As most already know talking about guns and the laws that surround them is a very hot-button topic. Many people feel very strongly about the side that they choose whether they are pro-gun control or against it. With this article, I am hoping to help clarify some of the biggest misconceptions on the laws, as well as tackle the complexity that follows of how to act upon the issue we are faced with.
The first step in creating this article was looking at here in Illinois what are laws are surrounding guns. One website which is built around providing gun laws that protect people (biased) states that laws in place currently in Illinois are those without concealed handgun permits need a ten-year license (Firearm Owner's Identification card/FOID),waiting period of 24 hours for long guns and 72 for handguns, design safety standards, and a child access law that prevents someone from leaving an unlocked firearm accessible to a minor under 14 years old, and the firearm owner must report a missing firearm to the police.
However, it is also important to note that in Chicago despite having some of the more restrictive gun laws still have some of the highest death rates by firearms in the country. One of the misconceptions that a lot of people have is that Chicago has some of the strictest gun laws and that's not true, however media is quick to pick up this headline and keep repeating it making it so the consumers believe it to be a fact. While trying to look into this statement, one website claims that the major issue is that there is no nationalized gun control, it varies from state to state. Most guns used in crimes are bought from other states. One of the charts shows that Chicago's laws match those of other major cities Los Angeles and New York. It is true that we have some of the highest death rates with a death toll in the 6,000s for 2016 by firearms. The sad fact is though that people have taken a statement to be fact and are now rolling with it Chicago, and being someone from the suburbs even I took it to be true until I found yet another site that states fact checkers repeatedly finding this information to be false.
It does state the laws are tougher than other states, with requirements for permits/licenses to buy any firearm. However, since other states do not have any regulations on the selling of firearms it makes it easy for someone living in Illinois to go across the State border and purchase a gun there.
After reviewing this it makes me believe more in gun control, however when I say gun control I mean control not ban. One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that gun control is the ban of anyone owning a firearm, which is not the case. Gun control laws are simply laws that make it harder for someone who should not have a weapon to get a weapon, as well as registering weapons so that should something police know exactly what they are dealing with. Maybe there needs a structure for the purchasing and selling of guns at a national level, but then you touch onto the constitutional rights.
At the end of the day though it's a complex and complicated issue that is extremely hard to solve because all the suggestions given are theoretical and will have no results how well they work until their put into effect. The other issue is that guns are sold illegally in many places so even if laws where to be put out on guns that's not to say that it would stop the purchasing of them by someone who should not have access to them.
