Restrictive Rules in United States

Research Question: To what extent do more restrictive gun laws contribute to the reductive of the pervasive threat of gun violence in the US?

Working thesis statement: Although the Second Amendment advocates for Americans’ rights to keep and bear arms, permissive gun laws in the US have contributed to the pervasive threat of gun violence, and more restrictive gun laws, including comprehensive background checks, should be implemented to address the problem of gun violence.

Detailed Outline
I. Introduction hook statement: While the US is celebrated as a land of freedom and opportunity where individual liberties are upheld, the country continues to struggle with the devastating consequences of permissive laws enhanced by the Second Amendment.
a) Provide current statistics on gun violence in the US and the burden of gun violence in the US (Alfonseca, 2023) (Jehan et al., 2018)
b) Introduce concerns on permissive gun laws in the US- statistics indicate that states with more permissive gun laws had higher rates of firearm-related deaths and injuries than states with restrictive gun laws (Reeping et al., 2019)
Body Paragraphs
II. Comprehensive background checks (CBCs) limit access to firearms to high-risk individuals.
a) CBCs help in the identification of high-risk individuals, reduction of criminal access, and integration of gun violence restraining orders (GVROs)
b) CBCs help in the mitigation of mental health risks by limiting access to firearms by individuals with mental health issues.
c) Helps in the prevention of straw purchases
d) Promotes responsible gun ownership
Source: (Reeping et al., 2019)
Source: (Smart et al., 2020)
Source: (Zeoli et al., 2022)
III. Restrictive gun laws prevent unlicensed gun ownership by controlling online purchases.
a) Regulation of online marketplaces
b) Promote record-keeping and traceability
c) Prevent unlicensed gun ownership
Source: (Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, 2023)
IV. Restrictive gun laws limit firearm trafficking, including inter-state trafficking
a) Stricter regulation of private sales and transfers
b) Stronger penalties for firearm trafficking
c) International collaboration and monitoring of cross-border firearm trafficking
Sources: (Andrade et al., 2020)
Source: (Esparza et al., 2019)
V. Counterargument
a) Infringement of civil liberties and rights protected in the Second Amendment
b) Self-defense and personal security
c) The focus should be on criminal behavior
d) Inconclusive results on restrictive gun laws reducing gun violence
Source: (Ulrich, 2023)
Source: (Zick, 2019)
VI. Rebuttal
a) Balancing rights and public safety
b) Constitutional interpretation
c) International and interstate comparisons
Source: (Ulrich, 2023)
Source: (Zick, 2019)
VII. Conclusion
• Implementing more restrictive gun laws in the US is necessary to reduce the pervasive threat of gun violence and ensure there is a balance between individual rights and public safety.
• Comprehensive background checks will mitigate criminal purchases and unlicensed gun ownership by ineligible and high-risk individuals.
• There is a need to increase stakeholder collaboration and public awareness on gun control in the US.
 
Reflection Questions
Question 1
The most challenging part of my research process was finding peer-reviewed journal articles published within the past five years to support my argument. This is because there are very ambivalent perspectives on gun control in the US, and since the issue is highly politicized, I spend a lot of time filtering through various sources to find the right articles for my research. In addition, it was difficult to find sources that ascertain the effectiveness of restrictive gun laws as most of the studies were inconclusive, and it was difficult to establish if it was because the authors wanted to support a particular viewpoint.
Question 2
My working thesis statement is effective because it provides a clear stance on gun control in the US by showing that restrictive gun laws should be implemented in the US to mitigate the issue of gun violence. My thesis statement is also effective because it is highly debatable because it acknowledges that although the Second Amendment gives Americans the right to keep and bear arms, permissive gun laws do more harm than good, thus depicting the need for more restrictive gun laws.
Question 3
My outline begins by providing the research question and working thesis statement. The outline then begins by providing background information that indicates why more restrictive gun laws are necessary in the US. This includes current statistics on gun violence in the US and emerging debates regarding the problematic permissive laws in the US. The outline then proceeds to highlight the structure and organization of the body paragraphs to support the argument for restrictive gun laws. The main arguments presented in the body paragraphs include the impact of restrictive gun laws in limiting access to firearms to high-risk individuals, regulation of online purchases and unlicensed gun ownership, and preventing firearm trafficking, including inter-state trafficking. The outline then provides a counterargument that is based on the Second Amendment, revealing that restrictive gun laws may be considered to be an infringement of civil rights and liberties, but a rebuttal is provided using the cost-benefit analysis approach. The conclusion then restates the thesis statement, summarizes the body paragraphs, and provides recommendations on gun control in the US.
Question 4
I want to receive feedback on the arguments provided and whether there are any other stronger arguments that I can include to support my argument on the need for restrictive gun laws in the US. In addition, as I research further on my topic, I will most likely have questions on the status of the current legal framework regarding gun laws in the US, especially the state gun laws, because state-specific gun laws are constantly changing, and it is important to stay updated as this will help strengthen my argument.
References
Alfonseca, K. (2023, December 8). More than 40,000 people killed in gun violence so far in 2023. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/116-people-died-gun-violence-day-us-year/story?id=97382759
Andrade, E. G., Hoofnagle, M. H., Kaufman, E. J., Seamon, M. J., Pah, A. R., & Morrison, C. N. (2020). Firearm laws and illegal firearm flow between US states. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 88(6), 752–759. https://doi.org/10.1097/ta.0000000000002642
Esparza, D., Johnson, S. D., & Gill, P. (2019). Why did Mexico become a violent country? Security Journal, 33(2), 179–209. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-019-00178-6
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. (2023, October 3). Unchecked: An investigation of the online firearm marketplace. Everytown Research & Policy. https://everytownresearch.org/report/unchecked-an-investigation-of-the-online-firearm-marketplace/
Jehan, F., Pandit, V., O’Keeffe, T., Azim, A., Jain, A., Tai, S. A., Tang, A., Khan, M. W., Kulvatunyou, N., Gries, L., & Joseph, B. (2018). The burden of firearm violence in the United States: stricter laws result in safer states. Journal of Injury and Violence Research, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.5249/jivr.v10i1.951
Reeping, P. M., Cerdá, M., Kalesan, B., Wiebe, D. J., Galea, S., & Branas, C. C. (2019). State gun laws, gun ownership, and mass shootings in the US: cross sectional time series. The BMJ, l542. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l542
Smart, R., Morral, A. R., Smucker, S., Cherney, S., Schell, T. L., Peterson, S., Ahluwalia, S. C., Cefalu, M., Xenakis, L., Ramchand, R., & Gresenz, C. R. (2020). The Science of Gun Policy: A Critical Synthesis of research Evidence on the effects of gun policies in the United States, second edition. In RAND Corporation eBooks. https://doi.org/10.7249/rr2088-1
Ulrich, M. R. (2023). Finding balance in the fight against gun violence. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 51(1), 7–13. https://doi.org/10.1017/jme.2023.37
Zeoli, A. M., McCourt, A., & Paruk, J. (2022). Effectiveness of firearm restriction, background checks, and licensing laws in reducing gun violence. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 704(1), 118–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231165149
Zick, T. (2019). Framing the Second Amendment: Gun rights, civil rights and civil liberties. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3450947