Haley Wilson

UWRT 1102-007
December 8, 2014

GUN CONTROL:
According to eleven facts about guns in America, there are approximately 270 million
firearms possessed by civilians, and only 897,000 carried by police. My major is criminal justice
so the gun control issue has always been something in the media that has interested me and has
been something that will always bother me. Everyone in the media always makes guns out to be
bad or something they should take away from the public which I dont believe should be the
case. It is the person with the gun you should worry about not the gun itself. Also sheriff offices
as well as different colleges offer many classes on how to use firearms properly, how to protect
yourself, and how to maintain your gun. I know people misuse guns and have killed people but
also guns have helped saved many people such as law enforcement officers, people in the
military, and people in the general public as well. I just turned twenty one and one of the things
that I have been wanting to do is take a concealed carry class. After taking the class I would be
able to carry my own handgun as well as keep it at my house so I can protect myself if need be.
A lot of people dont know how to use guns or properly handle them and I think that is a problem
in the United States today. Our second amendment is the right to bear arms so that means anyone
if trained properly should be able to carry a gun, own a gun, or protect themselves if they need
to. We definitely need to minimize the gun violence in the United States but I also think it would
be stupid to take away one of our rights completely when some people in this world actually
know how to use them properly and need the guns.
Other countries not only the United States have many gun control laws and struggle with
some of the issues that the United States does as well. Canada for example follows some of the
policies that the United States does according to the U.S. Gun Policy: Global Connections
article. In Canada you must be at least 18 years of age to be able to purchase a firearm as well as

Haley Wilson
UWRT 1102-007
December 8, 2014

have a license that includes a background check as well as a public safety course. In Canada
there is also three classes that classify each gun you have unlike the United States that breaks it
into two different class. Canada breaks down the classes into non-restricted, restricted and
prohibited. In the non-restricted class that would include ordinary rifles as well as shotguns, in
the restricted class that would include handguns and semi-automatic rifles. The last class would
be the prohibited class that would include all automatics. (Masters, J. (2013, July 15.)
In Israel however, their gun laws are much different to the United States. Military
service is compulsory in Israel and guns are very much a part of everyday life. By law, most
eighteen-year-olds are drafted, psychologically screened, and receive at least some weapons
training after high school. After serving typically two or three years in the armed forces,
however, most Israelis are discharged and must abide by civilian gun laws. (Masters, J. (2013,
July 15.) In Israel almost anyone in the population has access to a firearm is they needed it.
Either your relative might have one as long as soldiers and many others that can get access to a
firearm. Which in my opinion is not very safe at all but I think its safe to say that their country
not only has different gun control laws but also they live in a very different society as we do in
the US.
Gun control laws have not only been something that I have always been passionate about
but also have a great impact on the world today not just in the United States. I believe that many
people need to be better educated with their firearms and how to use them. If everyone would
better understand how to use firearms and know how to control them then there wouldnt be so
much violence in todays society. I think other countries such as Canada and Israel also need to
help people better understand how to use firearms as well because I know that anyone is capable
of getting a firearm if they really wanted to.

Haley Wilson
UWRT 1102-007
December 8, 2014

REFERENCES
Masters, J. (2013, July 15). U.S. Gun Policy: Global Connections. Retrieved December 8,
2014, from http://www.cfr.org/society-and-culture/us-gun-policy-global-comparisons/p29735