Do We Need Tougher Gun Control Laws? One of the most controversial issues in our society today is the topic of private gun ownership and gun control laws. This controversy has arisen mostly due to the different ways that the second constitutional amendment is interpreted. The amendment states that "a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right to the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" (Lott, 2000). On one side of the issue, there are those that believe that the amendment guarantees the right of individuals to possess and carry a wide variety of firearms. On the other side are those that contend that the amendment was only meant to guarantee to States the right to operate militias.
The fatality rate in gun suicide attempts is comparable to the hanging attempts, drowning attempts, and attempts with carbon monoxide. These other methods are in many ways as satisfactory to using a gun in the sense of ease, speed, and fatality (Dougherty, 2001).
Studies have shown that suicide attempters who use more lethal methods are more intent on killing themselves, rather than crying out for help. As unfortunate as it may be, when someone is determined to take their life, the disturbance that they carry is deep within them. This disturbance can be caused by things such as tragic life events, mental imbalance, physical illness, or a number of other reasons. At this point, whether or not they have a gun in their possession does not determine whether or not they will commit suicide. The desire and intent to carry out the action of suicide is present. This intent is important because leads to the conclusion that even in the absence of guns, non-gun methods could be substituted for guns with equally frequent fatal results. This is illustrated by a study completed in Canada. In 1978, Canada introduced strict gun control legislation. Although gun-related suicides were reduced, the overall suicide rate did not go down at all. "The gun-related suicides were replaced by and increase in other types of suicide" (Rich et al., 2001). In this case, it was jumping off bridges. It is safe to conclude that gun availability affects only method of choice in