Gun Control Overview
Major Laws and Controversies
Through the years, legislative proposals to restrict the availability of firearms to the public have raised the following questions: Does gun control constitute crime control? Can the Nation’s rate of homicide, robbery, and assault be reduced by the stricter regulation of firearm commerce or ownership? Would household, street corner, and schoolyard disputes be less lethal if firearms were more difficult and expensive to acquire? Would more restrictive gun control policies have the unintended effect of impairing citizens’ means of self-defense. The Ongoing Debate Proponents’ Views. In recent years, proponents of gun control legislation have often held that only Federal laws…
