Guns; Made to Protect not to Harm If guns kill people, then pencils misspell words, cars make people drive drunk, and spoons make people gain weight. The 2nd Amendment under the Constitution states, ¨The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed¨ ( qtd. In Burgan 38). Today the decision of whether to infringe on the right to bear arms is a heavily debated topic. Over recent years mass school shootings and terrorist attacks have increased, but taking away gun rights is not the solution to the issues. Guns do not pull their own triggers; the people holding them do. Guns are not responsible for the damage caused by the people wielding them, and taking them away would leave law abiding citizens defenseless, as shown …show more content…
That seems like a common sense answer, but it is in many ways incorrect. There is no connection between the amount of gun laws a state has and their crime rate. For example, Vermont has few regulations on guns and ¨consistently has the lowest rate of gun violence¨ (qtd. In Cunningham 9). Gun regulations not only increase crime, but they also increase the chance of a person getting attacked by a criminal. ¨With just two exceptions, since at least 1950 all of the mass public shootings in the U.S. have occurred in so-called gun-free zones, places where citizens cannot have guns for protection ¨ ( qtd. Cunningham 128). Elliot Rodger was responsible for killing six people in Santa Barbara, California. Rodger wrote a manifesto and explained that he did not shoot certain people because he was afraid that they would have a gun to stop him (Cunningham 129). James Holmes killed many defenseless people in a movie theater that he specifically chose since the theater banned sealed handguns. He expressed this cruel plan in his diary (Cunningham 129). Taking away our rights as Americans to bear arms, places more power in the hands of terrorists, who can easily gain access to illegal weapons. The people who would need those weapons to protect against the criminals harnessing illegal weapons, would not be able to purchase a gun to protect themselves if that right was taken away. This would result, insufficient means for innocent people to protect themselves, if an attack were to
On December 15, 1791, a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms. The bill was approved by three-fourths of the United States. The 2nd Amendment was created, to provide citizens of the U.S. a form of private protection. However due to the increase of technology along with the rise of violence in modern time, many are beginning to question if we should remove the Amendment, and only grant members within militia organizations access to this Amendments right to bear weapons.
Many gun owners believe that owning a firearm provides a means of protecting themselves and their families in the event of a threat. Additionally, some argue that the presence of armed citizens can act as a deterrent to criminal activity, as potential criminals may think twice before committing a crime if they believe they may face armed resistance. However, opponents of the Second Amendment argue that the proliferation of firearms has led to a rise in gun violence and mass shootings. They point to statistics showing that the United States has a much higher rate of gun deaths than other developed countries, and argue that the easy availability of firearms contributes to this problem.
It would make no sense whatsoever to restrict the right to keep and bear arms to state governments, since the principle on which our policy is based, as stated in the Declaration, recognizes that any government, at any level, can become oppressive of our rights. Therefore, we must be prepared to defend ourselves against its abuses, but the movement against 2nd Amendment rights is not just a threat to our capacity to defend ourselves physically against tyranny. It is also part of the much more general assault on the very notion that human beings are capable of moral responsibility.
The Second Amendment, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." –James Madison, The Second Amendment. The founders of our country as well as our constitution believed that without weapons in the form of firearms, there is no freedom from the harsh rulings of a corrupt government. These founders had just been freed from the duty of war from a corrupt and harsh government, without their weapons or the weapons of the people; this country would not be where it is today.
Currently, in 2017, there have been 51 mass shootings, in which four on more individuals were harmed and or killed by individual with firearms, in the US (Gun Violence Archive, 2017). Yet the National Rifle Association (NRA), which is pro-gun and 2nd Amendment, has push and lobbied vigorously against firearm regulation. The NRA has had a strong showing in congressional support for many years and have always used the constitution as the base of their debate against advocacy groups like the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the Brady Campaign who want stricter national regulation and enforcement of firearms. This debate seems meaningless if citizens are prone to violence by those given access to the means of their destructive acts. Our nation has experienced major loss from mass shooting incidents, we should not fear losing our constitutional right to firearms but instead fight to have it benefit us all in a safe effective
In Vermont, citizens can carry a firearm without getting permission... without paying a fee... or without going through any kind of government-imposed waiting period. And yet for ten years in a row, Vermont has remained one of the top-five, safest states in the union -- having three times received the "Safest State Award." [2]. Yet another example is Chicago. Chicago has one of the highest murder rates in the United States [4].
In 2013 following the devastating Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Aurora movie theater shootings the Obama administration has a released a plan detailing the President’s plan to “reduce gun violence”. This plan explicitly states that the President strongly believes in the Second Amendment and it’s protection of the right to bear arms. The plan includes a mix of initiatives, executive actions and legislative actions that are preemptive – making it harder for firearms to fall into the wrong hands. This plan includes but not limited to extensive background checks, stronger bans on assault weapons, limitation of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, getting rid of armor piercing bullets, initiating extensive research on gun violence and quality coverage of mental health treatment. Through this plan, President Obama aims to reach potential criminals early by incorporating education about gun violence into high school curriculum.
In the United States, the Second Amendment protects the right to “bear arms”. The Amendment states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” (U.S. Constitution. Amendment Ⅱ). This means that a strong military is a necessity for a safe country and household, so dictating the people’s right to own firearms is considered unconstitutional . Self defense and hunting are the most common reasons for owning a weapon in the U.S. Although this Amendment declares restricting firearms unconstitutional, it is nationally debated whether the use of weaponry is a collective or personal matter.
“The first six months of 2017 America saw 174 mass shootings”, (where 4 or more people were killed), according to CQ researcher, a trusted database. These mass shootings killed innocent people that wouldn 't have died otherwise. More secure gun restrictions would have spared all these people their lives. Stricter gun control would equivalent in a lower death rate and less of a threat to your loved ones, as shown by other first world countries.
Gun Control Gun control over the years has been a controversial subject, with people arguing for both sides. The 2nd amendment states that everyone in the U.S. has a right to bear arms. Mass shootings and suicides by firearm have been a growing concern for many people living in the U.S. Numerous people making the argument that there should be more gun control. Having gun control would help lessen the deaths by firearms in the country for a variety of reasons.
Since the Second Amendments’ ratification in 1791, Americans still debate with one another, because of its many controversy views. The amendment allows every citizen of the United States the right to own guns and to defend themselves when in danger. The problem arises when the laws being set are restricting people from their rights. There are so many gun control laws, varying from state to state. The development of arguments surrounding gun control correlates to the increased violence and altercations related to the use of fire weapons.
According to the Second Amendment, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The Second Amendment specifically states that “the right of the people to keep
Guns are just a tool, like knives and hammers and it completely depends on the people on how they use it. People who support guns and arms say that the Second Amendment secures individual’s right to carry guns with them and that gun rights is needed for self-protection, and was intended for military to have peace and defend the country if needed (Spitzer, 70). Most of the Americans use guns as a source to protect themselves and they believe that gun ownership prevents crime. A study conducted on November 26, 2013 showed that bans on weapons did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level (Lane, 5). Moreover, even if the rules and regulations are executed on gun control, not all criminals obey the law.
The number of incidents of gun violence last year in the United States was about 60,000. In recent years, the number of mass shooting has risen to about one mass shooting per day in the United States. The country is divided with some wanting to reevaluate our gun control laws and either ban or add additional regulations to the purchase of guns. Others say it is our right for Americans to own guns and something the founding fathers considered important to put in the Bill of Rights. The number of firearm sales has risen with the number of mass shooting many Americans question if banning guns or certain guns could help decrease the number of gun violence deaths.
To begin with, the second amendment of the US constitution gives citizens the right to carry or possess a gun. As a result, gun violence in America has increased drastically over the years due to guns being utilised in a reprehensible manner and people getting wedged in the crossfire, hence why stringent law enforcements need to be put in place regarding guns in the US. “Since 1982, there have been at least 61 mass murders carried out with firearms; in most cases, the killers had obtained their weapons legally”.