The Gun Control Debate

1. The Gun Control Debate

2. What is Gun Control? These are all examples of what we think Gun Control is. Everyone has a different opinion as to who should carry guns and why. Nobody should carry a gun. Only Police should have guns. Obtaining a Permit To Carry a Gun. Knowing how to use one. Keeping Guns out of the hands of Criminals. Everyone should own and carry a gun.

3. What our Constitution says about the issue: • The 2nd Amendment says: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

4. Indiana Law says: • “The people shall have a right to bear arms, for the defense of themselves and the State.” Article 1 Section 32. • No state permit is required for the possession of a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. • “No person shall carry a handgun in any vehicle or on or about his person without a license being in his possession.”

5. Recent Gun Control Developments: Indiana is passing a law that will allow individuals to have a gun(s) in their car at work. Some say this new law is part of your “right to bear arms” while others say, “People go postal, and its not the wild west any more.”

6. How easy is it to obtain a Gun License (permit)? • You can apply for a permit online @ http://aries.in.gov/Firearms/Permit.aspx • It requires about the same amount of information as a job application. • Anyone who is over 21, and doesn’t have criminal past, can most likely obtain a permit. • This permit lets individuals carry a concealed handgun in Indiana and 40 other states.

7. What about Assault Weapons? The Assault Weapons Ban was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton in 1994. This law banned the manufacture, possession, and importation of semiautomatic weapons for civilian use. “This bill, does not include fully automatic machine guns. Since 1934, a civilian must obtain permission from the U.S. Treasury to legally own a fully automatic weapon.” (3)(64)

8. Things to remember when handling a Gun: Always make sure the safety is on before you handle a gun. Check the gun to see if it is loaded, if you don’t know how, ask. Never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire. The most important thing to remember about Gun Control is: NEVER POINT A GUN AT A PERSON UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO FIRE!

9. Guns, and how they affect our thinking: • Those who don’t understand how to us guns are often afraid of them. • People who own them feel safer. • The mere presence of a gun advocates violence. • A Gun in plain sight, intimidates others. • Carrying a gun makes us feel safer outside the home. • Guns are collectables and should only be used for sport. • We feel vulnerable to those who have guns. • “Lethal Violence, even in self defense, only engenders more violence.”- Betty Friedan, founder of the National Organization of Women

10. The Pros and Cons of Gun Control: Pro Law abiding citizens use guns to defend themselves against criminals over 2.4 million times every year -- or 6,575 times a day. This means that each year, firearms are used 60 times more often to protect the lives of honest citizens than to take lives. Con Research indicates that residents of homes where a gun is present are five times more likely to experience a suicide and three times more likely to experience a homicide than residents of homes without guns. Additionally, a gun kept in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a member of the household, or friend, than an intruder.

11. Pro Con Of the 2.4 million self defense cases, more than 192,000 are women defending themselves against sexual abuse. Of the 2.4 million times citizens use their guns to defend themselves every year, in 92% of these defensive uses, the mere sight of a gun or a warning shot scares off their attackers. In 1995, there were 1,225 unintentional shooting fatalities. Of these, 181 fatalities were children 14 years of age and younger. In 1996, more than 1300 children aged 10-19 committed suicide with firearms. Unlike suicide attempts using other methods, suicide attempts with a gun are nearly always fatal…

12. Interesting Facts Until 1987, Vermont allowed carrying without a permit. Florida has issued more carry permits than any state (1.5 million), but revoked only 166 (0.01 percent) due to gun crimes by permit-holders.  ”Assault weapons were involved in less than 1% of homicides before the assault weapons ban took effect in 1994. The same is true as of 1998.” “As of 1998, no permit holder has ever shot a police officer. There have been several cases in which a permit holder has protected an officer's life.” (7)

13. My Conclusion • Guns have been around for hundreds of years and will continue to be around for hundreds more, so we better get used to them. • We can’t ignore guns, so we have put laws in place to govern the use of them. • America is free society and this freedom gives people the choice to carry and/or own guns or not. • If we are uncomfortable living with guns around us, then we need to learn more about them or consider living in Europe.

14. Resources used for this presentation: http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/InTheNews.aspx?ID=13490 http://www.youdebate.com/DEBATES/gun_safety.HTM http://dragon.hematite.com/gcfailure.html http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?ID=18 http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/rpt/2008-R-0238.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Text