Gun Control: What Should be Done?

Critical Thinking Essay Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group Gun violence is an issue that is prevalent on the American agenda, with multiple recent events sparking up interest in the issue. The earliest recorded U.S. mass shooting occurred on July 26, 1764, when four Lenape American Indians opened fire on a teacher and 10 students in Greencastle, Pennsylvaniaall were killed (Lorenzi). Almost two and a half centuries later, under less political circumstances, on December 14, 2012, a 24-year-old man by the name of Adam Lanza stole three guns from his mother, shot her, and then proceeded to massacre 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School, 20 of whom were children between the ages of six and eight (Mass Shootings in the U.S. Since 2005). In the U.S., the 2nd Amendment is the principle law for defending guns, proclaiming that the Right of the People to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed, (U.S. Constitution). Furthermore, in the Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona, the court ruled that "where rights (liberty) secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no legislation which would abrogate (abolish) them," meaning that no legislation can legally overrule or outlaw the 2nd Amendment (Burton). Consequentially, Americas civilians now own about 310 million guns, outgunning the law enforcement and militarys four million guns by a factor of 70 to 1 (Gilson). As a result of the large numbers of guns owned in the U.S., the large number of gun violence and murders, and the incompetency of having many contradictory state laws for gun control, the U.S. government must remove the 2nd Amendment from the Constitution and create a federal law banning all guns in the U.S. Exceptions should be made for use in certain situations such as renting for recreational sport, use by law enforcement and military, and ownership for self defense after completing a background check that is more thorough than the one in place today. This background check would analyze the reason for the person to own a gun and it would review every aspect of the persons history.

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group Americans, often endangered by gun violence, has prompted many failed attempts to create adequate gun control laws. Most legislation has failed to curb murders and injuries relating to gun ownership. In 1934, Congress passed the first ever gun control legislation, the National Firearms Act, otherwise known as Title 26 which imposed an annual tax on gun sellers, importers, and manufacturers (Gettings, McNiff). Upon signing the bill, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) asked citizens, individually and as organized groups, to recognize the facts and meet them with courage and determination, something that Americans against gun control still need to accomplish today (Roosevelt). In 1938 FDR passed the Federal Firearms Act which required a fee to obtain a Federal Firearms License for selling and shipping firearms between states or abroad (Gettings, McNiff.). The act also began recordkeeping of anyone who bought a gun from a distributor (Gettings, McNiff). Nevertheless, gun violence continued to rise throughout the 1940s and 50s (Brady Campaign). Failed attempts to create adequate gun control laws in order to lower the number of guns owned and lower the amount of gun violence in America continued through the 20th Century. As a response to John F. Kennedys assassination, Congress passed the 1968 Gun Control Act which expanded on previous acts to make gun licenses harder to attain, to make record keeping of gun ownership more accurate, to outlaw mail order of rifles and shotguns, to restrict gun sales over state boundaries, and to expand the list of persons who are not allowed to obtain guns (Gettings, McNiff). The Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act, an act which makes it illegal to manufacture or import ammunition capable of penetrating bulletproof clothing, and The Firearms Owners Protection Act, an act to prohibit transfer and possession of machine guns were both passed in 1986 (Gettings, McNiff; National Firearms Act (NFA)). Despite these new laws, in the

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group 18-year period between 1979 and 1997, over 650,000 people were killed with firearms (Brady Campaign). Attempting to address continued growth in firearm violence and crime, Americans continued to tighten gun control laws throughout the 1990s. The Crime Control Act, passed in 1990, made it illegal to possess or discharge a gun in a school zone or to assemble outlawed semiautomatic firearms from other parts. (Gettings, McNiff.). George W. Bush, a Republican president who represents a party which is heavily against stricter gun control legislation, proclaimed that Americans have the right to be free from fear in their homes, in their streets, and in their neighborhoods, (Bush). In the years 1992-1993, 34 homicides occurred in school for children aged 5-18. Gun control increased in 1994 when the Brady handgun Violence Prevention Act was passed, applying a new National Instant Criminal Background Check System run by the FBI to the purchase of all guns (Gettings, McNiff.). This system allows for the checks to be completed electronically or over the phone with results returning immediately, which leads to checks that do not adequately review the background and mental state of a prospective buyer (Gettings, McNiff). A specific example is a man by the name of Steven Youssef , One day after [he] was released from a psychiatric unit he bought an AR-15 assault rifle, two .40-caliber handguns and 8,000 rounds of ammunition from a Pennsylvania gun store, (Americans for Gun Safety Foundation). Youssefs mother [feels] like the system failed us, as do many Americans (Americans for Gun Safety Foundation). The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, otherwise known as the Assault Weapons Ban which outlawed all assault weapons, was in effect from 1994 through 2004, and there is now swiftly rising support for the bill to be reintroduced (H.R. 4092 (103rd)). Now, following such tragedies as the Newtown, Conneticut school shooting and the Aurora, Colordo movie theater shooting, President Obama is rallying support for a

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group recall to action [which] has anti-gun advocates thinking that they may see progress, especially in the areas of an assault weapons ban and more thorough background checks. (Epstein, Gerstein). Again and again, gun violence threatens the stability of this nation. The sheer number of guns owned by civilians in this country is astonishing and amazing. The U.S. has almost 89 guns per 100 citizens, by far the highest number of guns per capita in the world (Gilson). In 2011, there were 31,940 people in total killed by guns (White). Furthermore, many shooting are committed by people who have no legal right to own a gun, 12,000 annual gun murders and 66,000 non-fatal shootings are committed by criminals, mental patients, and other illegal gun owners (Fact Sheet: Illegal Gun Trafficking Arm Criminals and Youth). They usually obtain these guns through illegal gun trafficking, but many times firearms are simply stolen from those with a license for a gun (Fact Sheet: Illegal Gun Trafficking Arm Criminals and Youth). All across America, gun control supports are rallying and demanding a change in Americas laws. Take the example of Dave Hoover, a former lifelong hunter and Republican, whose opinion changed when his nephew, A.J. Boik, was shot and killed in the theater attack in Aurora, Columbia, in 2012. Now, he is pro-gun control proclaiming that something needs to be done about this because nobody else deserves to have, you know, a phone call like that at 2:37 in the morning. And nobody certainly needs to know that they sent their children off to school only to find that their children were killed, (Hoover). An organization called the Brady Campaign rallies support for stricter laws and informs American citizens of the facts. The NRA also mentioned that it support stricter background checks (NRA).The question remains what it is that needs to be done.

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group The president of America, Barack Obama, supports reinstating the assault weapons ban and making backgrounds checks more difficult to pass (Whats in Obamas Gun Control Proposal). At the 2nd Presidential Debate on October 16, 2012 between Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney, the two greatly disagreed over what needs to be done to prevent further gun violence in America (Obama). Obama proclaimed that although Americas got a long tradition of hunting and sportsmen and people who want to make sure they can protect themselves, changes still need to be made because there have been too many instances during the course of [his] Presidency where [hes] had to comfort families who have lost somebody, (Obama). He goes on further to say that weapons that were designed for soldiers in war theaters don't belong on our streets, and that although getting an assault weapons ban is introduced, an awful lot of violence is going on, and the people arent using AK-47s, they're using cheap handguns, implying that something more than the ban needs to be passed, hinting at outlawing guns altogether (Obama). The solutions presented in this essay are supported greatly by statistics concerning gun violence, laws abroad, and interstate gun trafficking. America has gone through many illegal firearm smuggling projects from states with low gun restrictions to ones with high gun restrictions, such as Arizona to Colorado or Texas to California (Wolf). The U.S. leads the world in deadly gun violence, whether it be gun homicides, suicides, firearm ownership, or crimes involving firearms (Thomas, Lawrence). Compare that to Japan, where guns are all but banned; handguns are expressively forbidden; buying, selling, or transferring a small caliber rifle has been illegal since 1971, and the only guns that are Japanese citizens can legally buy and own are shotguns and air rifles (illegal to buy, sell, or transfer since 1971 (Fisher). In 2008, Japan had 11 firearm related homicides to Americas 12,000 (Fisher).

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group If America follows in Japans footsteps, it is proven by statistics in countries with strict gun control laws, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany; our gun related incidents could decrease significantly (Wolf). In Japan, obtaining a legal gun is an in-depth process, involving taking an all day class, passing a written test, taking and passing a shooting range exam, completing a mental and drug test, and passing a thorough background check for criminal records (Fisher). Americas system for firearm purchasing is quite different, as 72% of backgrounds checks, the only thing necessary to complete so as to obtain a gun, are completed within several minutes, and the 5% that took anywhere between hours and months to finish were 20 times more likely to reveal an individual prohibited from purchasing a gun (Americans for Gun Safety Foundation). When a background check is taking more than three business days, unless the state law prohibits it, the firearm store may sell the gun to the individual at the owners discretion (Americans for Gun Safety Foundation). American gun violence rates reflect on our shabby laws, and most Americans agree that the time for change has come. In a survey conducted by CNN, more than 90% want to implement stronger background checks, more than 50% want to ban semi-automatic guns, 60% want to ban high-capacity clips, and 90% feel that felons and the mentally ill should not be allowed to own guns (Klein). Repercussions of the gun control problem if it is not solved are plentiful; serious and deadly. Gun violence is steadily on the rise since a low point in 2000, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention projects that in 2015, 32,929 people will be killed by guns (Christoff, Kolet). Compare this to the 31,940 people killed by guns in 2011, and one begins to see the seriousness of the issue, and why there needs to be urgency to passing tighter gun control legislation (White). Furthermore, data shows that if gun control legislation isnt passed soon, then interest in passing gun control will run out until the next mass shooting (Enten). This means

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group that America will have to experience even more despair before Congress reconsiders passing legislation to prevent tragedies. The debate on gun control has lasted many years; its time to end it so as to maintain a safe nation. If America wishes to take action and prevent more tragedies, deaths, crimes, and robberies, action must be taken instead of waiting for yet another mass shooting to occur. Its time to act, say the 27 children and teachers dead in Newtown, the 12 moviegoers dead in Aurora, the 22 McDonald customers in San Ysidro, the 24 cafeteria eaters in Killeen, the 8 students in a school in Miami, the 14 community leaders in an American Civic Association center in Binghamton, and the 33 higher education seekers in the Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg (Follman et all.; Andrews et all). Organizations like the Brady Campaign, the Americans for Gun Safety Foundation, the Million Mom March Chapters, the Legal Action Project, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Joyce Foundation are one the rise, representing the millions of Americans who believe that something must be done. The U.S. government must remove the 2nd Amendment from the Constitution and create a federal law banning all guns in the U.S., allowing the exceptions listed previously. For the safety of America, a firearm ban should be implemented by the U.S. government immediately.

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group Works Cited Americans for Gun Safety Foundation. How Americas Faulty Background Check System Allows Criminals to Get Guns. Americans for Gun Safety Foundation, Jan. 2002. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://content.thirdway.org >. Andrews, Wilson, et al. "U.S. Mass Shootings in 2012." The Washington Post. Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.washingtonpost.com>. Brady Campaign. "More Americans Killed by Guns than by War in the 20th Century." Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.bradycampaign.org>. Burton, Raymond S. "Gun Control for Dummies." N H Executive Council. G & E Web Design, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nhexecutivecouncil.com >. Bush, George H. W. "Statement on Signing the Crime Control Act of 1990." 29 Nov. 1990. The American Presidency Project. Gerhard Peters, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu>. Christoff, Chris, and Ilan Kolet. "American Gun Deaths to Exceed Traffic Fatalities by 2015." Bloomberg. Bloomberg, 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.bloomberg.com>. Enten, Harry J. "Americans Want Gun Control, but Not Badly Enough." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.guardian.co.uk >. Epstein, Reid J., and Josh Gerstein. "President Obama's options on gun control." Politico. Politico, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.politico.com >. "Fact Sheet: Illegal Gun Trafficking Arms Criminals and Youth." National Gun Victims Action Council. National Gun Victims Action Council, n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://gunvictimsaction.org>. Fisher, Max. "A Land without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Shooting Deaths." The Atlantic. Atlantic Monthly Group, 23 July 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.theatlantic.com>. Follman, Mark, Gavin Aronsen, and Deanna Pan. "A Guide to Mass Shootings in America." Mother Jones. Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.motherjones.com>. Gettings, John, and Catherine McNiff. "Milestones in Federal Gun Control Legislation." Infoplease. N.p., Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.infoplease.com>. Gibson, Dave. "Gun-ban Chicago: Nearly 15,000 Murders since 1990." Examiner.com. Clarity Digital Group, 22 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.examiner.com>. Gilson, Dave. "10 Pro-Gun Myths, Shot Down." Mother Jones. Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progres, 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. <http://www.motherjones.com>. Hoover, Dave. Gun Control an Emotional Issue for Citizens, Lawmakers in Colorado. Interview by Megan Verlee. NPR. NPR, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.npr.org >. "H.R. 4092 (103rd)." GovTrack.us. Civic Impulse, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.govtrack.us>. "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2011." National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences, 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. <http://nces.ed.gov>.

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group Klein, Ezra. "Twelve Facts about Guns and Mass Shootings in the United States." The Washington Post. Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.washingtonpost.com>. Lorenzi, Rossella. "Mass Shootings Have Long History." Discovery News. Discovery Communications, 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://news.discovery.com>. "Mass Shootings in the United States Since 2005." Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. 2013 Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. <http://www.bradycampaign.org>. "National Firearms Act (NFA)." ATF. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.atf.gov>. Obama, Barack. "809 - Presidential Debate in Hempstead, New York." Hempstead, New York. 16 Oct. 2012. The American Presidency Project. Gerhard Peters, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu>. Roosevelt, Franklin D. "88 - Statement on Signing Crime Bill." 18 May 1934. The American Presidency Project. Gerhard Peters, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu>. Thomas, Frank, and John Lawrence. "Some Factual Gun Statistics Part 2 of a Cultural Comparison: Gun Violence in the US and Europe." San Diego Free Press. San Diego Free, 9 Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://sandiegofreepress.org>. US Const. amend. II. Print. "Whats in Obamas Gun Control Proposal." The New York Times. New York Times, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com>. White, D'Ann. "Blog Spotlight: Gun-Related Deaths Staggering." Land O' Lakes Patch. Patch Network, 24 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://landolakes.patch.com>. Wolf, Jordan. "Gun Control Facts: California is the Most Anti-Gun, Arizona the Most Pro-Gun." Policy Mic. Mic Network, Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.policymic.com>.

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group Bibliography Agresti, James D., and Reid K. Smith. "Gun Control Facts." Just Facts. Just Facts, 28 Dec. 2012. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. <http://www.justfacts.com >. This article provides unbiased facts that I can use to help support my arguments. There are many statistics provided that I can use-and this site is quite credible so I can use these statistics without doubt. Americans for Gun Safety Foundation. How Americas Faulty Background Check System Allows Criminals to Get Guns. Americans for Gun Safety Foundation, Jan. 2002. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://content.thirdway.org >. This source is especially helpful because it provides in depth information about the inadequacy of current background checks, along with primary sources and statistics. Andrews, Wilson, et al. "U.S. Mass Shootings in 2012." The Washington Post. Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.washingtonpost.com>. This article provided me with a list of all the mass shootings in 2012. It also showed a map and pinpointed the shootings on the map, it helped me see which areas of the country experience the largest amounts of mass shootings. Brady Campaign. "More Americans Killed by Guns than by War in the 20th Century." Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.bradycampaign.org>. This article presented me with gun violence statistics for the 20th Century. It also informed me of the staggering statistic that more people were killed by guns in the 20th Century than by war. Burton, Raymond S. "Gun Control for Dummies." N H Executive Council. G & E Web Design, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nhexecutivecouncil.com >. This article provides me with an explanation of the legality of gun control legislation. It helped me come up with my solution that the 2nd Constitutional Amendment must be removed so that America can successfully pass federal gun legislation. Bush, George H. W. "Statement on Signing the Crime Control Act of 1990." 29 Nov. 1990. The American Presidency Project. Gerhard Peters, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu>. This source is a primary source, it is a statement by former President George H. W. Bush on the signing of the Crime Control Act of 1990.This source provides me with a quotation to make my paper more credible . Also, it helps me provide viewpoints from both Democrats and Republicans in my paper. Cashon, John. "Musing on the Second Amendment and the Machine Gun." John Cashon's Musings. WordPress, 19 Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://johncashon.wordpress.com>. This article helped me understand the history of gun control legislation. It also helped me understand what had changed in the debate over gun control since FDR's time. Christoff, Chris, and Ilan Kolet. "American Gun Deaths to Exceed Traffic Fatalities by 2015." Bloomberg. Bloomberg, 19 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.bloomberg.com>. This article provided me with a projection for the amount of gun-related deaths predicted to occur in 2015. This helped me in my paragraph where I discuss repercussions of the gun control problem if it is not solved. Enten, Harry J. "Americans Want Gun Control, but Not Badly Enough." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.guardian.co.uk >. This article provided me with data which supports my claim that if gun control legislation isn't passed soon, Congress will wait until the next mass shoot to pass laws that will prevent future tragedies.

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group Epstein, Reid J., and Josh Gerstein. "President Obama's options on gun control." Politico. Politico, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.politico.com >. This article is helpful because it outlines President Obama's views on gun control, which I can then use in my paper to support my arguments with the opinion of an important figure in society. "Fact Sheet: Illegal Gun Trafficking Arms Criminals and Youth." National Gun Victims Action Council. National Gun Victims Action Council, n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://gunvictimsaction.org>. This article gave me information about illegal gun trafficking between states. Also, it told me how federal gun policy contributes to illegal gun trafficking between states. Fisher, Max. "A Land without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Shooting Deaths." The Atlantic. Atlantic Monthly Group, 23 July 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.theatlantic.com>. This article provided me with in-depth knowledge on why there are so few gun-related murders in Japan and how America can reach the same goal. It explained to me the gun control laws in Japan which I believe can also be implemented in the U.S. to reduce gun violence. Florida, Richard. "The Geography of Gun Deaths." The Atlantic. Atlantic Monthly Group, 13 Jan. 2011. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.theatlantic.com>. This web page was very useful because it had a map which showed the number of gun-related deaths in each state. This assisted me in writing my essay because it let me look at the statistics side-by-side and compare different states. Follman, Mark, Gavin Aronsen, and Deanna Pan. "A Guide to Mass Shootings in America." Mother Jones. Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.motherjones.com>. This article gave me an idea of the total mass shootings in the U.S. in the last 30 years. It also showed a map of where these mass shootings occurred. Gettings, John, and Catherine McNiff. "Milestones in Federal Gun Control Legislation." Infoplease. N.p., Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.infoplease.com>. This article is helpful because it provides the entire history of gun control legislation from 1791 to present. It also provides brief descriptions of each law. Gibson, Dave. "Gun-ban Chicago: Nearly 15,000 Murders since 1990." Examiner.com. Clarity Digital Group, 22 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.examiner.com>. This article also informed me of the vast amount of gun violence and crime that has taken place in Chicago since 1990. Gilson, Dave. "10 Pro-Gun Myths, Shot Down." Mother Jones. Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progres, 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. <http://www.motherjones.com>. This article is useful in providing hard facts and statistics. It demonstrates a direct correlation between # of guns owned in a state v.s amount of gun violence. Also, it provides a statistic which shows that the # of times guns are used to defend is quite low in comparison to the # of times that gun are used in violent manners. "Gun Homicides and Gun Ownership Listed by Country." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.guardian.co.uk >. This article provides a comprehensive compiled list of all countries and the number of gun-related murders versus the number of guns owned. It helped me compare countries like Britain, Australia, Germany, and Japan, where the gun control laws are strict, to the U.S., where teh gun control laws are not strict.

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group Hoover, Dave. Gun Control an Emotional Issue for Citizens, Lawmakers in Colorado. Interview by Megan Verlee. NPR. NPR, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.npr.org >. This NPR interview provided me with a personal account to share in my essay. Using quotes from the interview helped me even out the number of statistics in my essay, so that readers can understand that they're more than just numbers, they're stories and incidents and deaths and tragedy. "H.R. 4092 (103rd)." GovTrack.us. Civic Impulse, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.govtrack.us>. This web page provides me with specific information about the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, or the Assault Weapons Ban. It helped me understand the ban, as it was clear, concise, and to the point, while other websites simple confused me. It is credible because it is a U.S. government website. "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2011." National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences, 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. <http://nces.ed.gov>. "Justice Department Faulted in Gun-Trafficking Operation." Gazzete.com. Gazzete, 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.gazette.com >. This article provided me with information about interstate gun trafficking. It helped me support my argument that there should be one federal law to apply to all states. Klein, Ezra. "Twelve Facts about Guns and Mass Shootings in the United States." The Washington Post. Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.washingtonpost.com>. This article provided me with concrete facts and statistics about gun control, which helped me form my thesis. Also, it provided me with a survey of Americans done by CNN which says which percentage of the people surveyed want to implement which solution to gun violence. Lorenzi, Rossella. "Mass Shootings Have Long History." Discovery News. Discovery Communications, 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://news.discovery.com>. This article provides me with a specific fact that I wished to include in my introductory paragraph, the first ever recorded mass shooting in the U.S. This source also taught me that ever since guns have been around, there have been gun mass murders in large numbers. "Mass Shootings in the United States Since 2005." Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. 2013 Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. <http://www.bradycampaign.org>. This article provides a pretty comprehensive list of all shooting in the U.S. since 2005. It is useful in referencing so as to list the many incidents involving gun violence in America. "National Firearms Act (NFA)." ATF. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.atf.gov>. This article is helpful because it provides in depth knowledge on the National Firearms Act, the Gun Control Act, and the Firearm Owners' Protection Act. I know that it is credible because the article comes form the U.S. government itself. Obama, Barack. "809 - Presidential Debate in Hempstead, New York." Hempstead, New York. 16 Oct. 2012. The American Presidency Project. Gerhard Peters, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu>. This presidential debate provides me with quotes on Obama's direct views on gun control. I used these quotes to support my solution in my paper

Daliah Barg 3/6/13 Red Group Roosevelt, Franklin D. "88 - Statement on Signing Crime Bill." 18 May 1934. The American Presidency Project. Gerhard Peters, n.d. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu>. This statement by FDR upon signing the Crime Bill provides a primary source quotation to include for increased credibility. Also, it gives a firsthand perspective on the debate over gun control during the 1930s. Thomas, Frank, and John Lawrence. "Some Factual Gun Statistics Part 2 of a Cultural Comparison: Gun Violence in the US and Europe." San Diego Free Press. San Diego Free, 9 Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://sandiegofreepress.org>. This article provided me information over why America's gun-related murder rate is so much higher than in other countries. US Const. amend. II. Print. This is the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the basis for all gun control legislation. The Amendment helps me explain my argument in my introductory paragraph. USA TODAY staff. "Where Each State Stands on Gun-Control Legislation." USA Today. Gunfight in America, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.usatoday.com>. This article provided me with information states and their gun control legislation and laws. Specifically, it told me which states have laws limit local rules on guns, are considering gun restrictions, are considering loosening gun restrictions, are considering measures on school safety, and are considering measures on mental health. "Whats in Obamas Gun Control Proposal." The New York Times. New York Times, 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com>. This New York Times article outlined exactly what is believed to be Obama's plan of action on gun control, which really helped me use his views to support mine in my essay. Also, it is credible because the New York Times is a well known newspaper. White, D'Ann. "Blog Spotlight: Gun-Related Deaths Staggering." Land O' Lakes Patch. Patch Network, 24 Feb. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://landolakes.patch.com>. This article gave me an important statistic: the number of deaths that occurred in 2011. This statistic helped me show how staggering and mind blowing the gun violence problem in America really is. Winkler, Adam. "Franklin Roosevelt: The Father of Gun Control." New Republic. New Republic, n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.newrepublic.com >. This article is useful in providing me with information about the history of gun control legislation. It gives be a brief overview and the after effects of each law. Wolf, Jordan. "Gun Control Facts: California is the Most Anti-Gun, Arizona the Most Pro-Gun." Policy Mic. Mic Network, Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2013. <http://www.policymic.com>. This article provides a list of the five states with the lowest gun restrictions and the five states with the highest gun restrictions. It's helpful in comparing their gun-related murders in each state and the relation to gun control laws.