With the spate of mass shootings in schools and crowded public venues in recent decades, gun control in the United States has become a perennial topic in the national conversation. Conflicts in the debate on gun control include the Second Amendment, the NRA, common sense gun laws, public safety, and more. Through this collection of articles, readers will witness how the discussion of gun control has evolved from the 1960s through today, from the political assassinations of significant figures such as John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Orlando nightclub massacre and the school shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018.

This book is an exploration of the gun control debate. The pros and cons of the gun control controversy are examined. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution is reviewed. Gun Violence Statistics are discussed. The Gun Control Policies of other nations are discussed. The crime rate is observed. The validity of the argument for owning guns for self-defense is questioned.

Americans are sharply divided on the issue of gun control. Some people believe that inadequate gun laws make the United States a dangerous place. They believe that stricter laws could keep guns away from children, criminals, and people with serious mental illness. Gun-control supporters say that reducing the number of guns in society also reduces the number of gun deaths. Other people strongly disagree. They believe that the shooters—not their guns—are to blame for gun-related deaths. Gun-rights activists argue that most gun owners are law-abiding citizens who actually prevent crime. They point out that existing gun laws strip Americans’ basic rights while failing to keep guns away from dangerous people. Making sense of the gun-control debate involves looking at the facts, studying the statistics, examining the laws, and listening to views on both sides. It also means asking tough questions: • Where do we draw the line between acceptable self-defense and excessive protection? • When should a person have to forfeit his or her gun rights? Is it ever OK for the government to restrict gun rights? • Should Americans be able to own any and all arms? Or should the government control which weapons are allowed? • Do background checks slow the flow of guns to people who shouldn't have them? Or are they useless invasions of privacy? • How can the government balance individual rights and the safety of society? To answer these questions, this book examines the history of U.S. gun ownership as well as current federal, state, and local laws. It provides the opinions and perspectives of government leaders, historians, activists, and ordinary Americans on both sides of the issue. Supplemented with quotes, anecdotes, and discussions from the pages of USA TODAY, The Nation's No. 1 Newspaper, this book will broaden your understanding of all sides of the issue and help you form your own opinion, either for or against gun control.

Discusses the controversial viewpoints regarding gun control.

According to the Mass Shooting Tracker, there have been 1,744 mass shootings in the United States since 2013. The Second Amendment grants citizens of the United States the right to bear arms, but gun control laws vary from state to state. Many people lobby for stricter federal gun control in order to curb gun-related deaths, while others perceive regulation as an infringement on rights. This timely edition takes a look at one of the most contested issues in American government and society today: the policing and regulation of firearms. Individual chapters will cover the history of gun control in the United States, the spectrum of opinions on firearms regulation, the meaning of the Second Amendment, arguments in favor of and those against tighter gun control, and various types of legislation being considered.

In recent years, political discourse about gun control and the Second Amendment has become increasingly volatile and this collection of original essays by top scholars illuminates the various reasons why. Gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association are more organized and aggressive and their issue agenda has evolved as new and more powerful weapons and militia appear. On the other side of the debate, the critical wounding of James Brady gave gun control advocates a visible martyr with strong ties to Republican conservatives. In sum, gun control and the right to bear arms have become hotly disputed issues where political alignments are constantly shifting. The contributors chart these changes and explore how Congress, the courts, the President, and individual states are currently addressing the issue of gun control. This book, which includes profiles and examinations of relevant interest groups, the gun control coalition, recent Supreme Court decisions, and public opinion surveys, will be of great interest to classes in political science, American government, law, and sociology.

Every day, forty-eight children and teens are shot; of these, seven will die from gun-related violence. Everyone agrees that these statistics are horrific, and yet people disagree about how to reduce gun-related violence. Will more federal control of gun sales help? Or, as others state, will this lead to an uptick in violence among those who obtain guns illegally? This text introduces different perspectives about this important—and timely—issue. Experts, politicians, judges, and everyday people weigh in on this contentious issue, allowing students to analyze gun control from all sides.