For my discursive essay I have chosen "Guns in America" and will look at the licensing laws and some reasons behind all the gun-related deaths.

 But all of America is not as obsessed with guns as Kennesaw in Georgia has shown, as they have done something to decrease gun related deaths as it passed a law to allow heads of households to keep at least 1 firearm, except those with criminal records and religious objections in 1982. 7 months after it took effect the residential burglary rate dropped by 89% and there have been 2 murders since 1982 and both were by knife attacks. Only if the rest of America could have the same laws as Kennesaw regarding holding guns then there would be much less gun-related deaths and also not be as many guns circulating in America.

 In Texas there are a staggering 68 million guns and there are only 17 million Texans which is 4 guns for every man, woman and child. For that reason that is why America is in the mess it is in now. With this simple statistic it is no wonder the gun situation is as bad as it is at the present time. The only solution to decrease the number of gun-related deaths is to tighten gun laws and make it harder for people to purchase guns.

The gun death toll in America is substantial compared to other countries. More Americans are killed in gun homicides in one single day than in an entire year in Japan, with almost 35 000 gun-related deaths every year which weighs out at a total of 96 deaths on average per day. As mass production of firearms in America continues then the high gun death rate will also sadly continue. The main question everyone wants the answer to is “Would stricter gun laws help reduce America’s extraordinary firearm death-rate?” I think it would as if it is harder for people to purchase guns legally with a criminal record and a past conviction, reducing illegal sales would decrease the firearms total and also reduce the firearm death rate.

Although many states in America have toughened their licensing laws, many people can purchase guns through illegal channels. To obtain a gun license is much like obtaining a driver’s license, where you must pass a thorough, extensive background check. This will disqualify any potential buyer with a past conviction or any violent misdemeanour or any gun-related crime, also they have to show that they can handle and use a gun safely. When they get their licensee they must register any gun they purchase and report if their gun or guns are stolen or destroyed so they can stop any illegal sales on these guns.  As we have seen on the news many school massacres that have been carried out by pupils. The most recent mass murder was in Littleton Colorado where two pupils killed 12 fellow pupils and one teacher. On any normal day on average 13 children are killed every day were 12 were killed in one day in a school. With crimes like this happening across the country and young people getting hold of these lethal weapons then sadly deaths will continue to rise and rise.

If 16 and 17 year olds can get hold of such lethal and dangerous weapons and kill 13 people then I can only wonder what the future holds for America as far as gun related-deaths are concerned. I would like to see America in 20 or 30 years time to see if the current firearm situation has got better or has got worse and I think it will probably get worse unless they change their gun laws and decrease mass production of weapons. The one and only way I agree with the use of guns, is that they are a sense of security for people, but if people go around carrying weapons it is a disaster waiting to happen as it can make the simplest of arguments or confrontations turn into another fatality.