Annotated Bibliography: The Importance of Banning Assault Weapons

Thesis Statement: Assault weapons are so uniquely dangerous and increase the rate of gun crimes, mass shootings, and rates of gun-related homicides in many communities; therefore, the Government should subject them to a national ban.

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Sources

Koper, C. S., Johnson, W. D., Nichols, J. L., Ayers, A., & Mullins, N. (2018). Criminal use of assault weapons and high-capacity semiautomatic firearms: an updated examination of local and national sources. Journal of urban health, 95(3), 313-321. doi: 10.1007/s11524-017-0205-7

This article will support the thesis statement by providing statistics based on its focus on current levels of criminal activity and firearms mass murders with assault weapons in the United States (the U.S.). Koper, Johnson, Nichols, Ayers, and Mullins (2018) unearth that assault weapons, specifically assault-type rifles, account for approximately 2-12% of guns utilized in crime and 13-16% of firearms used in police murders. Further, they record that high-capacity semiautomatics have grown from 33-112% as a proportion of crime guns since the expiration of the federal ban. Therefore, consistent with the thesis statement, Koper et al. (2018) support the ban on assault weapons.

Roth, B. (2013). Reconsidering a Federal Assault Weapons Ban in the Wake of the Aurora, Oak Creek, and Portland Shootings: Is it Constitutional in the Post-Heller Era?. Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/51080141.pdf

This article supports the thesis statement by describing records of mass shootings where assailants used assault weapons. According to Roth (2013), Congress should enact a law banning the manufacture, sale, and possession of assault weapons because of their propensity to inflict catastrophic violence. Moreover, their ability to fire multiple rounds without reloading makes them a good choice for criminals targeting to kill the highest number of victims within the shortest time.

Jacobs, J. B. (2015). Why Ban Assault Weapons. Cardozo L. Rev., 37, 681. Retrieved from https://www.law.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/upload_documents/WHY%20BAN%20ASSAULT%20WEAPONS.pdf

Based on the arguments given by the author, this article will be a good source for a counterargument to the thesis statement. According to Jacobs (2015), banning assault weapons is pointless. Furthermore, it distracts attention from other gun control initiatives. In particular, the author argues that banning assault weapons would not deter criminals from committing gun crimes since many non-assault weapons would serve the same purpose. Further, he opines that banning these weapons is irrelevant because the sale and possession of parts are yet to be banned. Hence, since any individual can purchase parts for weapons separately and construct assault weapons, a ban on them is illogical.

References

Jacobs, J. B. (2015). Why Ban Assault Weapons. Cardozo L. Rev., 37, 681. Retrieved from https://www.law.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/upload_documents/WHY%20BAN%20ASSAULT%20WEAPONS.pdf

Koper, C. S., Johnson, W. D., Nichols, J. L., Ayers, A., & Mullins, N. (2018). Criminal use of assault weapons and high-capacity semiautomatic firearms: an updated examination of local and national sources. Journal of urban health, 95(3), 313-321. doi: 10.1007/s11524-017-0205-7

Roth, B. (2013). Reconsidering a Federal Assault Weapons Ban in the Wake of the Aurora, Oak Creek, and Portland Shootings: Is it Constitutional in the Post-Heller Era?. Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/51080141.pdf