The United States has the highest gun ownership in the world. According to recent studies, there are more legal and illicit firearms than people in the U.S. This situation stemmed from the implementation of the Second Amendment. Currently, all 50 states have allowed concealed carrying of weapons in public. Ever since execution, concealed carrying of firearms has sparked an unending two-sided debate on the impacts of carrying concealed weapons on crime reduction and public safety. On one side, proponents of concealed carry argue that having more guns increases individual security and reduces. Alternatively, gun safety advocates maintain that carrying concealed weapons has increased crime and is not protected by the Constitution. Both arguments have created a dilemma on whether the U.S. government should enforce gun restrictions contrary to laws that permit firearm possession. In this light, this paper is an argumentative essay concerning the impacts of concealed carry laws on crime and public safety in the United States.

The first argument

The U.S. is considered one of the world’s model democracies. For instance, U.S. citizens have the right to possess firearms as long as it is in line with state and federal gun laws. Although the constitution ostensibly protects concealed carrying, the quarters proposing more weapons in the communities have always argued that it works well against crime. For instance, a landmark study conducted between 1992-1997 concluded that concealed carrying had considerably reduced crime in states with eased gun restrictions. For example, in that period, robberies had dropped by 3%, assaults by 7%, and murders by nearly 9% (Lott et al., 2017).

Besides, the proponents of concealed carry argue that concealed carry increases public safety and eases the burden on law enforcement. This argument draws from the fact that most Americans carry arms for defensive purposes. According to Lott et al. (2015), most U.S. citizens defend themselves using firearms countless times in a year, although not all incidents involve concealed carry holders. Lastly, proponents argue that concealed handguns are critical to defending vulnerable persons like the disabled, women, the elderly, and minorities in situations where they cannot rely on law enforcement for their safety. In this sense, such citizens feel empowered and can defend themselves. According to research, most women and minorities who have been victimized own guns (Lott et al., 2015).

Opposing argument

Contrary to the viewpoint that concealed carrying increases security, extensive studies have demonstrated no relationship between the increase in concealed carrying and crime reduction. According to recent research, there is no clear link between crime deduction and the passage of the Right to Carry (RTC) laws. Although proponents argue that carrying guns makes the public safer since criminals are aware that they are also at risk, carrying firearms does not accord ordinary citizens with practical crime prevention skills and tactics. Besides, as Donohue et al. (2019) pointed out, the proponents of concealed carry fail to consider that crime could still increase with the issuance of guns even though only a few concealed carry holders are found guilty of murder. For instance, a decade after adopting RTC laws, violent crimes in the U.S. have increased from 13% to almost 15% per cent (Lee et al., 2017). This situation stemmed from the massive theft of firearms used to commit murders, burglaries, rapes, carjackings, and other violent crimes.

Besides, research asserts that bearing firearms increases the incidence of violent confrontations. According to a study conducted by Law Centre To Prevent Gun Violence, possession of concealed weapons has dramatically increased the threat of fierce disagreements and aggressive encounters in public places like traffic, clubs, concerts, and sporting events (Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence, 2011). In this light, concealed carrying promotes aggressiveness in situations where people can reason out their differences amicably (Benjamin et al., Other studies have shown that people who carry firearms are more likely to act aggressively and harm others (Benjamin et al., 2018).

Again, concealed carrying has promoted a culture of vigilantism, fear, intimidation, and victimization of minorities in the United States (Donoghue et al., 2019). According to Degli et al. (2019), weak gun laws combined with the stand your ground policy has developed a culture where citizens are ready to shoot and eliminate anything that seemingly threatens their safety. For instance, during the BLM movement protests in 2020, several people were shot and killed by others who later claimed that they acted in self-defense (Donoghue et al., 2019). Such acts demonstrate that bearing firearms impairs the ability to perceive a potential security threat and make the right decision. Much worse, some hate groups have utilized the loophole created by weak gun laws to intimidate and victimize minorities (Degli et al., 2019). This case played out in 2020 when Ahmaud Arbery was chased down and shot dead while jogging through a White neighbourhood in Georgia. It is also unfortunate that most states do not prohibit extremist groups from demonstrating with their firearms (Yablon, 2017). This situation has complicated gun laws and interferes with law enforcement because it is impossible to determine if a person carrying a gun in public is a security threat or acts in self-defense.

Analysis of the arguments

In a democracy, all citizens should enjoy their rights as enshrined in the Constitution. Implementing RTC laws is a step ahead in ensuring justice, democracy, and constitutionalism in the United States. Further, it is a crucial step in engaging the public to maintain community security. For instance, concealed-carrying holders have an advantage in stopping crime and defending themselves if need be. Again, not all states permit people to own firearms without a permit. There are checks like background screening and mandatory training to ensure safety in this case. More importantly, since more guns are in circulation, it’s only beneficial to permit more citizens to carry firearms for their protection.

Although the argument presented by the proponents of concealed carrying seems strong, the Constitution does not guarantee or mention concealed weapons. As the Second Amendment states, “a well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed .”Some scholars argue that this constitutional provision was created to limit the federal government’s powers over the states. Coupled with the violence stemming from gun violence as witnessed in recent years, there is a strong sense in the call to disarm Americans.

My argument on the topic

Firearms are among the most dangerous weapons made by humans. Most rely on weapons to defend their sovereignty and the rights of their citizens. Nevertheless, the right to bear firearms cannot be overlooked. While it makes sense to arm the citizens for their safety, it is unclear whether it is effective against crime. Gun theft and arms trafficking are among the top factors fueling global terrorism and insecurity. For instance, media reports have highlighted drug cartels and other criminal organizations having access to weapons trafficked from the United States (Salcedo-Albaran & Santos, 2017). The United States government should reconsider the concealed-carry policy and enact strict gun laws from this perspective.

Addressing an objection to my argument

Considering the controversy surrounding gun laws in the United States, any efforts to curb concealed carrying are likely to face objections. The United States is a leading superpower and a model democracy. In this case, withholding the right to bear arms would contravene the Constitution. Again, disarming citizens would be complex, considering that the country has the highest gun ownership in the world (Husak, 2019). Nevertheless, there is no evidence linking increased gun ownership and crime reduction. The United States spends vast amounts of money on law enforcement each year to curb crimes, most of which are committed using firearms. In this case, decreasing firearms or imposing tighter restrictions is necessary to solve the current crisis.

The U.S. government has tried to uphold justice, constitutionalism, and equal rights for all its citizens. Implementing the Second Amendment and similar gun laws demonstrates that the government trusts citizens’ ability to bear and use firearms responsibly. Nevertheless, it is crucial to consider that weak laws contribute to the increasing gun violence in the United States. Although the constitution may support concealed carrying, the U.S. government should ensure citizens enjoy other rights such as access to quality healthcare, education, and housing. Surprisingly, a considerable portion of the U.S. population is homeless and unemployed, while state governments fight to allow more weapons in the communities. Since the debate concerning concealed carrying intersects with social issues, the U.S. government should create ways to control gun ownership.

Reference

 Benjamin, A. J., Kepes, S., & Bushman, B. J. (2018). Effects of Weapons on Aggressive Thoughts, Angry Feelings, Hostile Appraisals, and Aggressive Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Weapons Effect Literature. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 22(4), 347–377.

Degli Esposti, M., Wiebe, D. J., Gravel, J., & Humphreys, D. K. (2020). Increasing adolescent firearm homicides and racial disparities following Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’self-defence law. Injury prevention, 26(2), 187-190.

Donohue, J. J., Aneja, A., & Weber, K. D. (2019). Right‐to‐carry laws and violent crime: A comprehensive assessment using panel data and a state‐level synthetic control analysis. Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, 16(2), 198-247.

Husak, D. (2019). Why Gun Control is So Hard. Criminal Justice Ethics, 38(1), 55-64.

Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. (2011). “Guns in Public Places: The Increasing Threat of Hidden Guns in America,” smartgunlaws.org

Lott, John & Whitley, John & Riley, Rebekah. (2015). Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States. SSRN Electronic Journal. 10.2139/ssrn.2629704.

Salcedo-Albarán, E., & Santos, D. (2017). Firearms Trafficking: Mexico-United States Border. The Global Observatory of Transnational Criminal Networks, 16.