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Should we have gun control? Should we have gun control?
Gun ownership should be controlled Gun ownership should be controlled
Guns should not be restricted in any way Guns should not be restricted in any way
Only the state should be allowed firearms Only the state should be allowed firearms
A bump stock ban is needed A bump stock ban is needed
Stringent background checks for gun ownership should be mandatory Stringent background checks for gun ownership should be mandatory
Mandatory training should be required for gun ownership Mandatory training should be required for gun ownership
Gun ownership should be limited to those over 21 Gun ownership should be limited to those over 21
Assault weapons should be banned Assault weapons should be banned
There should be a waiting period for gun ownership There should be a waiting period for gun ownership
The Second Amendment is a fundamental guarantee of individual liberty The Second Amendment is a fundamental guarantee of individual liberty
Guns don't kill people, people kill people Guns don't kill people, people kill people
Banning guns will ensure only criminals have access to them Banning guns will ensure only criminals have access to them
Gun control is a public health issue Gun control is a public health issue
Debate Mini Map

Should we have gun control?
Back to question

Only the state should be allowed firearms

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Gun control is a public health issue

Guns cause premature deaths. They should be treated as a public health problem.
Gun Control Guns Health
John Paul Stevens
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Context

Like drugs, guns cause an increase in mortality rates and violent crime. It is the government's job to protect its citizens. For this reason, it bans harmful drugs like heroin. Guns should be controlled in the same way, in the interests of protecting American citizens. [1]

The Argument

In 2016, gun-related deaths reached 38,000. This scale of premature deaths is enough to trigger a public health crisis.[2][3] Therefore, the entire debate should be reframed to be medical, rather than political or ideological.[4] There is a robust correlation between higher levels of gun ownership and higher firearm homicide rates. For each percentage point increase in gun ownership, the firearm homicide rate increased by 0.9%.[5] The government outlaws drugs, which kill comparable numbers each year. It should, therefore, treat guns in the same way. They should be a banned item, limited to state ownership, including police and the military, which would use them to preserve law and order and defend national interests.

Counter arguments

The government bans drugs as a matter of public health and look how that turned out. The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic, with overdose cases skyrocketing. This goes to show banning something does not work. Banning guns specifically doesn't work. Places with the strictest gun laws, like Washington D.C. and New York City, also have some of the highest rates of gun homicides and gun violence.[1] It could actually make the situation worse. Banning firearms would change the government's role from regulator to incarcerator. In doing so, it would remove any legal oversight of the industry, removing consumer protections, tracing and registration mechanisms, and quality control, leading to more unsafe weapons and increased risk among the American people.[6] Finally, from an economic standpoint, it doesn't make sense. Banning drugs takes the market underground, reducing tax revenues and putting profits in the hands of gangs and criminals. Banning guns would do the same thing, only serving to further empower gangs and put Americans at risk.

Proponents

Framing

The good of the community comes above that of the individual.

Premises

[P1] The government's role is to protect its citizens. [P2] Guns kill a vast number of citizens each year. [P3] The government should outlaw guns to protect its citizens.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] To protect Americans, the government must retain regulatory authority, not concede it.

Further Reading

Hemenway, David. Private Guns, Public Health. University of Michigan Press, 2017.

References

  1. https://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/publications/se/6105/610502.html
  2. http://time.com/5011599/gun-deaths-rate-america-cdc-data/
  3. https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/college-of-public-health/public-health/community/is-gun-violence-a-public-health
  4. https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/09/10/gun-violence-public-health-crisis-requires-action-doctor-column/2268282001/
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3828709/
  6. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beyond-schizophrenia/201805/the-simple-economics-gun-control

In the Wild

This page was last edited on Monday, 26 Oct 2020 at 14:55 UTC