theatre along with eleven others. I am certain that if he had brought his pistol that night, he would still be alive. Guns in the hands of the wise and intelligent is the best defence against criminals.