Gun control is good in some forms because the general public should not have access to automatic weapons that are used for military purposes only. But the use of automatic weapons and weapons in the hands of an unreasonable individual should not be allowed. On the other hand there is a strong movement to make all forms of fire arms legal. A poll was taken of 3,825 members of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association found 95.8 percent rejected an outright ban on all fire arms and 96.4 percent strongly supported firearm ownership for self protection. About 86 percent said waiting periods to purchase guns would affect only law-abiding citizens and 63.8 percent preferred an instant background check. The officers surveyed ranked drugs, the decline of family values, and the combination of light prison sentences and early release programs as the top three reasons for the nations upsurge in violent crime. No matter what is said by the anti-gun control groups, guns are the key source of death in the U.S. today. More Americans were killed by guns in two years than during the entire Vietnam War. Guns kept in the home are 43 times more likely to kill a family member, friend or acquaintance than an intruder. Although Assault weapons make up less than 1 percent of privately owned firearms in the U.S., they have been traced to from 4 percent to 9 percent of firearms crimes over the past six years, according to the ATF. An even more alarming fact is that assault weapons were the firearms most commonly traced for organized crime and drug trafficking offenses. Assault weapons are designed primarily for military or law enforcement use. This kind of fire power should not be allowed on our streets. Most of these weapons can be purchased with no waiting period or background check because they are not handguns. This is murder waiting to happen, anyone who is 18 or older can walk in to a gun store and purchase an assault weapon that is able to fire up to 100 rounds of ammunition a minute, and, if illegally converted to an automatic may fire between 600 and 1,100 rounds per minute.
