Gun ControlLDS 102

Jillien Joset Richards

Why Gun Control? Why Now? Throughout American history, high-

profile gun violence has focused the national spotlight on gun control. Although there have been many gun laws created since 1791, there has still been high (and increasing) murder rates with guns involved. There are states that allow citizens, with a permit, to carry around guns. Some for hunting and others for the protection of their own home. Why are citizens from one state allowed to protect themselves while others are not? If no one were allowed to have guns throughout the entire nation, drug-related and other types of murders would decrease. However in order to have a more efficient decrease in murders, I feel that only government officers and those in the military, army, air-force, marines, etc. should have access to gun weaponry.

The public dispute over the role of guns in society reached a shrill peak during the decade from 1990 to 2000. Most arguments took the form of slurs and slogans hurled across the airwaves by loyal troops on both sides. But for those who prefer a more thoughtful analysis, this intense period of cultural warfare also produced an unprecedented flood of books on the subject. Some suggestions were stricter penalties for firearm use during felonies and statewide background checks for those who have or choose to carry firearms. Others opposed restrictions on the right to bear arms while the rest believed that having a gun in the home may be much more dangerous and more likely to cause injury than it’s use to “defend” the home.

What’s Been Done Before? The two most significant federal statutes controlling firearms in the

civilian population are the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Gun Control Act of 1968. The 1934 Act established strict registration requirements and a transfer tax on machine guns and short-barreled long guns. The 1968 Act prohibits mail-order sales and the interstate sales of firearms, prohibits transfers to minors, limits access to "new" assault weapons, and sets forth penalties and licensing requirements for manufacturers, importers, and dealers.

Gun control advocates argue that they curb access by criminals, juveniles, and other "high-risk" individuals. They contend that only federal measures can successfully reduce the availability of guns. Some seek broad policy changes such as near-prohibition of non-police handgun ownership or the registration of all firearm owners or firearms. They assert that there is no constitutional barrier to such measures and no significant social costs. Others advocate less comprehensive policies that they maintain would not impede ownership and legitimate firearm transfers.

What Can I do?

A solution that I came up with for the increase of gun control was to set

up school programs ranging from elementary school to college level students. This would be a five week program would occur one day out of the week. The first week a police officer would speak about gun crimes and the punishments given when committing a crime with this type of weapon. He would also discuss scenarios and have the students act out skits concerning these scenarios. The second week, a military soldier (retired or not) will come visit and talk about his experiences at

war and how he was affected by what he witnessed daily with weaponry. The third week, a person who had lost someone close to them, whether family or friend, and talk about their emotions when going through their loss and what they feel should have happened to the perpetrator. The fourth week, someone who has had a past using gun weaponry illegally or hurt someone or their family will discuss their guilt and experience as well as what they would have changed if they

could. The fifth and final week, a surviving victim of gun violence would speak to the class and speak about his suffering and how she/he had felt when almost losing their life.

Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees

GCAP (Gun Control Awareness Program) would be a non-profit organization, meaning that the program has the purpose of serving a public or mutual benefit other than the pursuit or accumulation of profits for owners or investors. Every profit to run the organization would be through fundraising and donation. The potential clients are middle schools, high schools, and even college campuses. The only aspect of the program that would need to be funded would be travel expenses (used to promote the organization throughout the state and hopefully later on throughout the country), as well as flyers and promotional trinkets such as buttons, pens, and what not. To start off the promotional part of the program we would need at the least $1000 for 15,000 flyers (just to start out) from Rush Flyer Printing and $105 for each unlimited 30-day metro card for traveling around the New York State. Any more expenses would just be more beneficial to the program. Schools would have to pay nothing for the program’s services.

ScheduleJune – August: Contact schools (varying from middle school to college) about the Gun Control Awareness Program (GCAP) and see if they are interested in being involved and have their students be part of the program once a month for five months.

September: Take survey among the students in the chosen schools rating how aware they are about gun control and what they would do if they were put in a situation involving gun weaponry and are threatened. Also find people that will volunteer to speak at the schools and universities each month, including: the first week a police officer would speak about gun crimes and the punishments given when committing a crime with this type of weapon. He would also discuss scenarios and have the students act out skits concerning these scenarios. The second week, a military soldier (retired or not) will come visit and talk about his experiences at war and how he was affected by what he witnessed daily with weaponry. The third week, a person who had lost someone close to them, whether family or friend, and talk about their emotions when going through their loss and what they feel should have happened to the perpetrator. The fourth week, someone who has had a past using gun weaponry illegally or hurt someone or their family will discuss their guilt and experience as well as what they would have changed if they could. The fifth and final week, a surviving victim of gun violence would speak to the class and speak about his suffering and how she/he had felt when almost losing their life.

October – February: Once a month on any given day of the school week, a speaker comes in to talk to the students about their experience with gun control and how it affects or has affected their life in some way. We will also engage students in skits and activities having to do with being involved in a situation with guns. At the end of the program, each student would be assigned a pen pal who has been a gun perpetrator or has been a victim of gun crime and can choose whether or not to write to him or her.

Let’s Be A Little Ideal

Vision: No gun

access for citizens

Mission: Educate

people that are

pro-gun control on

guns, their history

and their

operation.

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc-

7cm5bBUU