The United States Federal Government should increase Gun Control

The debate, the question of why more gun control is trite. The debaters know the why - deaths by gun per 100,000 population: 10.6, just squeaking under motor vehicle deaths per 100,000 population: 10.7 [1]. Over seventy thousand hospital emergency room visits for non-fatal gunshot wounds in 2010 [2], and another dozen commonly cited statists. Endless known point vs. counter points, but as I say in all gun debates, statists don’t move the needle on the debate one degree because it is an emotion based argument. Emotional on both sides - driven by primordial fears of man. So why then. Why should “The United States Federal Government should increase Gun Control”. Because it can, and the people want it. It’s really just that simple, not all I have to do is prove it. We want it.Gallup polling has tracked the issue for more than two decades. They show the difference between support for expanded gun control over lessening gun control never being lower than 33 points [3]. In 2014, they have 47% supporting additional gun control, 38% saying its good as it is, and 14% wanting less strict gun control. The line for more control and stay the same have crossed only once in the history of the poll. That’s 24 years of Americans asking for more gun control, and getting little of what they ask for. The NRA prides itself on being the epicenter of protecting gun rights. It boasts having 5 million members [4]. Everytown, a gun control group currently has 2 million members [4]. However, a funny thing happens when you start asking the 5 million members of the NRA what they want [5][6]. Yup, they want MORE gun control. “A sizable 89 percent of all respondents, and 75 percent of those identified as NRA members, support universal background checks for gun sales.” [6]. “"Not only are gun owners and non-gun-owners very much aligned in their support for proposals to strengthen U.S. gun laws, but the majority of NRA members are also in favor of many of these policies," [6] Can we.Let’s start where it all starts. The constitution of the United States of America. Section. 2. - The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States;… Section 8. - …To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; Hold on. That’s not what we all thing about when we are talking guns and the constitution. Okay, let get that Bill of Rights in there. Amendment II A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. That’s better. That’s the part we know and love or loath. Up until very recently we relied on several supreme court rulings . In the 1876 United States v. Cruikshank, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that, "The right to bear arms is not granted by the Constitution [7]. In the United States v. Miller, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government and the states could limit any weapon types not having a “reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia”.Then along came a very conservative supreme court, some, like myself, might call it “activist”. They brought us two cases. The 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller and in 2010 McDonald v. Chicago. These two cases changed a lot. They inexplicit removed the very obvious connection between guns and a militia in the constitution. But what about “gun control” or ristrictions? Well it’s nowhere in there. [11]. Scalia said the decisions did not interfere with restrictions including background checks, limiting types, or disallowing firearms to the mentally ill. There is NO constitutional problem with expanding gun control (check). There is no SCOTUS precident issue with expanding gun control (check). Yup, were clear to go there. So, there you have it. We want it. We can do it. We should do it. It is counter to the will of the American people. Our will subverted by the loudest voice in the room, or in this case it might be better to say, our will is subverted by the guy with the gun. [1] http://www.cdc.gov... [2] http://smartgunlaws.org... [3] http://www.gallup.com... [4] http://www.usatoday.com... [5] http://www.cnn.com... [6] http://www.usnews.com... [7] http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com... [8] http://www.law.cornell.edu... [9] http://www.supremecourt.gov... [10] http://www.supremecourt.gov... [11] http://www.nytimes.com...