Due to recent events, the country has been in constant debate over the regulation of guns. Many see the overwhelming amount of tragedies as a sign that there needs to be some kind of change to the role that firearms play in America and how people obtain them. Others believe that it is unconstitutional to change the way that the country has dealt with guns since 1787. The debate over gun control has deeply contributed to the divide amongst the United States and if not fixed soon, could ultimately break America.
Historically, Conservatives have fought for “personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. (1)” When the argument around gun control arose, they made their stance clear. They believe that Americans should have the opportunity to own a gun. They are worried that these new gun control laws will not achieve what liberals believe it will achieve. Rather than preventing criminals from even obtaining guns it takes away guns from citizens who deserve them. John R. Lott, Jr., stated, "The problem with such (gun control) laws is that they take away guns from law-abiding citizens, while would-be criminals ignore them (3).” They also argue that many crimes are committed with guns that they do not even own. 37.4% of state prison inmates who "used, carried, or possessed a firearm when they committed the crime for which they were serving a prison sentence" obtained the gun from a family member or friend (6). They also believe that gun control laws give too much power to the government. The inability to bear arms may result in government tyranny and citizens will not be able to protect themselves. 57% of people surveyed by Pew Research in 2013 said that gun control would "give too much power to the government over the people (5).”
On the other side of the spectrum are liberals. Historically, the main goal of the liberals has been for everyone in the U.S. to have equal opportunities. A woman’s rights to abort, the right to gay marriage, support for undocumented immigrants. Unlike conservatives, they generally believe that there needs to be more regulations on guns. There needs to be some kind of reformation on firearms or else more mass shootings will occur. They believe that it is unnecessary for individuals to obtain a gun. More guns ultimately leads to more violence. Law enforcement is there to handle situations where there needs to be a weapon of that caliber. In recent years, it has been clear that America has had problems with gun violence and more specifically, mass shootings. 133 of them to be exact. 127 more than the the next (3). One can argue that this is due to the large population the U.S. has but numbers prove that the rate of public mass shootings are still by far the highest. America also has the highest rate of suicide. Roughly 50% of those deaths with guns and liberals believe that the number of suicide deaths will go down when the number of guns go down. Homicides are also a big problem within the U.S. with the country leading the world in the number of them. At the end of the day, one cannot argue that the rate of guns to people is higher in America than in any other country. It’s also much easier to obtain these guns than in other countries. In order to get these guns in other countries, there is a much longer process. Guns are licensed and registered, buyers must give a reason for purchase, go through a safety training course and learn how to safely store their firearms. Americans don’t have to go through any of this, therefore the amount of gun owners within the U.S. (7). When conservatives argue that it is unconstitutional to make laws controlling guns, liberals often make the argument that the second amendment is outdated (8). They believe that weaponry such as the AR-15 is far more advanced than ones used in 1787 and therefore, it is not safe to use the same rules.
With such a heated debate with facts presented on both sides, it is important to look into sources that may influence someone to sway towards once side versus the other. The Catholic Church. With roughly 77.4 million Catholic people in America (9), the Church’s view on gun control can decide whether or not a gun control law passes. Following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Pope Francis spoke about his feelings toward gun control in his service on Palm Sunday. He said, “It is up to you not to keep quiet. Even if others keep quiet, if we older people and leaders, some corrupt, keep quiet, if the whole world keeps quiet and loses its joy, I ask you: Will you cry out? (11)” In this statement, Pope Francis wishes to influence the young people around the world to speak out against injustices and in this more specifically in this instance, gun control. It is also useful to look at what the people have said about the issue. In a 2018 survey by U.S. Catholic, they asked Americans whether they believed gun control is a catholic issue in which 72% of people agreed with the statement. They also asked how gun control should be changed and 83% of participants argued that the gun legislation should be stricter (10). Catholics have spoken on their side of the debate and most have concluded that there should be more gun reform therefore, Catholics have taken a more liberal stance on the issue.
With such a pressing issue, it is important that we take action. At St. Ignatius we are a more left leaning and liberal school. In order to create and form an unbiased opinion, we must take in facts and arguments from both sides of the debate. Doing so will ultimately allow us students to form our own opinions and make the changes that we wish to see in the world. Our generation is being put to the challenge. We are at an interesting point in history and it is up to us to make sure the world is in a better place than when we started. With the division that is currently the United States, it is important that we restore the unity that once was. This issue is beyond politics alone, it has become a moral issue.