Topic > America Needs Gun Control - 2937

When considering all the important issues in today's society, one of the most overlooked issues revolves around guns. Weapons have two different purposes: to defend and to kill. Even though I have only been on this Earth for 21 years, I have become passionate and interested in the study of firearms and how they pose more problems to society than any other issue. My interest all started around the time of the Columbine shooting in Colorado and how society moved forward from that moment in history. Going back to the two different purposes, both have been used to help explain the differences in distinguishing different gun-related events that continue to occur, such as mass shootings. The analysis of the problem, as stated, will help explain how weapons can be viewed differently by each individual and what can be gained or lost from a thorough analysis. The first step in problem analysis is to define the problem. Problem definition, as described by Kraft and Furlong on page 161, simply means finding a problem and describing it. As previously mentioned, I have noticed that as time has passed since the Columbine shooting in 1999, the issue of guns and the number of mass shootings that have taken place has grown (CNN Library). To take this a step further, there's also the question of how they are obtained and who obtains the weapons. But how do we further define the issue of firearms? I would say: those with mental problems and those with violent criminal records, due to the lack of regulation placed by the country, are left to have access to too many guns. This definition helps create a boundary in the area of ​​firearms research, being the amount of access and who accesses it, and how both depend on each other for an answer. Can this...... middle of paper... ...n-united-states/. (November 15, 2013). Kraft, Michael E. and Scott R. Furlong. 2013. Public Policy: Politics, Analysis and Alternatives, Anonymous Anonymous, ed. Charisse Kiino. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications. Langer, Gary. 2013. “After Newtown shootings, most support some gun controls, poll shows.” ABC News (January 14, 2013). Library, CNN. 2013. “The 25 Deadliest Mass Shootings in U.S. History: Fast Facts.” November 22. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/16/us/20-deadliest-mass-shootings-in-us-history-fast-facts/ (November 22, 2013). Paul Mountjoy, “ Gun Control and Mental Health,” The Washington Times, March 28, 2013, Communities.Unit section, CNN Political. 2013. “Support for Tighter Gun Control Fades.” December 6. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/04/cnn-poll-support-for-stricter-gun-control-fades/ (December 6, 2013).