The changing of gun laws has been a very controversial topic in the past couple of decades. The topic of guns has been an interest to me since I was little.  Even though I grew up in the city, I visited my family, who introduced me to guns, in South Carolina twice a year. As I became more mature, I joined an air rifle team in Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) and competed. After one competition, I soon realized I was good at target shooting. A drive to shoot a real gun started building up in me. Many people had said that shooting an air rifle and a real gun were totally different. If you were good at one, you may not be good at the other. In my case, that was the complete opposite. The first time I held a gun in my hand, I was aiming a shot at my first doe. I dropped the doe in one shot. People in this sport must be disciplined and precise. The main reason I wanted to research this topic is because I want to understand why some people desire to ban guns completely instead of making it harder for criminals to obtain guns. 

In Kennesaw, Georgia, every head of household must own a firearm. The ammunition must also be stored with the firearm. The only exception to this law is if the head of household is ill, a convicted felon, cannot afford it financially, or if it does not abide by their religion. This law was passed in 1982 and has been active ever since. The crime rate has been at its lowest ever since the law was passed. Although this law was passed more than thirty years ago, the Code of Ordnance for Kennesaw, Georgia keeps track and updates all of their laws frequently. The city of Kennesaw does not make it hard to own guns; however, they make it undesirable to commit crimes because majority of the town owns guns and are not afraid to use them. 

Andrea McCarren, a reporter for a local news station, WUSA, wrote an article, "Georgia's 1982 Gun Mandate Still on the Books, Every Home Owns a Gun," about a law passed in Kennesaw, Georgia, enforcing the ownership of firearms. The people of Kennesaw, Georgia have lived with this law for generations. It has become a way of life. Most people in Kennesaw look at a gun "like any other tool" (McCarren, n.p.). The residents feel safer with a gun to defend themselves. It also decreases the temptation to commit crimes such as robbery. The law helps policemen because they have less gun related crimes to report to. Although the crime rate was already low, it dropped 29% after the gun law was passed. The law is meant to allow residents to follow the Second Amendment. This argument, which supports guns, is completely biased because the majority of the article is opinions from the locals, who have gotten along with this law for generations. Although the article was written three years ago, the content is still applicable because the law has not changed. People's opinions are the only thing that could have changed.

Many states have passed their own gun laws which were effective. However in some cases, state laws have been ineffective. Morton Grove, Illinois was the first city to pass a law that banned the sale and possession of firearms in 1981. This law was active for one year and then deemed unconstitutional. The National Rifle Association (NRA) sponsored a nationwide campaign to try to pass a law that will make it impossible for counties to make gun regulations stricter than the states. Over the years, laws to have a gun have become stricter. For example, a gun owner must have a gun license and be of twenty one years of age for a hand gun, and eighteen for a long gun. The Violation Policy Center wrote this article to improve gun education. This source, specifically the example about Morton Grove, Illinois, is evidence that stricter gun laws don't necessarily mean crime rates with decrease. 

The question on whether gun laws decrease crime rates has many different answers to it. The main problem contributing to the question is the contrast in people's opinions. Certain instances, such as mass murders, have caused people to think that guns are to blame for crimes. However, my sources show that guns do more good than harm. In support of my argument, researchers have found that stricter gun laws do not actually impact the crime rate as much as actually enforcing a law on gun possession. The sources and my perspective are similar in the way that we agree that guns are needed in today's society.  

