Gun Laws Essay

Submitted By keem1215
Words: 517
Pages: 3

There are approximately 70 – 80 million Americans who own guns. 40 – 40 percent of all households in the United States contain a gun. With such a large amount of people in control of weapons, rules and regulations must be put in place for the safety of all Americans. The rules and regulations that govern the usage of guns in the United States are called gun laws. Gun laws regulate the sale, possession and use of firearms and ammunition. The major tragedies throughout the history of America, such as the shootings of Columbine High School, Virginia Technical College and the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, has made America more aware and focused on gun control and gun control laws. There are eight major federal gun control laws in the United States that cover the major issues concerning gun control. The first federal gun control law began with the second amendment to the United State Constitution. The second amendment states that “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.” In 1934, the National Firearms Act was put in place. President Franklin D. Roosevelt brought about this Act due to the rise of gangster culture during Prohibition. The Federal Firearms Act was enacted in 1938. Following the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy by mail-order weapons, the Gun Control Act of 1968 was put in place. In 1986, the Law Enforcement Act made it illegal for anyone to manufacture or import armor piercing ammunition that could pierce through the protective armor of police officers. Also in 1986, the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act eased restrictions on gun sellers and the sale of some guns. This act also made additional penalties for people using a firearm during certain crimes and person with robbery or burglary convictions who are illegally shipping guns. The Crime Control Act of 1990 outlawed the assembly of illegal semiautomatic rifles and shotguns form legally imported parts. In