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Private Ownership of Handguns “Every year, more than 24,000 Americans are killed with handguns in homicides, suicides and accidents. In 1990, 37,155 people died from firearm wounds in the U.S. compared to 13 firearm deaths in Sweden, 91 in Switzerland, 87 in Japan, 68 in Canada, and 22 in Great Britain. The difference is that an estimated 200 million firearms are owned by private citizens in the U.S., including 67 million handguns manufactured for the sole purpose of killing people (Tim Wheeler, People’s Weekly World, December 18, 1993).” Over the past decade, America has been going through an epidemic that has claimed more lives than the AIDS virus, and has caused more sorrow than cancer. Every year, the number of people who die from a firearm related injury grows, like a disease with no cure. The issue of gun control has been the topic of discussion between two groups who have been fervently arguing about whose ideology is correct, although both sides have a common goal, which is safety. Those that oppose more strict regulations on gun control and the private ownership of guns argue that the sole purpose of holding a weapon is for safety. They fear that if someone was were to invade their home and threaten the integrity of anyone inside, the “to-be” victims would be unable to protect themselves, due to lack of “protection.” The NRA, which is one of the biggest gun associations in the U.S., strongly disagree that the availability of guns is the reason why there are such a high number of gun related fatalities; they argue that human fault is more the reason why there are so many deaths, than anything else. The NRA also claims that the 2nd amendment states the “right to bear arms,” which is a right for every citizen.
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