Do guns provide safety? at what cost?

Do Guns Provide Safety? At What Cost? I am one of many Americans who believe that guns protect families. People who own firearms are supposed to be responsible and liable. There is controversy about whether gun possession really heightens personal safety and to what degree does gun violence factor in increased medical expenses. If less gun-related issues can come to a cease, than I believe health care cost would decrease sufficiently. I believe that people should have the right to bear arms in their home. I want to protect myself and my family from possible danger. The gun should have a trigger lock on the weapon and a lock on the box, in which the gun is stored. However, the presence of this weapon has resulted in accidental injury, suicide, homicide, and domestic violence (p315). According to this article, the presence of a firearm in the home reportedly results in death or injury to household members or visitors over 12 times more often than to an intruder (p315). This report has somewhat influenced my initial thoughts about guns to be more hazard to my own family than to an intruder. Do guns make others safe? I don’t feel that we are safe at all from police or security guards. Trayvon Martin’s case is a prime example of a gun being used at the wrong time. If a person is armed with a weapon, most likely they are willing to use it. Although, Trayvon was in some sort of conflict with the security, if the officer were unarmed, then the death of Trayvon wouldn’t be an issue. Also, there seems to be a growing trend among mass shootings in America. The most memorable shooting was the attack on Virginia Tech in 2007. 2 students killed 32 individuals and wounded 24, then committed suicide. Targeting mass crowds seems to be more popular and carried out by copy cats. Most recently, a man starting shooting people in a crowded movie theater, during the premiere of Batman, which killed several people and injury dozens because he knew he could get attention. It is tragedies like these which cause controversy, awareness and anger. Lastly, the overall economic cost due to gun violence in America, including health care is about $100 billion per year (p316). Taxpayers often bear a large percentage of these financial burdens; thus this matter is a hot political topic in the presidential campaign. I agree that the gun laws should be reviewed and revised. Guns are dangerous yet are protective. Guns should be used by authorities only to prevent accidental deaths or injuries. If we can get that under control, then healthcare cost should drop. In conclusion, guns are controversial to some people and many politicians. Americans are at a crossroad with gun laws because most of us want to protect our families. Household firearm ownership is associated with elevated rates of shooting oneself, accidently shootings and domestic violence. We need to limit the ways we can purchase guns and accessories.