We, as part of a free country, naturally abhor violence. It is a factor that has risen and fallen over the years. In today"s society, guns have become common weapons used in violent situations. They are an escalating problem that are only leading to more deaths over the years. However, Americans generally believe that gun control cannot do much to reduce these high levels of deaths. Many serious scholars have already accepted the argument that the huge number of guns already in circulation would make any gun control laws ineffective. But in the past few years, new research has demonstrated that some gun control laws do work, drastically reducing murder rates. I believe that even a small change for the better is reason enough to implement new gun control laws into our society, not only on a statewide level, but nationwide.

             Gun violence is a plague of such major proportions that its destructive power is rivaled only by wars and epidemics. During the Vietnam War, more than twice as many Americans were shot to death in the United States as died in combat in Vietnam. Besides the 34,000 Americans killed by guns each year, more than 60,000 are injured-many seriously-and about a quarter of a million Americans are held up at gunpoint. Nearly 70 percent of all serious crimes are committed by boys and young men, ages fourteen to twenty-four. Ever since the 1960s, these criminals have increasingly begun to pack handguns. These statistics clearly state how dangerous a threat guns have become. If gun control laws have been proven to help make even the slightest difference, then it is worth putting these laws into action in every state. If only one life is saved, then it is worth the effort.

             In 1980 to 1986, a study took place in Seattle and Vancouver, comparing the number of aggravated assaults by weapon. Remarkably, these two cities were very much alike in many ways. They had populations nearly identical in size and the racial and ethnic makeup in both cities were very similar.