|
opinion
Government promotes
production of guns
During the 1990s,
the United States underwent 2 million violent crimes and 24,000
murders on an average year. In a typical week, more Americans
are killed with guns than in all of Western Europe in a year.
By the end of the 20th century, any American could obtain a
firearm for personal use, able to decide from a collection of
different weapons.
Guns are the center of American's identity. America's gun culture
formed from an invented tradition. The earth did not initiate
itself with guns; it rather developed over a single generation
and flourished into a way of life.
What began for war and self-protection, is now used for sport
and intentional misconduct. Although the gun culture grew with
the gun industry, it was not sturdy enough to survive on its
own.
The gun industry depended on the government for currency as
well as for the support and enhancement of its markets.
According to "Arming America," the U.S. government
"armed its citizens, by working to find sources of weapons
to fulfill the mandate of the 2nd Amendment." In that stance,
the 2nd Amendment states that a well regulated militia is necessary
to the security of a free state and the right of the people
to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
The FBI believes that possibly 250 million firearms are in the
hands of private owners; this does not count for the 5 million
that are produced every year. The estimation could well be wrong,
considering the fact that the United States does not register
guns and therefore do not know how many or who are receiving
these weapons.
Our society regulates and registers almost every commodity,
it is strange how one of America's most leading commodities
is not registered nor does it have federal safety standards.
The high level of personal violence that overwhelms our nation
is contrary to that of industrial nations, where most of the
personal violence is obtained from war and social chaos.
According to the National Sporting Goods Association, men buy
92 percent of all rifles and 94 percent of all shotguns. The
ages usually range from 25 to 34 years old and earn approximately
$35,000 to $50,000.
Navegar, Inc., described its TEC-DC9 as a "high spirited...fun
gun," making it the weapon of choice. This so-called
weapon of choice was used to savagely kill a number of students
at Columbine High School. Another choice was the .700
Nitro Express, which can detach a person's brain from their
skull in seconds.
Due to the numerous acts of violence and protests, the government
sets little steps to put restrictions on where and how a gun
should be used through laws and law enforcement. Surprisingly,
various state legislatures have passed bills restraining citizens
from suing the gun industry.
In their encouragement of gun use, Louisiana recently passed
a law in 1996, permitting citizens to shoot and kill anyone
trying to steal their car. Congress also took $2.6 million from
the Centers for Disease Control, which spent a lot of its time
researching firearm injuries.
Unfortunately, the gun must be protected, but not the nation's
people.
Leiloni De Gruy is a journalism major at Cal State Long Beach.
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Search our site
DEPARTMENT
OF
JOURNALISM
ONLINE 49ER
DEPARTMENTS
ADVERTISING
ADMINISTRATION
DAILY
49ER ALUMNI
SUBSCRIPTION
SERVICE
GIVE
FEEDBACK
|
