Possession of a Gun in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Possession of a Gun in the United States - Essay Example (Bureau of Justice Statistics, March 2008) The procedures for licensing differ from state to state. 9 states have "may issue" laws that unlike the "shall issue" laws can deny applications. There are also "never issue" laws such as in Hawaii where the issuance of permits is seized completely by the officials. Two states, Vermont and Alaska actually permit a non-felon aged 16 or 21 respectively access to hand guns without even a permit. Some states conduct training classes for the applicants, prior to issuing permits, to instruct them about the mechanics, terminology and safety measures related to weapon ownership. Through the licenses issued, records of all gun owners are kept. (Kopel, 1999) People in favor of it believe it to provide them with a sense of security from any form of harm and those who are physically weaker or beaten believe in gun ownership as giving them equal power compared to the other citizens. It makes them feel safe and secure and nothing is more important than safety and security of life. Statistical data has proven that people with handgun permits are the most law-abiding citizens. John Lott, a professor in the University of Chicago studied 18 years worth of data regarding this.