According to the National Rifle Association (NRA), gun control does not work. The text starts with numerous examples of the state encroaching upon the right of people to bear arms. This right is enshrined in the constitution and is considered one of the fundamentals for maintaining balance between the citizen and the state. These include having citizens pass through rigorous background checks, limiting the selling of weapons to felons and mentally ill patients, and imposing various restrictions on the types of guns available to the general populace. NRA-ILA states that these measures, among others, had little to no effect on curbing crime rates and reducing the number of shootings.
The first reason cited by NRA-ILA is that criminals will always have the opportunity to purchase weapons illegally. They cite the study made by the Obama administration in 2016, saying that only 10% of all guns used by criminals were purchased legally (NRA-ILA). Another argument the article makes is that those people who do submit themselves to background checks can lie on the federal form to get their gun. Drug addicts can keep their addiction a secret, whereas mental health patients with no previous records of illness will not be in the database (NRA-ILA). Finally, NRA-ILA states that cities with the strictest gun control laws are the most crime-ridden, while criminals themselves are more afraid of armed citizenry than the police.
The solution proposed in the article is tighter crime control and increased sentences for criminals in possession of firearms. They cite Project Exile in Richmond, Virginia, which reportedly achieved a reduction in crime rates through the enforcement of strict laws and the imposition of long sentences for such individuals. Hundreds of illegal guns were taken off the streets, and the number of murders involving guns went down (NRA-ILA). Overall, the article concludes that restricting access to guns is not the answer to America’s gun violence problem.
Work Cited
National Rifle Association – Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). “Why Gun Control Doesn’t Work.” NRA-ILA, 2022.