REPLYTO CLASSMATE’S POST

What do you think is a possible solution to eliminate criminal behavior as the cause of death in the city of Chicago? In your response, consider that the city has the toughest gun laws in the United States. 

PLEASE EXPLAIN WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH MY CLASSMATE RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTION AND WHY? (A MININUM OF 125 WORDS)

                To help reduce the violent crime rates in Chicago I believe the first step would be to eliminate the current gun control laws. While they sound nice on paper, the crime statistics for the city do not support the conclusion. When an individual is considering engaging in criminal activity, one of the first things they think about it the likelihood that said crime could be committed successfully. If the community in which you live is unarmed and unable to protect themselves, then there is little chance that said crime would go badly. Furthermore, the lack of ability to protect one’s self helps to entrench the current societal norms further into the everyday actions of the individuals within the community. A over reliance on gun control laws also encourage the development and continuation of various gangs. If non-criminal community members are unable to forcibly protect themselves, then these gangs can infiltrate even the nicest of neighborhoods. The laws also encourage gangs to fight amongst themselves since they know that one of the easiest ways to gain prestige and respect within a gang is to commit a violent act or homicide, and a gun makes that easier. While there will always be gangs within major metropolitan cities, if regular people were armed, the little and less organized gangs may disperse. This not only makes the streets safer, but also could force an individual to find a new path in life, one that is legal and socially acceptable.
              I also think that a rewriting of the current laws, when it comes to punishment for said violent crimes, would help reduce the violent crime in Chicago and the death rate. If an individual knows that they may or may not get caught after committing a crime, their interest in doing so is heightened. The same can be said if the individual knows that the legal repercussions will be light compared to other areas or criminal acts. While I am not saying that everyone should be thrown in jail forever, I do think that more of an effort needs to be made in preventative control for said crimes, as well as rehabilitative alternatives to prison or jail. This shift would provide opportunity to truly rehabilitate an individual while providing avenues for them to improve things like social skills, technical abilities, and psychological well-being. In the end, no matter what the item in question, drugs, alcohol, firearms, etc., if an individual wish to possess one of these things, there will always be a way for them to gain access to one, even if it is illegal at the time.