Every year, more than 24000 Americans are killed by firearms. In 1990, 70% of all suicides were committed with a handgun. A handgun is 43 times more likely to kill its owner, a family member, or a friend than a burglar. So why are they still legal? Because the NRA (National Rifle Association) spends more than 75 million dollars a year on gun lobbyists. In 1993, the Brady Gun Violence Prevention Act was signed in by President Clinton, requiring gun ownerships to do a background check on all gun buyers within five days and deny any with a past criminal record or mental instability. In 1995, a poll done by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that the Brady Act successfully denied 15,000 handguns to ineligible buyers. From 1994 to 2005, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that the national crime rate decreased by 60 percent. Gun violence, according to Mother Jones, is the leading cause of death for young black men and the second leading cause for death for all people from 15 to 24. In January, 2004, a Gallup poll showed that 87 percent of Americans desired gun laws to be stricter. In November, 2004, CBS conducted a similar survey, and found that 86 percent of Americans wanted the same. Society screams out ban, but the NRA stresses that handguns are a very handy self-defense tool, though the National Crime Victimization survey in 1994 estimated that less than .5 percent of all victims ever threatened the offender with a gun. Action must be taken to reduce handgun ownership in America by means of enforcing the Brady Act.
Greetings!
I think you've got a great start to your essay! I have just a couple of suggestions:
In 1993, the Brady Gun Violence Prevention Act was signed [delete "in"] by President Clinton, requiring gun sellers [or merchants] to do a background check on all gun buyers within five days and deny any with a past criminal record or mental instability.
Society screams out ban, - Better might be "Society is screaming for a gun ban ..."
Good job!
Thanks,
Sarah, EssayForum.com
Gun control; Wake Forest/ Next year's application
What question do you think we should ask of next year's applicants?
In contemplating the right to bare arms in our US bill of rights how would you make a decision as whether to enforce gun control and the loss of one of our rights versus the value of the lives lost imposing gun control in like of recent events such as Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn. Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado etc.
