Gun Ownership Documentary Project

 Synopsis 

This documentary seeks to understand the concept of gun ownership and its related effects. The topic of gun ownership is quite controversial. Various countries have developed laws and regulations governing gun ownership rights. However, the real question is, what is the reason and benefit of allowing citizens to own guns? 

Individuals supporting gun ownership claim it's for the sake of personal security. Crime is indeed an existing factor in most nations. Some individuals purposely intend to harm others for personal gain. Hence, it is justifiable if citizens take necessary precautions to ensure they don't follow victims of such individuals through gun ownership (Buttrick, 2020). However, this notion ignores a crucial subject, the justice system, and law enforcement. The role of police officers and the whole criminal system. They are invested in enforcing the law and protecting their citizens. Then, one might ask, does gun ownership among citizens override the responsibilities of criminal systems? 

Individuals against gun ownership explain that weapons like guns threaten society at large. Guns are meant to injure and take away life in extreme conditions. Citizens owning guns pose a threat to society, either directly or indirectly (Reeping et al., 2019). They may directly threaten society by intentionally hurting innocent individuals. This is whereby gun owners injure or kill another individual just because they didn't have their way or are disappointed. Also, when these guns fall into the wrong hands, the gun owners threaten society indirectly. This is whereby another party uses a gun that is not theirs to harm another individual. Hence, they suggest that it is better not to place society at risk by ensuring that no ordinary citizen owns a gun. 

My interest in the topic of gun ownership is quite profound. I have witnessed, watched, and read about the consequences of gun ownership. The news and newspapers have published numerous reports of people killed or injured by guns. The concept of gun laws has also been raised, with people suggesting various amendments. Personally, I do not think any individual who is not a law enforcer or part of the criminal system should own a gun. Firearms should only be accessible to those invested with the responsibility of maintaining law and order. Also, firearms distributors should be highly restricted. That privilege should only be given to very few dependable individuals. 

Research 

Intensive research will ensure the documentary is well articulated and detailed. Various research options are to be considered in collecting and compiling data. 

Conducting interviews is one of the research methods that will be applied. This is whereby certain individuals will be asked to give their opinion on the subject of gun ownership. Random passers-by from the streets will be interviewed. This is to ensure that the information compiled is unbiased. Also, experts on the topic of gun ownership will be questioned. Individuals that have been affected by gun ownership will also be interviewed. They will be needed to explain the concept of gun ownership and its consequences. 

Administering questionnaires is another strategy that will be employed. These questionnaires will be both qualitative and quantitative. They will be administered to specific groups in society. These include the youths, individuals from violent neighborhoods, and middle-aged persons. Both these groups have varying experiences and opinions regarding gun ownership; hence it is vital to include them in the documentary. 

Another strategy is to analyze gun ownership incidents that have been covered or highlighted in the different media platforms. Different media platforms have covered an issue or incident regarding gun ownership among citizens. These are stories of individuals who are not law enforcers using a gun or suffering from it. Analyzing the storylines and understanding the impact of the incident is critical. Fieldwork survey of gun use in different areas is also a critical strategy. It is whereby an individual or a group of people will conduct a fieldwork study regarding gun ownership. They may visit an area, stay there for a while and discreetly investigate gun ownership and its consequences. 

Potential media/ materials in the Documentary

References Heather McCracken. (2022). Gun Ownership in America. RAND. https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/gun-ownership.html Johns Hopkins. (2022). New Analysis: Guns Drove the Increases in Homicides and Suicides from 2019 to 2021. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/  PBS Newshour. (2016). Why restrict 'good' gun owners, resident asks President Obama at town hall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6imFvSua3Kg

Graphs and Statistics 

Images

References

Buttrick, N. (2020). Protective gun ownership as a coping mechanism. Perspectives on   psychological science, 15(4), 835-855. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619898847 

Reeping, P. M., Cerdá, M., Kalesan, B., Wiebe, D. J., Galea, S., & Branas, C. C. (2019). State gun laws, gun ownership, and mass shootings in the US: cross sectional time series. bmj, 364. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l542