The increased number of mass shootings in America has recently caught the attention of the media, and therefore spurred many debates over how we should handle this alarming problem. These debates have produced a variety of different possible solutions to this problem. In this website, we explore thee possible solutions to this problem represented by three stakeholders. All of the stakeholders, John J Phelan IV, James Q Wilson, and Susan Milligan, all have what they believe is the correct solution, but each of the stakeholders' views have different advantages and drawbacks.
A few of the mass shootings that provoked these debates are Sandy Hook Shooting and the Colorado Movie Theater Shooting. Both of these shooting were devastating events that took many innocent lives. Both the Sandy Hook Shooting and the Colorado Movie Theater Shooting took place within the past 10 years (Phelan). The fact that both these shooting have taken place so recently has caused many people to want to take action. The Sandy Hook Shooting was a devastating attack where a man walked into an elementary school armed with assault rifles, and began to open fire upon the innocent children and faculty. By the end of the attack, dozens were dead (Phelan). In the Colorado shooting event, an armed man went into the midnight primer of a sold out movie. While in the crowded theater, this man was armed with an assault rifle, semiautomatic pistols, and a shotgun. After entering the theater, shooter proceeded to open fired and killed many of the innocent moviegoers (Phelan). In order to stop the violence of these attacks, experts looked to find a common element of the attacks.
One very common item that is used in many mass shootings is the assault rife, and there have been many experts debating weather or not we should put restrictions on the right to bear arms due to the power of the assault rifle. One problem with this debate is that there is no clear definition of an assault rifle. According to the assault weapon ban of 1944, which is no longer an active ban, an assault rifle is a semi automatic weapon with a high capacity magazine and increased rapid fire control. Also, an assault weapon is considered to be a weapon with two or more military attachments (Phelan). A military attachment is an attachment on the weapon that provides “enhanced control during rapid fire" (Phelan). There have been multiple answers to how we should go about fixing this assault weapon problem, and our three stakeholders explain three of these possible answers. Two of our stakeholders, John J Phelan and Susan Milligan, along with others claim that in order to protect the lives of our fellow citizens, we must add restrictions to the current gun laws. On the opposite side of the debate, our stakeholder, James Q Wilson, and others argue that it is essential that we do not restrict our current rights as they are now. Pro gun control ideas and anti gun control ideas both have their own advantages, and in order to have a full understanding of the gun control debate, we must explore the three views of our stakeholders.
About the Author
I am originally from Ocean City, Maryland, but currently study mechanical engineering at the university of Maryland College Park at the undergraduate level. I have done an extensive amount of research on the topic of gun control in the United States, and have formed this webpage in order to share the views of many stakeholders in the debate of gun control.
A few of the mass shootings that provoked these debates are Sandy Hook Shooting and the Colorado Movie Theater Shooting. Both of these shooting were devastating events that took many innocent lives. Both the Sandy Hook Shooting and the Colorado Movie Theater Shooting took place within the past 10 years (Phelan). The fact that both these shooting have taken place so recently has caused many people to want to take action. The Sandy Hook Shooting was a devastating attack where a man walked into an elementary school armed with assault rifles, and began to open fire upon the innocent children and faculty. By the end of the attack, dozens were dead (Phelan). In the Colorado shooting event, an armed man went into the midnight primer of a sold out movie. While in the crowded theater, this man was armed with an assault rifle, semiautomatic pistols, and a shotgun. After entering the theater, shooter proceeded to open fired and killed many of the innocent moviegoers (Phelan). In order to stop the violence of these attacks, experts looked to find a common element of the attacks.
One very common item that is used in many mass shootings is the assault rife, and there have been many experts debating weather or not we should put restrictions on the right to bear arms due to the power of the assault rifle. One problem with this debate is that there is no clear definition of an assault rifle. According to the assault weapon ban of 1944, which is no longer an active ban, an assault rifle is a semi automatic weapon with a high capacity magazine and increased rapid fire control. Also, an assault weapon is considered to be a weapon with two or more military attachments (Phelan). A military attachment is an attachment on the weapon that provides “enhanced control during rapid fire" (Phelan). There have been multiple answers to how we should go about fixing this assault weapon problem, and our three stakeholders explain three of these possible answers. Two of our stakeholders, John J Phelan and Susan Milligan, along with others claim that in order to protect the lives of our fellow citizens, we must add restrictions to the current gun laws. On the opposite side of the debate, our stakeholder, James Q Wilson, and others argue that it is essential that we do not restrict our current rights as they are now. Pro gun control ideas and anti gun control ideas both have their own advantages, and in order to have a full understanding of the gun control debate, we must explore the three views of our stakeholders.
About the Author
I am originally from Ocean City, Maryland, but currently study mechanical engineering at the university of Maryland College Park at the undergraduate level. I have done an extensive amount of research on the topic of gun control in the United States, and have formed this webpage in order to share the views of many stakeholders in the debate of gun control.