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History of gun control in the us
Gun politics in america
History of gun control in the us
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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"
Over 200 years ago, when the Founding Fathers drafted the Second Amendment, no one ever questioned the need for private gun ownership. The founders at that time had considered that private firearms were efficient to protecting personal liberty, both as a means of opposing foreign threats and also as a check against excessive government power. “The founders were passionately devoted to the idea that a self-sufficient armed citizenry is the best means of preserving liberty”. (Jost, 2008, pg. 893)
However, In the 1960s after the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, gun control became a major issue of public passion and controversy. Our nation's primary gun law is the 1968 Gun Control Act; it was passed in the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and Senator Robert Kennedy. The act could have started shortly after November 22, 1963 when evidence in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy increased public awareness to the relative lack of control over the sale and possession of firearms in America. Indeed, until 1968, handguns, rifles, shotguns, and ammunition were commonly sold over-the-counter and through mail-order catalogs and magazines to just about any adult anywhere in the nation. The Gun Control Act of 1968 - "was enacted for the purpose of keeping firearms out of the hands of those not legally entitled to possess them because of age, criminal background, or incompetence." ( Jost, 2008, pg. 899)
In 1981, an assassination attempt was made on President Ronald R...
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...e ban on guns. Democrats that are from rural areas are not very enthusiastic in their support of gun control. “Some Democrats believe their support of the assault weapons ban cost them control of the House and Senate in 1994”. ( Krouse, 2002)
References
1) Jost, K. (2008, October 31). Gun rights debates. CQ Researcher, 18, 889-912. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/cqresearcher/
2) Lott, J.R., Mustard, D.B. (1996). "Crime, deterrence, and right-to-carry concealed handguns." [On-line]. Available: http://www.law.uchicago.edu/Publications/Working/guncont.html
3) Krouse, William “ Almanac of Policy Issues” . Congressional Research Service. October 3rd, 2002.
www.policyalmanac.org/crime/guns.shtml.
4) Owens, Brittany “ Gun Control Vs Gun Rights” December 4, 2006.
Http://www.opensecrets.org/news/issues/guns/index.php
In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since it’s birth. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, hunt for food and engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control is complex. Weighing the rights and liberties of the individual against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the freedom to use and keep arms, rely on the fact that the provision for such rights is enshrined in their constitution. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified. As citizens of the “Land of the Free” possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity... Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and gun related crimes in an effort to call on the government to take action. By enacting more laws and stricter control, these people not in favor of guns feel society would be better safer.
Cornell, Saul. A Well-regulated Militia: The Founding Fathers and the Origins of Gun Control in America. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. Print.
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 of the U.S. Constitution 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.
“I don’t believe people should be able to own guns. (Obama)” This said prior to Obama’s presidency, in the 1990’s, is still a topic that is constantly questioned today. Many American’s feel the need to seek ownership of weapons as a source of protection; While others believe that private ownership of guns will do nothing more but heighten the rate of violence due to people taking matters into his or her own hands. Philosophy professor Jeff McMahan agrees with Obama’s statement in regard to the ownership of guns. In his New York Times editorial titled “When Gun ‘Control’ Is Not Enough,” McMahan provides evidence to support his theory of the dangers that quickly follow when allowing the community to own guns legally. McMahan, throughout the text, shows responsible reasoning and allows the reader the opportunity to obtain full understanding and justifies his beliefs properly.
An estimated 30,000 people are killed each year by guns in the United States alone according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Gun Control, Funk & Wagnall’s). Though there have been some restrictions and laws placed, both the conservative and liberal sides are not pleased with either the lack of action or the fact that there has been too much action that has taken place. “About 38% of U.S. households and 26% of individuals owned at least one gun, with about half of the individuals having 4 or more guns, according to a 2004 survey by the Harvard School of Public Health (Gun Control, Funk & Wagnall’s).” Both sides turn to the one document centered on the argument for evidence to support their side: 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. Amendment II
Gary Kleck (2005) argues that the most common reasons for gun control debates are the established traditional political positions of different interest groups.... ... middle of paper ... ... The author also points out the importance of different political influences on this controversial problem (Squires, 2000).
Rauch, Jonathan. “The Right Kind of Gun Rights.” National Journal Vol. 40 Issue 11. Academic Search Complete. 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 6 June 2015.
Fields, Gary. "New Washington Gun Rules Shift Constitutional Debate." Wall Street Journal. 17 May. 2010: A. 1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
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. (Amendment II 1791)
Wilson, H. (2007). Guns, gun control, and elections. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
In this article the author Fawn Johnson gives us a brief look of what goes on during the great gun control debate. This article gives us a look at the gun control proposals, from American’s not bein...
Although my voting patterns have become somewhat more conservative in recent years, I remain in my heart of hearts a 1960s Humphrey Democrat concerned with the plight of those most vulnerable in American society-minorities, the poor, the elderly, and single women-groups whose day-to-day realities are often overlooked in our public policy debates, people whose lives too often go unnoticed by our intellectually timid chattering classes. This is happening in the public debate over the right to bear arms. For the nation’s elites, the Second Amendment has become the Rodney Dangerfield of the Bill of Rights, constantly attacked by editorial writers, police chiefs seeking scapegoats, demagoging politicians, and most recently even by Rosie O’Donnell, no less. It is threatened by opportunistic legislative efforts, even when sponsors acknowledge their proposed legislation would have little impact on crime and violence.
The second amendment has overall help the citizens throughout the last two century’s all around the United States of America. It has given people of America the sense of self-protection. It has helped achieve the founding fathers goals in securing life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. There are both pros and cons to the second amendment but this paper has shown that the pros outweigh the cons. Therefor the right to bear arms should be kept and defended. The right to bear arms is a good thing because it not only gives the feeling of protection to the people but it also helps build the militia to defend this great