Carter, Gregg Lee. Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO, An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, 2017.

The book discusses the diverse views on gun control laws in the US from gun abolitionists to Second Amendment absolutists. The author is a respected gun control expert and won an award from the Guns in American Society. It provides an unbiased look into the debate giving the readers an opportunity to make an informed decision on their stand in the issue. The topics covered in the text give insight into gun control laws including the current legislation, comparison with other countries, court cases, and the effectiveness plus history of the existing laws.

The information presented in the book is based on research that was conducted in ten years. It is well-organized and easy to understand to different audiences including law enforcement officers, teachers, researchers, students, and public officials. The author has broken down the topic into the significant issues influencing gun control legislation including the agencies and organizations supporting the arguments in the debate, court rulings and relevant legislation and individuals that have made a substantial contribution to the bill. The author gives solutions to gun violence and offers arguments and data supporting both sides of the debate. The author states that a given level of restriction is necessary since it is the essence of gun control laws.

Goss, Kristin A. Disarmed: The missing movement for gun control in America. Vol. 120.     Princeton University Press, 2010.

Goss notes that the US faced a high level of gun violence while compared with other industrialized democracies. It is estimated that approximately thirty thousand individuals die in gun violence annually. In recent times, the US has experienced increasing numbers of deaths that are related to gun violence in terrorist attacks and random massacres in schools and public places. Consequently, most of the American citizens advocate for stricter gun control laws. However, the gun control movement has not established a strong campaign which is the question that the author addresses.

An evaluation of original survey evidence, interviews, and historical archives shows that diverse challenges have faced the gun control initiative. The issues include difficulties in coming up with messages that can be supported by the supporters, failure to find patronage resources and strategic choices that are made in the place of effective policy. The author states that the influence of the gun lobby has played a critical role in impeding the gun control initiative. Gun control advocates have undertaken an incremental approach in policy change at the state and levels instead of taking a national strategy. It is estimated that 40 percent of the gun control laws were introduced in the 1970s and the gun laws have weakened systematically over the years. The book is engaging and compelling and looks into one of the most contentious issues in the political and public spheres. The writer sheds light on policy-related issues and the history of gun control by studying some of the dilemmas experienced in the US.

“Gun Laws.” Findlaw, injury.findlaw.com/product-liability/gun-laws.html.

The source gives a detailed explanation of the gun control laws in the US. The website explains the Second Amendment that is commonly used by gun owners in arguing against gun laws. Gun collectors, dealers, and owners are required to adhere to the existing federal and state laws on gun control. Federal law controls firearm ownership by placing restrictions on owning specific types of guns. For example, the National Firearms Act that is abbreviated as (NFA) prohibits the sale of silencers, machine guns, and shotguns. Second, state gun laws vary and individuals are required to act in line with their stipulations. Individuals and organizations should understand these policies to ensure their safety and that of society.

“Informing the Gun Policy Debate.” RAND Corporation, www.rand.org/research/gun-policy.html.

The website looks into RAND’s Gun Policy in America initiative that offers insight into the scientific inquiry conducted on laws. The goal of the initiative is to give facts that are aimed at improving the development of effective and fair gun laws. The organization studies the impacts of gun policies on suicide levels, hunting participation, and defensive gun use. It is clear that Americans are divided on gun control as the issue has not been understood effectively.

The website seeks to determine whether the gun policy is effective and fair by establishing its outcomes. It states that there are thirteen gun policies and results. It focuses on the seven policies that appear to affect various issues. For instance, research demonstrates that background checks may reduce violent crimes and suicide levels. The gun policies include background checks, child-access prevention policies, the prohibition on the sale of high capacity magazines and assault weapons, minimum age requirements, child-access prevention policies, stand-your-ground policies and regulations on mental illness. The outcomes include suicide, the price of prohibited firearms, violent crime and unplanned deaths and injuries. In the four results that were evaluated in the text including officer-involved shootings, mass shootings, recreation, and defensive gun application, the evidence of the impact on these policies was limited. Nonetheless, the unexplored outcomes are primary concerns in gun policy discussions.

Webster, Daniel W, and Michael R. Bloomberg. Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Evidence and Analysis. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013.

Webster argues that gun control is a pressing public health issue in the US. According to the author, Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health has brought together experts in gun policy in the US and different parts of the world to establish the impact of gun laws on citizens and policymakers. The book covers the opinion offered by legal scholars on the present information on the policies that have been introduced to combat gun violence as well as the constitutionality of the existing systems to tackle the issue. It draws on existing and new studies conducted on the US gun policies to explain the strengths and weaknesses of the national gun policies and state levels. An evaluation of the legal and scientific data supports the introduction of enhanced oversight and regulation of gun dealers and holders, purchaser licensing and background scores based on the cases of large-capacity and assault weapons used to commit mass murder. Convincing case studies from Brazil, Scotland and Australia show that efficient policy measures in gun control have resulted in a decrease in gun-associated deaths. The author concludes that Second Amendment considerations and gun laws are strengthened for improved safety of the population.

Winkler, Adam. Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America. W.W.  Norton & Co, 2013.

The book is based on the landmark ruling in gun control in the case District of Columbia v. Heller that involved the invalidation of laws prohibiting handgun use. The example demonstrates the controversial debate on gun control in the US. The author gives a historical view of gun control from the nation’s founding fathers to the origin of the Ku Klux Klan and the Second Amendment. Winkler gives different accounts offered by gun control lobbyists and gun rights advocated giving unforeseen insight into the contentious debate into gun laws.