Gun Control and the Ethical Dilemma

Gun Control and the Ethical Dilemma

Ethics in Criminal Justice

February 1, 2013

The Merriam-Webster Learners Dictionary (2013) defines ethical as, involving questions of right and wrong behavior. The same dictionary defines dilemmas as, a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made. If we combine these two definitions, an ethical dilemma is a situation in which the need to choose from among right and wrong courses of action, when the choices may be equally unacceptable alternatives. Ethical dilemma is the focus of this paper. Within the paper it will cover the nature of the dilemmas, the ethical decision made, alternative courses of action and the outcome of the situation.

Gun control is a topic that has become a part of recent news. In 2007 at Virginia Tech, 33 people were killed and 23 were injured by a lone gunman. This brought attention to increase security on school campuses. In July of 2012 in Aurora Colorado, James Holmes killed 12 people including a 6 year old girl in a shooting rampage at a movie theater. On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza went to an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. He killed 26 people, 20 children, 6 adults and himself (CNN, 2013). These stories made national news, causing part of society to demand gun control laws. The stories that did not receive national news coverage, concerns the city of Chicago. According to ABC local (2013), there has been 500 homicides cause by guns, with many of the victims were children or teenagers.

Gun control and how to implement laws and policies that do not intrude on personal rights is the first dilemma. Another dilemma consists of why was the Connecticut, Virginia Tech, and Colorado shootings brought to national attention. Whereas, the Chicago's shooting was not. This second dilemma brings to question was Chicago's issues ignored because the shootings occurred in low-income areas. Chicago's crime rate was brought to the attention of congress after a 15 year female honor student that performed at the presidential inauguration was shot to death in her low income neighborhood (CNN, 2013).

The dilemmas that these two incidents raise are the need for gun control laws and procedures that part of society supports. Those who opposes gun control states this is an infringement on 2nd Amendment rights, which states the rights of people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed (U.S. National Archives, 2012). The question has to be asked, can the government develop gun control laws that the majority of society supports, without infringing on personal rights. The second part of the dilemma brings to question is shooting occurrences in lower-income areas less important than shootings in higher-class areas. Although this second dilemma