Blog 6 Comment on Classmate Blog (Gun control in Texas)

In the last few years, gun control has been a very controversial topic in the United States. Last year in Florida, 17 students were killed and 17 others were injured by an active shooter. Survivors of this attack are still suffering from trauma, which seems to have no end. It is clear that the U.S. should focus more on their gun control system. The states of Texas allows citizens a permit to carry guns. It costs less than 100 dollars to take the LTC ( License to Carry a Handgun Class) and the time until completion and the receiving of a license takes very little time. This allows Texans the ability to carry guns with little to no effort. However, 3,513 people died due to gun-related incidents in 2017. Furthermore, an average of 609 children are killed or injured by guns each year.

In Carson Hagelman’s blog, he states that the majority of Texas Republicans do not want stricter rules on gun control, however, a large number of Texas Democrats want stricter rules on gun control. Hagelman says that if there were stricter rules on gun control, the rate of death by guns would decrease. I strongly agree with his opinion. It is extremely difficult to get rid of all guns in Texas and America, but it is possible to diminish victims of gun violence.

For instance, Japan, which is known as a very peaceful country, was a gun friendly country before World War II. The Second World War made Japanese people reconsider the concept of “peace,” so the Japanese government set strict laws on gun control. If Japanese people want to own a gun, they must attend all-day classes, pass a written test, and achieve at least 95% accuracy during a shooting-range test. Then, they have to pass a mental-health evaluation, which takes place at a hospital, and pass a background check, in which the government digs into their criminal record and interviews friends and family. It costs approximately 1,000 dollars and takes almost one year. After people finally get guns, they must report to the police. The police visit people’s homes to assure they are properly storing guns. Additionally, they can only buy shotguns and air rifles, but no handguns. In addition, they must retake the classes and initial exam every three years.

Gun control in Japan, combined with the prevailing respect for authority, has led to a more tuneful relationship between civilians and the police. The police choose to use sub-lethal force on people. For example, students with the police department are required to train in a martial art, such as Jiu-Jitsu, Ju-Do, or Aiki-Do, at a high level to become a part of the police force. Also, active duty police officers continue to train in their martial art techniques. Even Japanese riot police rarely turn to guns. Instead, they use martial art or a striking baton. In addition, off-duty police officers are not allowed to carry guns. In doing this, the police generate less widespread fear of citizens being shot, whether purposely or accidentally. Therefore, people feel less of a need to arm themselves. As a result of this effort, in 2015, only one person died by gunfire. The Japanese population in 2015 was about 127 million, therefore, the rate of death by guns was 0.0000000079 percent.

From the evidence above, there is still hope for Texas and the U.S. to diminish the tragic number of death by guns.

Drug abuse is a serious problem which the government should solve. Texas is a state with particularly strict laws regarding controlled substances and narcotics. However, the state’s laws are so complicated that the average person may find them challenging to understand or interpret, even though they are explained in the Texas Health and Safety 481.002(5). It includes thousands of compounds and substances, and the list is so exhaustive that I will say that nobody wants to memorize them. Additionally, Texas Health and Safety 481.102 states that a controlled substance is any substance found in Penalty Groups 1-4 as listed. I believe that citizens who use drugs do not carry a copy of them and check them when they attempt to use drugs. Even though Texas drug laws are strict, the rates of drug overdose deaths have been increasing. In 2017, 2,989 people died due to a drug overdose. This number is about 1.5 times higher since 2005. Furthermore, prescription drugs represent a large number of substance abuse cases and are also responsible for a large number of deaths in Texas. The Dallas Morning News stated that “In 2013, only 622 deaths in Texas were specifically blamed on opioids, mostly painkillers, according to the health services department. But the newspapers tallied 798 prescription-drug related deaths recorded by local medical examiners that year in just 17 of the state’s 254 counties”. The attitude toward prescribing varies dramatically from doctor to doctor. U.S. government has set affordable health care for individuals, families, and small business owners, so people living with substance use disorders can get special insurance now. Also, there is a law called  "Good Samaritan" which legally protects people who help people that are overdosing. Also, it makes more medication-assisted treatment options available for doctors and patients.

It is clear that the government should inform about Good Samaritan to doctors and people in order to prevent people from abusing drugs before they end up needing special care. Texas government must reconsider prescribed medication laws and warn American citizen about the harmfulness of prescription drugs. Also, they ought to make other controlled drugs lists and penalty lists which people can understand well. It inevitably takes time, but hopefully, the drug abuser population will decrease shortly.