In Defense of Gun Control

In Defense of Gun Control

Author: Hugh LaFollette

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018-05-31

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0190873396

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The gun control debate is more complex than we often acknowledge. What is often phrased as a single question -- should we have gun control -- Is actually made up of three distinct policy questions. First, who should we permit people to have guns? Second, which guns should be allowed? Thirdly, how should we regulate the acquisition, storage, and carrying of the guns people may legitimately own? To answer these questions we must decide whether (and which) people have a right to bear arms, what kind of right they have, and how stringent that right is. We must also evaluate divergent empirical claims about (a) the role of guns in causing harm, and (b) the degree to which private ownership of guns can protect innocent civilians from attacks by criminals, either in their homes or in public. Hugh LaFollette sorts through the conceptual, moral, and empirical claims to fairly assess arguments for and against serious gun control, and ultimately argues that the US needs far more gun control than we currently have in most jurisdictions.


Book Synopsis In Defense of Gun Control by : Hugh LaFollette

Download or read book In Defense of Gun Control written by Hugh LaFollette and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-05-31 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The gun control debate is more complex than we often acknowledge. What is often phrased as a single question -- should we have gun control -- Is actually made up of three distinct policy questions. First, who should we permit people to have guns? Second, which guns should be allowed? Thirdly, how should we regulate the acquisition, storage, and carrying of the guns people may legitimately own? To answer these questions we must decide whether (and which) people have a right to bear arms, what kind of right they have, and how stringent that right is. We must also evaluate divergent empirical claims about (a) the role of guns in causing harm, and (b) the degree to which private ownership of guns can protect innocent civilians from attacks by criminals, either in their homes or in public. Hugh LaFollette sorts through the conceptual, moral, and empirical claims to fairly assess arguments for and against serious gun control, and ultimately argues that the US needs far more gun control than we currently have in most jurisdictions.

In Defense of Gun Control

In Defense of Gun Control

Author: Hugh LaFollette

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0190873361

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Présentation de l'éditeur : "Nearly half of all privately owned firearms in the world are in American hands. The U.S. homicide rate is 6 times higher than the average of all developed countries, and more than three times higher than any individual country. Half of all homicides are committed with a firearm. Gun advocates claim that the high rate of private gun ownership does not contribute to this; some even argue that murder rates would be lower if only more people carried guns to defend themselves. Pro gun control advocates find the correlation between number of guns and gun violence an obvious one -- and that it should be the starting point for discussion about gun control. Both sides think their cases are strong, and have created a political stalemate. Can the truth of these views be evaluated rationally and dispassionately? Hugh Lafollette argues the gun control debate is more complex than advocates on either side acknowledge. It requires resolving moral and legal questions about the nature of and limitations on rights, as well as the responsibility of government to protect citizens from risk. It requires assessing claims about the right to bear arms, as well as the right to be secure from harm caused by guns. Empirical findings must be considered--about the role of guns in causing harm, the degree to which private ownership of guns can protect innocent civilians from attacks by criminals, whether the government should be constrained by a well-armed citizenry, and the degree to which laws seriously limiting access to guns can be effectively enforced. Lafollette carefully sorts through all these conceptual, moral, and empirical claims. He concludes that all things considered, the U.S. does need more gun control than we have. He then proposes an indirect strategy for decreasing harm from firearms--requiring all gun owners to have liability insurance (something the NRA actually encourages) similar to that of car owners. Lafollette argues that this approach could reduce gun violence without the problem of government intrusion. Painstakingly fair and historically informed, the book is mainly designed for use in applied ethics and public policy courses, showcasing how one might approach a difficult topic with care and even-handedness in order to construct a rational argument. In Defense of Gun Control sorts through the conceptual, moral, and empirical claims to fairly assess arguments for and against serious gun control."


Book Synopsis In Defense of Gun Control by : Hugh LaFollette

Download or read book In Defense of Gun Control written by Hugh LaFollette and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Présentation de l'éditeur : "Nearly half of all privately owned firearms in the world are in American hands. The U.S. homicide rate is 6 times higher than the average of all developed countries, and more than three times higher than any individual country. Half of all homicides are committed with a firearm. Gun advocates claim that the high rate of private gun ownership does not contribute to this; some even argue that murder rates would be lower if only more people carried guns to defend themselves. Pro gun control advocates find the correlation between number of guns and gun violence an obvious one -- and that it should be the starting point for discussion about gun control. Both sides think their cases are strong, and have created a political stalemate. Can the truth of these views be evaluated rationally and dispassionately? Hugh Lafollette argues the gun control debate is more complex than advocates on either side acknowledge. It requires resolving moral and legal questions about the nature of and limitations on rights, as well as the responsibility of government to protect citizens from risk. It requires assessing claims about the right to bear arms, as well as the right to be secure from harm caused by guns. Empirical findings must be considered--about the role of guns in causing harm, the degree to which private ownership of guns can protect innocent civilians from attacks by criminals, whether the government should be constrained by a well-armed citizenry, and the degree to which laws seriously limiting access to guns can be effectively enforced. Lafollette carefully sorts through all these conceptual, moral, and empirical claims. He concludes that all things considered, the U.S. does need more gun control than we have. He then proposes an indirect strategy for decreasing harm from firearms--requiring all gun owners to have liability insurance (something the NRA actually encourages) similar to that of car owners. Lafollette argues that this approach could reduce gun violence without the problem of government intrusion. Painstakingly fair and historically informed, the book is mainly designed for use in applied ethics and public policy courses, showcasing how one might approach a difficult topic with care and even-handedness in order to construct a rational argument. In Defense of Gun Control sorts through the conceptual, moral, and empirical claims to fairly assess arguments for and against serious gun control."

Debating Gun Control

Debating Gun Control

Author: David DeGrazia

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-09-16

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 019025128X

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Americans have a deeply ambivalent relationship to guns. The United States leads all nations in rates of private gun ownership, yet stories of gun tragedies frequent the news, spurring calls for tighter gun regulations. The debate tends to be acrimonious and is frequently misinformed and illogical. The central question is the extent to which federal or state governments should regulate gun ownership and use in the interest of public safety. In this volume, David DeGrazia and Lester Hunt examine this policy question primarily from the standpoint of ethics: What would morally defensible gun policy in the United States look like? Hunt's contribution argues that the U.S. Constitution is right to frame the right to possess a firearm as a fundamental human right. The right to arms is in this way like the right to free speech. More precisely, it is like the right to own and possess a cell phone or an internet connection. A government that banned such weapons would be violating the right of citizens to protect themselves. This is a function that governments do not perform: warding off attacks is not the same thing as punishing perpetrators after an attack has happened. Self-protection is a function that citizens must carry out themselves, either by taking passive steps (such as better locks on one's doors) or active ones (such as acquiring a gun and learning to use it safely and effectively). DeGrazia's contribution features a discussion of the Supreme Court cases asserting a constitutional right to bear arms, an analysis of moral rights, and a critique of the strongest arguments for a moral right to private gun ownership. He follows with both a consequentialist case and a rights-based case for moderately extensive gun control, before discussing gun politics and advancing policy suggestions. In debating this important topic, the authors elevate the quality of discussion from the levels that usually prevail in the public arena. DeGrazia and Hunt work in the discipline of academic philosophy, which prizes intellectual honesty, respect for opposing views, command of relevant facts, and rigorous reasoning. They bring the advantages of philosophical analysis to this highly-charged issue in the service of illuminating the strongest possible cases for and against (relatively extensive) gun regulations and whatever common ground may exist between these positions.


Book Synopsis Debating Gun Control by : David DeGrazia

Download or read book Debating Gun Control written by David DeGrazia and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-09-16 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Americans have a deeply ambivalent relationship to guns. The United States leads all nations in rates of private gun ownership, yet stories of gun tragedies frequent the news, spurring calls for tighter gun regulations. The debate tends to be acrimonious and is frequently misinformed and illogical. The central question is the extent to which federal or state governments should regulate gun ownership and use in the interest of public safety. In this volume, David DeGrazia and Lester Hunt examine this policy question primarily from the standpoint of ethics: What would morally defensible gun policy in the United States look like? Hunt's contribution argues that the U.S. Constitution is right to frame the right to possess a firearm as a fundamental human right. The right to arms is in this way like the right to free speech. More precisely, it is like the right to own and possess a cell phone or an internet connection. A government that banned such weapons would be violating the right of citizens to protect themselves. This is a function that governments do not perform: warding off attacks is not the same thing as punishing perpetrators after an attack has happened. Self-protection is a function that citizens must carry out themselves, either by taking passive steps (such as better locks on one's doors) or active ones (such as acquiring a gun and learning to use it safely and effectively). DeGrazia's contribution features a discussion of the Supreme Court cases asserting a constitutional right to bear arms, an analysis of moral rights, and a critique of the strongest arguments for a moral right to private gun ownership. He follows with both a consequentialist case and a rights-based case for moderately extensive gun control, before discussing gun politics and advancing policy suggestions. In debating this important topic, the authors elevate the quality of discussion from the levels that usually prevail in the public arena. DeGrazia and Hunt work in the discipline of academic philosophy, which prizes intellectual honesty, respect for opposing views, command of relevant facts, and rigorous reasoning. They bring the advantages of philosophical analysis to this highly-charged issue in the service of illuminating the strongest possible cases for and against (relatively extensive) gun regulations and whatever common ground may exist between these positions.

Firearms and Violence

Firearms and Violence

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2005-01-13

Total Pages: 341

ISBN-13: 0309091241

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For years proposals for gun control and the ownership of firearms have been among the most contentious issues in American politics. For public authorities to make reasonable decisions on these matters, they must take into account facts about the relationship between guns and violence as well as conflicting constitutional claims and divided public opinion. In performing these tasks, legislators need adequate data and research to judge both the effects of firearms on violence and the effects of different violence control policies. Readers of the research literature on firearms may sometimes find themselves unable to distinguish scholarship from advocacy. Given the importance of this issue, there is a pressing need for a clear and unbiased assessment of the existing portfolio of data and research. Firearms and Violence uses conventional standards of science to examine three major themes - firearms and violence, the quality of research, and the quality of data available. The book assesses the strengths and limitations of current databases, examining current research studies on firearm use and the efforts to reduce unjustified firearm use and suggests ways in which they can be improved.


Book Synopsis Firearms and Violence by : National Research Council

Download or read book Firearms and Violence written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2005-01-13 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For years proposals for gun control and the ownership of firearms have been among the most contentious issues in American politics. For public authorities to make reasonable decisions on these matters, they must take into account facts about the relationship between guns and violence as well as conflicting constitutional claims and divided public opinion. In performing these tasks, legislators need adequate data and research to judge both the effects of firearms on violence and the effects of different violence control policies. Readers of the research literature on firearms may sometimes find themselves unable to distinguish scholarship from advocacy. Given the importance of this issue, there is a pressing need for a clear and unbiased assessment of the existing portfolio of data and research. Firearms and Violence uses conventional standards of science to examine three major themes - firearms and violence, the quality of research, and the quality of data available. The book assesses the strengths and limitations of current databases, examining current research studies on firearm use and the efforts to reduce unjustified firearm use and suggests ways in which they can be improved.

The Gun Control Debate

The Gun Control Debate

Author: Lianna Tatman

Publisher: Greenhaven Publishing LLC

Published: 2019-07-15

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13: 1534567623

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The recent sharp rise in school shootings in the United States has kept the gun control debate going. However, for many people, it is an emotional topic, making much of the information that people hear in the media or from friends and family members biased in one way or another. Understanding the history of gun laws in America and the realities of both sides of the issue is pivotal. Up-to-date statistics, annotated quotes from experts, and real-world examples contextualize the arguments surrounding this complex issue. This knowledge allows young adults to become informed participants in the gun control debate.


Book Synopsis The Gun Control Debate by : Lianna Tatman

Download or read book The Gun Control Debate written by Lianna Tatman and published by Greenhaven Publishing LLC. This book was released on 2019-07-15 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The recent sharp rise in school shootings in the United States has kept the gun control debate going. However, for many people, it is an emotional topic, making much of the information that people hear in the media or from friends and family members biased in one way or another. Understanding the history of gun laws in America and the realities of both sides of the issue is pivotal. Up-to-date statistics, annotated quotes from experts, and real-world examples contextualize the arguments surrounding this complex issue. This knowledge allows young adults to become informed participants in the gun control debate.

Gun Control

Gun Control

Author: Matt Doeden

Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books

Published: 2011-08-01

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 0761380744

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Americans are sharply divided on the issue of gun control. Some people believe that inadequate gun laws make the United States a dangerous place. They believe that stricter laws could keep guns away from children, criminals, and people with serious mental illness. Gun-control supporters say that reducing the number of guns in society also reduces the number of gun deaths. Other people strongly disagree. They believe that the shooters—not their guns—are to blame for gun-related deaths. Gun-rights activists argue that most gun owners are law-abiding citizens who actually prevent crime. They point out that existing gun laws strip Americans’ basic rights while failing to keep guns away from dangerous people. Making sense of the gun-control debate involves looking at the facts, studying the statistics, examining the laws, and listening to views on both sides. It also means asking tough questions: • Where do we draw the line between acceptable self-defense and excessive protection? • When should a person have to forfeit his or her gun rights? Is it ever OK for the government to restrict gun rights? • Should Americans be able to own any and all arms? Or should the government control which weapons are allowed? • Do background checks slow the flow of guns to people who shouldn't have them? Or are they useless invasions of privacy? • How can the government balance individual rights and the safety of society? To answer these questions, this book examines the history of U.S. gun ownership as well as current federal, state, and local laws. It provides the opinions and perspectives of government leaders, historians, activists, and ordinary Americans on both sides of the issue. Supplemented with quotes, anecdotes, and discussions from the pages of USA TODAY, The Nation's No. 1 Newspaper, this book will broaden your understanding of all sides of the issue and help you form your own opinion, either for or against gun control.


Book Synopsis Gun Control by : Matt Doeden

Download or read book Gun Control written by Matt Doeden and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Americans are sharply divided on the issue of gun control. Some people believe that inadequate gun laws make the United States a dangerous place. They believe that stricter laws could keep guns away from children, criminals, and people with serious mental illness. Gun-control supporters say that reducing the number of guns in society also reduces the number of gun deaths. Other people strongly disagree. They believe that the shooters—not their guns—are to blame for gun-related deaths. Gun-rights activists argue that most gun owners are law-abiding citizens who actually prevent crime. They point out that existing gun laws strip Americans’ basic rights while failing to keep guns away from dangerous people. Making sense of the gun-control debate involves looking at the facts, studying the statistics, examining the laws, and listening to views on both sides. It also means asking tough questions: • Where do we draw the line between acceptable self-defense and excessive protection? • When should a person have to forfeit his or her gun rights? Is it ever OK for the government to restrict gun rights? • Should Americans be able to own any and all arms? Or should the government control which weapons are allowed? • Do background checks slow the flow of guns to people who shouldn't have them? Or are they useless invasions of privacy? • How can the government balance individual rights and the safety of society? To answer these questions, this book examines the history of U.S. gun ownership as well as current federal, state, and local laws. It provides the opinions and perspectives of government leaders, historians, activists, and ordinary Americans on both sides of the issue. Supplemented with quotes, anecdotes, and discussions from the pages of USA TODAY, The Nation's No. 1 Newspaper, this book will broaden your understanding of all sides of the issue and help you form your own opinion, either for or against gun control.

The War on Guns

The War on Guns

Author: John R. Lott

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2016-08-01

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1621575985

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When it comes to the gun control debate, there are two kinds of data: data that's accurate, and data that left-wing billionaires, politicians, and media want you to believe is accurate. In The War on Guns, economist and gun rights advocate John Lott turns a skeptical eye to well-funded anti-gun studies and stories that perpetuate false statistics to frighten Americans into giving up their guns.


Book Synopsis The War on Guns by : John R. Lott

Download or read book The War on Guns written by John R. Lott and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-08-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When it comes to the gun control debate, there are two kinds of data: data that's accurate, and data that left-wing billionaires, politicians, and media want you to believe is accurate. In The War on Guns, economist and gun rights advocate John Lott turns a skeptical eye to well-funded anti-gun studies and stories that perpetuate false statistics to frighten Americans into giving up their guns.

Gun Control

Gun Control

Author: Angela Valdez

Publisher: Infobase Publishing

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 129

ISBN-13: 1438106033

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Each book in this series offers all the statutes, legal opinions, and studies a student needs to structure a cohesive argument on a given controversial topic. Issues are presented from multiple points of view; sidebars cite law and opinions to aid in critical analysis; paratextual questions encourage reader engagement; and all sources are fully documented and grouped by the side of the argument. Analyzes the controversy over gun ownership in America: How does the Second Amendment's right to bear arms fit into the modern world? Does the state have an interest in restricting the licensing or sale of firearms to the public?


Book Synopsis Gun Control by : Angela Valdez

Download or read book Gun Control written by Angela Valdez and published by Infobase Publishing. This book was released on 2009 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each book in this series offers all the statutes, legal opinions, and studies a student needs to structure a cohesive argument on a given controversial topic. Issues are presented from multiple points of view; sidebars cite law and opinions to aid in critical analysis; paratextual questions encourage reader engagement; and all sources are fully documented and grouped by the side of the argument. Analyzes the controversy over gun ownership in America: How does the Second Amendment's right to bear arms fit into the modern world? Does the state have an interest in restricting the licensing or sale of firearms to the public?

The Politics of Gun Control

The Politics of Gun Control

Author: Robert J. Spitzer

Publisher: C Q Press College

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13:

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This work offers wide-ranging coverage of the American gun culture, the history and meaning of Second Amendment, the criminological consequences of guns, the policy-making roles of Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, interest groups, public opinion and the political parties.


Book Synopsis The Politics of Gun Control by : Robert J. Spitzer

Download or read book The Politics of Gun Control written by Robert J. Spitzer and published by C Q Press College. This book was released on 2004 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work offers wide-ranging coverage of the American gun culture, the history and meaning of Second Amendment, the criminological consequences of guns, the policy-making roles of Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, interest groups, public opinion and the political parties.

Weapon of Choice

Weapon of Choice

Author: Fredrick E. Ayres

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2020-10-27

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0674241096

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How ordinary Americans, frustrated by the legal and political wrangling over the Second Amendment, can fight for reforms that will both respect gun owners’ rights and reduce gun violence. Efforts to reduce gun violence in the United States face formidable political and constitutional barriers. Legislation that would ban or broadly restrict firearms runs afoul of the Supreme Court’s current interpretation of the Second Amendment. And gun rights advocates have joined a politically savvy firearm industry in a powerful coalition that stymies reform. Ian Ayres and Fredrick Vars suggest a new way forward. We can decrease the number of gun deaths, they argue, by empowering individual citizens to choose common-sense gun reforms for themselves. Rather than ask politicians to impose one-size-fits-all rules, we can harness a libertarian approach—one that respects and expands individual freedom and personal choice—to combat the scourge of gun violence. Ayres and Vars identify ten policies that can be immediately adopted at the state level to reduce the number of gun-related deaths without affecting the rights of gun owners. For example, Donna’s Law, a voluntary program whereby individuals can choose to restrict their ability to purchase or possess firearms, can significantly decrease suicide rates. Amending Red Flag statutes, which allow judges to restrict access to guns when an individual has shown evidence of dangerousness, can give police flexible and effective tools to keep people safe. Encouraging the use of unlawful possession petitions can help communities remove guns from more than a million Americans who are legally disqualified from owning them. By embracing these and other new forms of decentralized gun control, the United States can move past partisan gridlock and save lives now.


Book Synopsis Weapon of Choice by : Fredrick E. Ayres

Download or read book Weapon of Choice written by Fredrick E. Ayres and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How ordinary Americans, frustrated by the legal and political wrangling over the Second Amendment, can fight for reforms that will both respect gun owners’ rights and reduce gun violence. Efforts to reduce gun violence in the United States face formidable political and constitutional barriers. Legislation that would ban or broadly restrict firearms runs afoul of the Supreme Court’s current interpretation of the Second Amendment. And gun rights advocates have joined a politically savvy firearm industry in a powerful coalition that stymies reform. Ian Ayres and Fredrick Vars suggest a new way forward. We can decrease the number of gun deaths, they argue, by empowering individual citizens to choose common-sense gun reforms for themselves. Rather than ask politicians to impose one-size-fits-all rules, we can harness a libertarian approach—one that respects and expands individual freedom and personal choice—to combat the scourge of gun violence. Ayres and Vars identify ten policies that can be immediately adopted at the state level to reduce the number of gun-related deaths without affecting the rights of gun owners. For example, Donna’s Law, a voluntary program whereby individuals can choose to restrict their ability to purchase or possess firearms, can significantly decrease suicide rates. Amending Red Flag statutes, which allow judges to restrict access to guns when an individual has shown evidence of dangerousness, can give police flexible and effective tools to keep people safe. Encouraging the use of unlawful possession petitions can help communities remove guns from more than a million Americans who are legally disqualified from owning them. By embracing these and other new forms of decentralized gun control, the United States can move past partisan gridlock and save lives now.