America is a victim to violent crimes and the weapon of choice is a gun.  The crime rate is increasing and handguns are on the street.  Congress is busy with gun debates.  However they miss the point and debate laws about rifles.  Handguns are not as deadly but more convenient.  Criminals are more likely to choose a small weapon that can be hidden over a large powerful rifle (Kristof 4.3).  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention over thirty thousand Americans were killed or injured in 2003, the last year for which this data is available, by firearms.  That includes all injuries intentional and otherwise.  This means, of course, that not all the injuries were victims of crime.  Some injuries resulted from accidents and suicides.  However the injury occurred, America has a problem.  Congress needs to pass tough laws the make it difficult to obtain handguns and severe punitive action for possession of an illegal weapon.

As a nation, America does not have a strong gun policy.  Guns are easily bought on the streets and are then used in crimes.  Stronger laws need to be passed that help to further prohibit gun trafficking and government spending needs to be increased to allow for the added manpower necessary to enforce new laws.  Laws that are not enforced are as useless as laws that are never written.  Many minors in America believe that they have the means to obtain a weapon within twenty-four hours.  Youths convicted of carrying illegal firearms should have serious punitive actions imposed.  Minors that are educated in the consequences of crimes think twice about carrying an illegal weapon for any reason.  Responsible and law biding adults deserve to have access to firearms to protect their families and household.  Some adults have lost the right to obtain firearms legally and laws should be passed to prevent these people from gaining access to guns.  Adults seeking to acquire a weapon should be put through a process to determine that they have not lost their right to bear arms.  If congress were to tighten the current policy on guns, the crime rate would drop and Americans would feel safer in their daily lives.