Gun violence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gun violence - Research Paper Example Ownership of gun is restricted in most of the other countries including democratic countries. For example, an individual can own a gun India only if the court or the police authorities grand him the permission of gun license. He should convince the authorities that his life and property is in danger and ownership of gun is necessary for him to protect his life and properties. However in America, it is not necessary that an individual should convince the authorities about the reasons of gun ownership. Anybody, even school children in America can own a gun, legally or illegally. As a result of that, gun related violence is growing in America at present. The Sun (March 12, 2013), reported that a GUNMAN has shot two people at a high school in California - less than a month after 26 were slaughtered in the Sandy Hook massacre. It follows last month's slaughter by Adam Lanza who killed 20 young children and six adults at the Sandy Hook elementary school - reigniting the gun laws debate in the US (Two shot in yet another school shooting in America, 2010). Sandy Hook massacre shook America recently and the public debates over the topic of gun control heated up again. The relationship between gun ownership and gun violence is researched heavily by prominent scholars now. Many people believe that gun violence is directly proportional to gun ownership. In other words, when the number of gun owners increases in a society, the chances of gun violence also increases. This paper critically analyses this claim and argues that "The states (in the U.S.) with the highest gun ownership also have the highest gun violence related casualties". Literature Review A new study, led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher, Dr. Michael Siegel, published in American Journal of Public Health shows that U.S. states with higher estimated rates of gun ownership experience a higher number of firearms-related homicides. This study analyzed the claim by the National Rifle Associa tion’s (NRA) that increased gun ownership does not lead to increased gun violence and argued that these claims are totally baseless. They have conducted this study across 50 American states and the completion of this study (The largest in the history of US) took around 30 years (1981-2010). They found that for each 1 percentage point increase in the prevalence of gun ownership, the homicide rate increases by 0.9 percent (Siegel, 2013). The study by Hepburn & Hemenway, (2004, p.4170) supports the findings of Siegel and his associates. After a comprehensive study, they found that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide, both in the United States and across high-income countries.   They argued that in homes, cities, states and regions in the US, where there are more guns, people are at higher risk for homicide. The second amendments in United States’ constitution protect the right of individuals to bear arms. Self-defense is accepted as a human right in America. Even after plenty of unpleasant and cruel incidents, the authorities are not much keen in putting any control on gun ownership or gun violence. Even the immature teenagers can possess guns and they can carry such things easily to the schools. Even though president Obama expressed deep concerns about the gun control laws in America, after the Sandy Hook massacre, his earlier stands were neither in favor nor against the strengthening of gun

The Direct Cause of the Second World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Direct Cause of the Second World War - Essay Example Although many historians might state that the Second World War was an inevitable explosion of tensions that had built up over the years due to globalization and European control of resources, this paper insists that the unprovoked actions of the German regime under the orders of Adolf Hitler is the immediate cause of the war. Adolf Hitler's Nationalism Adolf Hitler's rise to power is one that was marked by a call for a strong nationalist leader who could restore Germany to its former glory. This therefore gave him the impetus to rise and fill the vacuum that existed in the German society. The First World War (1913 – 1919) came as a big blow to the Austrian-Hungary Kingdom which was the predecessor of the Germany that Hitler inherited. The First World War, had also been fought over the control of natural resources and the expansion of the most powerful nations of the world to control international trade. Germany had entered the war under the leadership of the Kaiser and Ministe rs of the country and most of the war was fought outside Germany (Axelrod 16). After the War, the victorious allies, led by Britain formed the league of nations which forced Germany to surrender by signing the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty failed to punish the Kaiser or Ministers of Germany, Austria and Hungary who were truly responsible for the war (Axelrod 15). Instead, the Treaty of Versailles sought to weaken the Germans by forcing them to cede 13% of their lands to allied nations like France, Poland and Czechoslovakia who had supported the British-led campaign during the First World War. Secondly, the Treaty of Versailles limited the German military capabilities with statutes and placed serious economic strains on the German people. In periods of economic depression, nations often look out for someone to blame and they seek strong leaders who can come up with solutions that would lift the masses out of poverty, this gave the impetus for the rise of Hitler. Hitler is quoted a s saying â€Å"In view of the primitive simplicity of their minds, [the masses] more easily fall victim to a big lie than a little one.† in his unpopular manifesto the main kampf. (Axelrod 27). Axelrod goes further to quote the Joseph Goebbels the Propaganda Minister of the Nazi Party as saying â€Å"That's my trade: hatred. It makes you a long way further than any other emotion.† (30). This new position created alongside Hitler's rise and growth of the Nazi party was clearly steeped in settling old scores and misleading the German people into fighting against other nations and peoples they considered were enemies of the German people. Through this, the Nazi party gradually built a one-party state and established a dictatorship. This clearly shows that with the fertile grounds prepared by the problems and challenges of the 1920s Germany, Hitler could easily come in with his malicious thoughts and ideas meant to punish people that he had brooded hatred against in the pa st. Hitler was able to promise Germans that â€Å"he could lead Germany back to the strength, he could overcome the psychological depression of the past defeat and the economic depression of Germany's contemporary situation† (Weinberg 53). This therefore shows that Hitler presented himself as the kind of savior that Germany needed to retain its past glory. However, Hitler did this by arising through the ranks to become a