Gun Control: Home

Longlisted for the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction * Winner of the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice Based on the acclaimed series--a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize--an intimate account of the devastating effects of gun violence on our nation's children, and a call to action for a new way forward In 2017, seven-year-old Ava in South Carolina wrote a letter to Tyshaun, an eight-year-old boy from Washington, DC. She asked him to be her pen pal; Ava thought they could help each other. The kids had a tragic connection--both were traumatized by gun violence. Ava's best friend had been killed in a campus shooting at her elementary school, and Tyshaun's father had been shot to death outside of the boy's elementary school. Ava's and Tyshaun's stories are extraordinary, but not unique. In the past decade, 15,000 children have been killed from gunfire, though that number does not account for the kids who weren't shot and aren't considered victims but have nevertheless been irreparably harmed by gun violence. In Children Under Fire, John Woodrow Cox investigates the effectiveness of gun safety reforms as well as efforts to manage children's trauma in the wake of neighborhood shootings and campus massacres, from Columbine to Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Through deep reporting, Cox addresses how we can effect change now, and help children like Ava and Tyshaun. He explores their stories and more, including a couple in South Carolina whose eleven-year-old son shot himself, a Republican politician fighting for gun safety laws, and the charlatans infiltrating the school safety business. In a moment when the country is desperate to better understand and address gun violence, Children Under Fire offers a way to do just that, weaving wrenching personal stories into a critical call for the United States to embrace practical reforms that would save thousands of young lives.  *A Newsweek Favorite Book of 2021 *An NPR 2021 "Books We Love" selection *A Washington Post Notable Work of Nonfiction *A Kirkus "2021's Best, Most Urgent Books of Current Affairs" selection

Most public debate and discussion about guns in U.S. society is rarely guided by research -- not surprising, as most individuals have a personal opinion on this highly inflammatory topic based on their upbringing or personal experiences. Additionally, most research about gun use in America is confusing and contradictory, making it difficult for citizens to gain much from their attempts to investigate the topic objectively. This book offers concise, understandable coverage of all aspects of the issue, including incidence of gun violence; gun control; gun rights; government regulation, legislation, and court decisions; gun organizations (for gun control and for gun rights); gun enthusiast subcultures--for example, hunters, target shooters, and collectors; and U.S. attitudes toward guns. Many of the covered topics are placed in historical and cross-cultural perspective. The new edition of Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook enables the reader to navigate and interpret the research to become sufficiently educated on any specific aspect of the gun issue to make an informed decision--for example, whether to support stricter or more lenient gun control; whether to become a gun owner; whether to support a particular political party or candidate; or whether to develop or to refine a particular philosophy regarding guns. Other aspects of the contemporary gun debate that are addressed include whether the Supreme Court's ruling that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right will withstand future challenges, whether the strong gun regulations used in Europe would be effective and applicable in reducing gun violence in the United States, and whether the diversity explosion created by the high rate of immigration from countries where guns are strictly controlled will soon change the politics of the U.S. gun control debate. Provides a balanced view of the contemporary gun debate in the United States, explaining the positions of both gun rights proponents and advocates of stricter gun control without demonizing either Draws on a vast array of research in criminology, history, law, medicine, politics, and social science to provide one of the most comprehensive single-source references on gun issues Presents current and historical data on U.S. gun violence--including homicides, suicides, and accidental shoots--and places these numbers against international statistics on gun violence, thereby providing the context to enable readers to reach their own opinion on the gun debate

Beginning with the drafting of the Constitution itself up to the present day, there have been intense arguments made both for and against the rights of citizens to form a "well-regulated militia" as set forth in the Second Amendment. The arguments have become more impassioned in recent years due to the rising number of incidents of school and mass shootings. This volume analyzes documents that have played a significant role in the attempt to balance the long tradition of gun culture in this country with calls for gun control, including: The Second Amendment; St. George Tucker, Blackstone's Commentaries; No Treason by Lysander Spooner; U.S. v. Miller; District of Columbia v. Heller and Firearms in America:Personal Liberty versus Collective Responsibility.

As the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the right to bear arms may be considered a founding tenet of American life. The expression of that right, however, has generated no end of debate. The association of guns with injury, murder, suicide, and accidents has prompted activists and lawmakers alike to propose and pass regulations about who can buy guns and how they can be used. While one segment of the population wants to ban guns altogether, another bristles at any infringement at all. In between both extremes are multiple issues and perspectives that this thought-provoking collection of articles examines in depth. Media literacy questions and terms are included to help readers further analyze news coverage and reporting styles.

Nowhere is the gun control debate more heated than in the United States. Gun control advocates argue for tighter restrictions on purchasing and licensing in the hopes of reducing incidents of shootings. Gun owners fear that their guns will be taken away, eliminating their ability to protect their families. Carrying a concealed handgun is legal in every state, and polls shows that the majority of Americans support conceal and carry. The viewpoints in this volume attempt to answer tough questions, such as Do concealed handguns deter or increase crime? and Do the protections stipulated in the Second Amendment cover today's gun owners?

The debate over gun control in the United States ranges from constitutional issues to questions of community safety. Through a narrative-driven pro/con format¿supported by facts, quotes, anecdotes, and full-color illustrations¿this title examines issues related to gun control. Topics include: Are Gun Control Laws Effective in Reducing Gun-Related Deaths? Should Background Checks for Gun Buyers Be Expanded? Should Military-Style Assault Weapons Be Banned? Should a Person Have the Right to Carry a Concealed Handgun?