There are two sides to the gun control issue and whether or not a gun registration system is the answer. Gun control advocates like Handgun Control, Inc. support laws that would help control guns, especially illegal handguns. They believe in passing any legislation that will help get illegal guns off the streets and force legal gun owners to be more responsible by reporting any lost, stolen or sold gun(s). However, the almighty gun rights advocates like National Rifle Association (NRA) strictly oppose any gun laws such as registration system that attempt to limit gun rights. NRA has been such a powerful interest group protecting the interest of gun owners and manufacturers that for years it "... has been able to limit legislation to control guns even though a majority of U.S. citizens support control of certain types of weapons" (290). Gun supporters oppose any kind of gun registration system on the grounds that it will eventually lead to all out confiscation. There are many articles written by gun supporters that express that totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, Red China, and Cuba first disarmed their citizens before they engaged in genocide. They express that Hitler first disarmed the Jews before he started eradicating the Jewish population. Yet, many gun owners and advocates agree that illegal gun is a major problem and something needs to be done, but it is not a national gun registration system or any legislation that would restrict gun ownership.

Canada has a national gun registration system and gives ten reasons for gun registration. They point out that this system will force individuals to be more accountable with their firearm(s) since it is registered in a database linking them to the gun(s). Registered gun owners will be more likely to take care of their firearm to prevent and report any thief or loss. Individuals are less likely to lend or sell it to someone they don’t know that might have a criminal record or is a danger to society, or a family member who has a history of violence. The police will know all transactions of who is buying and selling so that they can better deal with suspicious situations where firearms are involved. The major drawback to the registry system has been the cost, which has been estimated to cost around two million dollars with collected fees, but has cost Canada over one billion dollars so far. Critics like Meredith have also expressed that the system has not been implemented properly, therefore, has not been very effective in reducing gun violence.

Statistics show that illegal handgun is a major problem, but how are these people with criminal background that are unable to purchase guns getting hold of it. According to the 1997 survey of state prison inmates, 80% said that they got it from family, friends, streets, or an illegal source. This illustrates that criminals are able to get guns from almost every available source (even though most states have very strict laws against felons from buying and carrying handguns) because there are hardly any laws that prevent and forbid gun owners and sellers from giving or selling their handgun to people with criminal record. Although, each states have its own gun laws, the predominant theme is that there is very little regulation and limitation to buying and owning handguns other than a permit to carry one. That is why Maurice Clemmons who had a extensive criminal records was able to get two handguns that were used in the shooting and killing of four Lakewood police officers. Felons like Clemmons are able to purchase pistols and revolvers from a variety of sources like private gun show, "straw purchase", family, friends or steal one without alerting or warning any authorities or the public. This is the main reason why gun control activist and politicians like many Democrats and even some Republicans like Senator McCain support some form of a national gun registration system.

It is not just handgun, but illegal handgun that is a major concern for the issue of gun control. Philanthropist Lynne Honickman who found Moms Against Guns in October 2007 states:

Our campaign neither opposes Americans’ Constitutional right to bear arms nor do we seek to put gun manufacturers and gun storeowners out of business. Legal gun owners are not the problem. The problem is gun violence that involves illegal handguns...

In her home state, cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, over 80% of killings are carried out with handguns and most often committed by people with criminal background who are unable to legally purchase guns and not suppose to carry one around without a permit. Mayors across the US who have formed a group called Mayors Against Illegal Guns also believe that their mission is to “support the second amendment and keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals.” According to studies done by National Institute of Justice, many juveniles and young adults point out that they can easily obtain illegal guns and many of them carry it for self protection. These are people who are also more likely to be injured or killed by gun violence

When we are dealing with the issue of Gun control, statistics from Violence Policy Center show that “America’s gun problem is a handgun problem.” Majority of the firearm-related crime (86%) had been carried out by easily concealable pistols and revolvers (handguns). Since 1962, two thirds of the deaths have been caused by handgun than by any other firearms. Additional statistics from Legal Community Against Violence reveal that from 1993 to 2001, 737,360 violent crimes were carried out with handgun making it seven times more likely that violent crime will be committed with an handgun than by any other firearms. Even though 34% of firearms out there are handguns, around 80% of firearm murders are committed with a handgun. For example, the recent event of a Alabama professor who shot and killed some of her colleagues used a 9 mm handgun. A semi-automatic handgun was used by Clemmons in shooting and killing of four Lakewood police officers. The Fort Hood mass shooting by a army major involved two handguns which he used in the massacre. The list is endless.

It was only recently with the shooting and killing of our local police officers Timothy Brenton and four Lakewood officers did I seriously start thinking about the issue of gun control in our society. Our nation was formed with the idea that certain individual rights such as freedom of expression and freedom to bear arms will be protected. There is no question about the fact that people have the right to own gun(s), and I think that the only circumstances we should allow private people the right to own guns are for self-defense and protection of one's property. However, I believe that certain weapons like handgun has been used for other purposes, therefore, creating such havoc in our society that it needs to be controlled. I am not implying that people should not have the right to own handguns at all because legal gun owners are not the problem. Yet, I think that people, whether they are gun owners or not, also have the right to be safe wherever they are. But, with felons and violent people running around with illegal handguns they are not suppose to possess and using it to kill police officers and innocent people, we should all be concerned with the issue of gun control. Therefore, I believe that we need a system like a national handgun registry and/or laws that would help decrease the chances for people with criminal records to be able to obtain illegal handguns to commit violent offenses.