Darrin Johnson poses with his personal submachine gun outside of his business, Johnson Customs LLC.

By: Daniel Alonso

Gun control is a highly controversial, divided issue in America today. On one hand, advocates for gun control believe that stricter legislation regarding gun ownership will decrease violent crime in the United States and contribute to a safer country[1][2]. On the other hand, advocates against gun control point to studies and statistics that have concluded that private gun ownership may decrease violent crime[3], and believe that restrictions placed on gun ownership violate an American’s Constitutional right to bear arms[4].

Laws placing restrictions on gun ownership have only existed in the United States for less than a century. Legislation creating barriers to gun ownership first appeared in the National Firearms Act of 1934, placing a sizeable tax on the purchase of firearms to reduce violent gang crime[5]. Since then, many notable laws have been passed to more strictly enforce gun ownership in the United States[6].

Oregon lawmakers have begun passing legislation that will place prevent certain individuals from purchasing or owning a firearm[7]. These recent attempts by Oregon lawmakers to pass stricter gun control legislation in the state have been met with an equal split of both support and opposition from Oregonians[8].  

 

 

 

 

[1] “Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.” About Brady | Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 July 2017. <http://www.bradycampaign.org/about-brady>

[2] Ludwig, J. (1998). Concealed-Gun-Carrying Laws and Violent Crime: Evidence from State Panel Data. [ebook] New York: Elsevier Science Inc., pp.239–254. Available at: http://home.uchicago.edu/ludwigj/papers/IJLE-ConcealedGunLaws-1998.pdf [Accessed 9 Jul. 2017].

[3] “Harvard Study: Gun Control Is Counterproductive.” ACRU. The American Civil Rights Union, 8 May 2007. Web. 09 July 2017 <http://www.theacru.org/harvard_study_gun_control_is_counterproductive/>

[4] “A Brief History of the NRA.” NRA.ORG. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 July 2017. <https://home.nra.org/about-the-nra/>.

[5] “History of Gun-control Legislation.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 22 Dec. 2012. Web. 09 July 2017. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/history-of-gun-control-legislation/2012/12/22/80c8d624-4ad3-11e2-9a42-d1ce6d0ed278_story.html?utm_term=.0a7c494670b0>.

[6] “Key Federal Acts Regulating Firearms.” Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 July 2017. <http://smartgunlaws.org/gun-laws/federal-law/background-resources/key-federal-acts-regulating-firearms/>.

[7] Gordon R. Friedman | The Oregonian/OregonLive. “Lawmakers Pass Bill to Take Guns Away from Those Deemed at Risk of Suicide, Shooting Sprees.” OregonLive.com, OregonLive.com, 6 July 2017, www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/lawmakers_pass_bill_to_take_gu.html.

[8] Oregonian/OregonLive, Anna Marum | The. “Gun Control Bills Get Bipartisan Support — and Opposition.” OregonLive.com, OregonLive.com, 18 Apr. 2017, www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/04/gun_control_bills_get_bipartis.html.