America's gun laws do more harm than good
by Zhizhong Li, Outpost contributor
When I came to the United States 10 weeks ago from China, I was excited. I met many nice people, and the beautiful scenery intrigued me. The living conditions in the United States are much higher than in China. But I soon realized that behind the curtain of prosperity, Americans have problems. If someone asked me what my biggest culture shock is, I would say, "GUNS."
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Guns for sale like these at
Wal-Mart are a common sight in the United States
but not in many other places around the world.
America's accepting attitude toward firearms can be
is shocking to visitors from other countries. |
I never saw a real gun clearly until I came here. Then I went to Wal-Mart and was astonished when I saw many guns on the shelves. I could not believe my eyes. I could not accept that people sell guns in a supermarket.
In America, more than 200 million guns are in circulation, according to the Aug. 23 Newsweek. In China, owning guns is illegal. Is it really an incarnation of freedom for American people to own guns? Or it is just the freedom with which people can satisfy the desire to kill. In America, guns are for killing, but many people pretend they are for entertainment.
At this point, I must mention the notorious National Rifle Association. On the front page of its World Wide Web site, Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president, writes: "Welcome to the National Rifle Association. Look around at all we do for America and for your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, and you'll see why millions of members are proud to say, 'I'm the NRA.'"
Yes. We should look around America. The statistics in Newsweek show that 87 people a day in America lose their lives to firearms. According to U.S. government statistics, 4,223 children were killed by firearms in 1997. Many of them were in accidents while they were playing at their friends' homes. Is this what LaPierre said about NRA's "glorious achievements?"
Gun
Laws, Gun Control and Gun
Rights- Comprehensive
list of gun legislation put together by the
University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Gun
laws state by state-
Check regulations in your region on an interactive
map.
Californians
for responsible gun laws
- Some people who agree with Li.
The
National Rifle Association
- Some people who disagree with Li.
Sociologists predict
that firearm-related injuries will become the leading cause
of death for young people, overtaking car accidents. On the
Web pages of NRA, you never see the pictures of people
getting shot; you never see policemen trying to rescue
wounded people; you never see mothers crying.
It is ridiculous that the NRA still uses the Second Amendment to advertise the right to own guns. The founders of the United States made laws according to the social situation at that time. It was impossible for them to foresee what would happen two centuries later. If they had known that later 4,223 children would die in one year because of firearms, they would never have drafted the Second Amendment.
The American people are working hard to make their living conditions better. In this well-developed society, do American people still need firearms for revolution? The main territory of the United States didn't suffer the flames of the two World Wars. How ironic it is that still so many American people died because of firearms.
Gun lobbyists argue that owning guns is the best way to protect people's lives, and many people buy guns for that reason. But the fact is that guns cause more crimes than they prevent, something gun lobbyists fail to comprehend. I can't say there are no crimes in China. But at least people there never worry about being shot.
Owning guns is becoming a big problem in America. It is difficult to solve this problem at once, but the government should implement some form of gun control now. America is a country that supports extensive human rights. Survival is the prerequisite to enjoy human rights. The American people should not always live in the shadow of guns.
Posted Nov. 18, 1999
Copyright 1999 Nevada Outpost
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