Brady Bill, Columbine and Gun Control, a Closer Look

In society's mind, the Columbine shootings represent everything that is wrong with guns in American society. Here are two young boys with a large stash of guns, both legal and illegal with the horrible plan of murder. Fourteen students and one teacher later, they had accomplished their goal and shocked the world. Quickly society and politicians yelled out for gun control, stricter laws, more regulations and another look at the Brady Bill. They wanted no more guns to fall into the hands of the wrong people. Nevertheless, it was already too late. Many forces mold the viewpoint on gun ownership, possession and control. Two of the most important are money and the mainstream media. If the myths versus the realities of gun control were clearly stated, laws could be modified to prevent and deter crime. 

One of the largest myths is that waiting periods make the crime rate lower. This is false. Gary Kleck, a professor from Florida studied statistics from every city and found no correlation between waiting periods and a lower crime rate. Those in favor of gun control have also previously stated this fact. Another myth is that 12-16 children (up to age 20) die from gun violence each day. This looks like a large number; however, the majority of these deaths are related to gang violence, a critical problem. Although the equation of more guns equals higher crime looks well on paper, the facts seem to disprove that theory.