Our Project Supporting Gun Control

1. GUN CONTROL
Week 5 Group A Project
M4 GC
Moms For Gun Control

2. GUN CONTROL
Week 5 Project Group A –Socio 4080-3:
Contributors:
Arlene Wint-Thorpe
Nancy Strasser-King
Karen Hammes
Jennifer Bateman
DeRon Harper
Amanda Durso
Walden University
2013 April 02

3. INVITATION
M4 GC
Moms For Gun Control
We invite you to join us, “Like” our facebook page at
www.facebook.com/M4GCMomsForGunControl
Please feel free to make suggestions or leave your comments

4. WEAPONS
what should be controlled?
• When the 2nd Amendment was written the most
powerful weapon was a MUSKET
(Scoping out the Limits of “Arms”, 2012, p. 688)
• A MUSKET can fire 3x per minute
(Scoping out the Limits of “Arms”, 2012, p. 688)
• Today’s weapons can fire 600 rounds per minute
(Scoping out the Limits of “Arms”, 2012, p. 688)
Scoping out the Limits of “Arms” Under the Second Amendment. (2012). Kansas Law Review, 60(4), 681-721.

5. WEAPONS & the 2 nd
amendment
what are arms?
arms are not clearly defined
in the 2nd amendment
So what are arms?
? ?

6. WEAPONS & the 2 nd
amendment
what are arms?
are assault weapons protected?
why would someone need these?
for protection? or hunting?

7. WEAPONS & the 2 nd
amendment
what are arms?
for mass shootings? 2012 Aurora Theater Shooting
1999 Columbine Shooting
Smith & Wesson M&P15
(Dao, 2012)
2012 Newtown Shooting
Hi-Point model 995 carbine rifle
(Cullen, 2010)
Bushmaster .223-calibre rifle
(Dao, 2012)
Cullen, D. (2010). Retrieved from (http://www.columbine-online.com/attack/columbine-attack-weapons-guns-knives-rifle-shotguns-tec-9
Dao, J. (2012). Aurora Gunman’s Arsenal. The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/us/aurora-gunmans-lethal-arsenal.html?_r=0

8. WEAPONS
let’s make it harder
weapons used in mass shootings
are typically legally obtained
Follman, M., Aronsen, G., & Pan, D. (2013). A Guide to Mass Shootings in America. Mother Jones. Retrieved from
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map

9. WEAPONS
let’s make it harder
some say “gun control won’t help”
“someone who wants a gun
will find a way to get one”
we say “let’s make it harder”

10. GUN VIOLENCE IN THE U.S.
GUN OWNERSHIP:
• In the U.S. there is an estimated 283
million guns in civilian hands.
• Each year about 4.5 million firearms
(approx. 2 million handguns) are sold in
the U.S.
• The average number of guns per owner has
increased from 4.1 in 1994 to 6.9 in 2004
Reference: Heeding God’s Call (2013) USA Gun Violence Statistics

11. GUN DEATHS IN THE U.S.
• More than 30,000 people are killed by
firearms each year
• 1/2 of these deaths = ages 18 to 35 and
1/3 = under age 20.
• Gun related homicide 2nd leading cause of
death ages 15 - 24 and the primary cause
of death in African Americans of that age
group
Reference: Heeding God’s Call (2013) USA Gun Violence Statistics

12. COST OF GUN VIOLENCE
•Increases medical costs
•Increases costs of the criminal
justice system
•Increases security precautions
•Reduces the quality of life because the
fear of gun violence
•U.S. lifetime medical costs for gunshot
injuries total $2.3 billion

13. GUN VIOLENCE AROUND THE
WORLD
•Japan (pop. 130 million) = 7 gun deaths
in 2011.
•Switzerland ( pop. 8 million) = 24 gun
deaths in 2009.
• Brazil tops the global list for gun
murders = 34,678 gun deaths in
2011.
Reference: The Crime Report (2013). Gun Violence Around the World: Little
in Japan, Switzerland, Lots in Brazil.

14. INFLUENCE BY NRA ON THE
GOVERNMENT
•The NRA has an overwhelming influence
on the government
•290 politicians took money from the
NRA in 2012
•During the election of 2012, NRA spent
$25 million on supporting guns.
•Reference: National Rifle Assocation (2013).

15. IS GUN VIOLENCE A MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUE?
•China has strict gun laws, but attacks
still happen – but by other means such
as knife and machete attacks

16. IS GUN VIOLENCE A MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUE?
•Mass killings are usually done by
psychotic or mentally ill individuals
(Williams, 2012).
•Mental Illness can escalate into GUN
VIOLENCE (TWH, 2013).

17. NOW IS THE TIME!
•Mental Health treatment is difficult due
to insufficient mental health
providers
•Less than ½ of mentally ill individuals
receive treatment

18. MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Can we prevent tragic incidents?
M4GC says:
•Identify and treat mentally ill persons
•Authorize health care providers to report on
firearm possessions of mentally ill individuals
•Stipulate that health insurance covers mental
health

19. 2 AMENDMENT
ND
Would our founding fathers rewrite it in
the 21st century?
17TH CENTURY WEAPONS
Muskets and bayonets

20. 2 AMENDMENT
ND
Would our founding fathers rewrite it in
the 21st century?
21st CENTURY WEAPONS
M16 AK47

21. 2 AMENDMENT
ND
“I DEFEND MY RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS!”
BUT…
RIGHTS COME WITH RESPONSIBILITIES!

22. 2 AMENDMENT
ND
RIGHTS TO BEAR ARMS –ratified in 1791
(Scalet & Arthur, 2013)
HAS NOT CHANGED!
BUT GUNS ARE NOW MORE DEADLY
than those in that century!

23. 1 AMENDMENT
st
GUARANTEES FREEDOM OF SPEECH –
(Witt, 1988)
M4GC campaigns for gun control:
Guns used in indiscriminate and
uncontrollable ways to take
innocent lives, are infringements to
the safety of our children and family.

24. ILLEGAL GUNS
As of Jan 2013, 350
million small arms
in circulation in the
US.

25. ILLEGAL GUNS
Terrorism,
criminality, and
political violence
are mostly
supported by small
arms (Stohl et al,
2007) leading to
Source:
HUMAN DEATH
ATF FFL Compliance Inspections Fact Sheet, June, 2008

26. ILLEGAL GUNS
Source: Jamaica Constabulary Force

27. ILLEGAL GUNS
Since 1980, there have been more than
30,000 murders in Jamaica with a
population of under 3 million. The
majority of these murders were gun-
related. Illegal guns are easily accessed
as Jamaica’s border is porous and it is in
close proximity to the US (Moxam, 2013).

28. GUN CONTROL MEASURES
•Do universal background checks on
everyone seeking gun ownership
•Give support to mental health programs
•Provide funding for special education
•Provide funding for scientific research on
behavior and mental issues.

29. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cullen, D. (2010). Retrieved from
(http://www.columbine-online.com/attack/columbine-attack-weapons-guns-knives-rifle-shotguns-tec-9.htm
Dao, J. (2012). Aurora Gunman’s Arsenal. The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/us/aurora-gunmans-lethal-arsenal.html?_r=0
Elder Witt (1988). The supreme court and individual rights. Congressional Quarterly
Folmon, Arenson, Pan (2013) A guide to mass shootings in America. Mother Jones. Retrieved from
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map
Grillot, S. R. (2011). Global gun control: Examining the consequences of competing international norms. Global
Governance, 17(4), 529-555.
Scoping out the Limits of “Arms” Under the Second Amendment. (2012). Kansas Law Review, 60(4), 681-721
Sage Knowledge (2013). Gun Control. Statistical Abstracts of the United States (1900-2004) Retreived from :
http://knowledge.sagepub.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/view/politics/n97.xml?rskey+d51W8...4/1/2013
Heeding God’s Call (2013) USA Gun Violence Statistics
Moxam, E. (2013 March 20.) Gun control reform in America. Is there a role for Jamaica? Retrieved on 2013
March 25 from http://rjrnewsonline.com/opinion/gun-control-reform-in-america-is-there-a-role-for-jamaica
Washington Times (2013). Fewer guns fewer gunshot deaths (Washington, DC) 25 Nov. 2007. B02. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web.26 Mar.2013

30. BIBLIOGRAPHY continued
Scalet, S. & Arthur, J. (Eds.) (n.d.). Morality and moral controversies: Readings in moral, social, and political
philosophy (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Scoping out the Limits of “Arms” Under the Second Amendment. (2012). Kansas Law Review, 60(4), 681-721.
The Crime Report (2013). Gun violence around the world: Little in Japan, Switzerland, lots in Brazil.
The White House, Washington (2013) Now is the time: the president’s plan to protect our children and our
communities by reducing gun violence. Retrieved from:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_full.pdf