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Gun crime in America has become a big issue. We are barraged by news outlets with story after story showing the wide use of guns in horrific and tragic crimes. These crimes all too often end in single if not multiple deaths. Politicians and law makers are constantly trying to find ways to reduce these crimes and keep the public safe. Unfortunately their ideas or methods involve some measure meant at reducing or eliminating the public’s access to guns. This method only infringes on the basic and most significant of all American rights, the right to keep and bear arms, as defined in the second amendment. It also takes guns from honest law abiding citizens and puts them in the hands of the criminals committing these crimes. The only effective way to reduce gun crime and unnecessary gun deaths is through education, not more gun control legislation. This education should begin at the beginning, by defining the where gun rights came from and the need for these rights.
The Constitution of the United States serves to define the rights and freedoms of the people and serves as the supreme law of the land. The most important freedom or right defined in the constitution is the right of American’s to keep and bear arms. This right was so important to the authors, that is was the second of the basic freedoms and privileges outlined in the bill of rights. The 2nd amendment reads “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”. This right grants, to law abiding citizens of the United States, the privilege of owning and lawfully using guns. The citizens right "to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”, means politicians and law makers do not ...
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Although the Second Amendment prevents the federal government from completely banning guns in America, limited restrictions are allowed on the distribution and possession of firearms. Certain groups of people such as criminals, the mentally unstable, and soldiers dishonorably discharged from the military are prohibited from possessing or interacting with firearms (Flynn). These restrictions are enforced by background checks in some states on both a state and federal level. However, gun laws vary from state to state and are often not thorough enough; the background checks are flawed due to lack of information and misinformation, and guns can easily end up in the hands of criminals and malevolent individuals. The ease of obtaining a firearm in America fosters crime and a dangerous environment. Hence, the Second Amendment should be reinterpreted so that stricter gun laws can be implemented because modern citizens do not require guns, current background checks are flawed, gun...
The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states, that since there is a necessity for a Free State and regulated militia, the right of the American people to keep and bear arms would not be infringed by the United States government. One cannot stop and wonder the calamities that are caused by guns in their completely proper usage. This nation needs to have a talk over its malignant obsession with guns.
Our rights as Americans started to take shape when the Constitution of the United States was drawn up by the delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Three years later, a very important part of American history called the Bill of Rights was added. The Bill of Rights is looked upon and interpreted every day. It gives the citizens of the United States many of the rights and freedoms that we value today, and some of those are in jeopardy. One right that is at stake is our right to bear arms, which is addressed in the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is a highly debatable topic, and many legal scholars and the Supreme Court have yet to resolve the issues and controversy dealing with the Amendment. Until a decision can be made, the law will remain as it is currently interpreted. The citizens of the United States of America have the right to keep and bear arms.
The Second 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.” This statement basically means that people should be able to own guns for their own security and that right should not be taken away. The Second Amendment was added to the Constitution because the creators of the Constitution wanted to make sure that it protected basic rights, including the right to bear arms. It was also added to the Constitution because shortly after it was ratified, James Madison wanted to give more power to the state militia and to give more power to the people to give them the ability to fight back against the Federalists and the tyrannical government they were creating. After fighting off the British, the Second Amendment was created to give citizens the opportunity to fight back against controlling government and protect themselves with their own weapons.
Currently, The United States of America is at war against 27 words that were written by James Madison in 1789. The Bill of Rights is known as the first 10 amendments to The Constitution of the United States. The Bill of Rights states the rights of its citizens. The Second 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”(Madison). Many people have argued that “to keep and bear arms” is not very obvious. James Madison is not alive to clear up this misunderstanding that, for hundreds of years, has caused controversies. Some experts argue that, gun ownership laws should be relaxed because this country cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens. Others say that gun ownership laws should not be relaxed because it would increase the number of weapons and increase the availability of weapons for criminals. And thus, the debate over the right to bear arms continues, again.
Throughout American History looking all the way back to the late 18th Century and the Revolutionary War, there have been many qualities that set America apart from all other countries. Documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights bestowed upon Americans have spelled out some of these very qualities that Americans hold dear. One right that is often brought to the forefront of the argument over gun control is found within the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights 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”(1). This powerful statement sets the foundation and precedent for our founding fathers’ intent for Americans to keep their firearms at all costs. When this right is in jeopardy of being infringed upon, it is the duty of Americans to fight back for their freedoms just as they would do for the very land they set their feet upon. Additionally James Madison, one of the founding fathers stated during the ratification period of the Constitution that, “the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation…[where] the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms” (Madison 1). If those who founded our country believed in the right that Americans have the choice of being armed, then it should not the minority of law makers doing their best to strip those rights away.
The second amendment says, "A well regulated militia being necessary to security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." The second amendment was made for two things. It is there for first, to guarantee the individuals right to have arms for self-defense and self-preservation. The second reason is related to the militia. The right to carry a handgun for self-protection is a privilege of citizenship. The confusion is the right of the state or the individual. The regulation of handguns could be looked at as unconstitutional. The amendment is for the people and not the state.
The Bill of Rights contains the first ten amendments we reserve as citizens of the United States. Within the Bill of Rights there are things such as freedom of speech, press, religion, and protection from excessive bail. The second amendment gives us the right to own and carry guns, it states, “…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Our Founding Fathers made sure that our individual freedoms were secure, and our country was to always be democratic in the decisions made. United States citizens reserve the right to bear arms because it was made an amendment by the original government. Although as of late there has been serious issues with violence due to a firearm, it is our reserved freedom
The Second Amendment to the United States 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”(U.S. Constitution). The founding fathers included this in our bill of rights because they feared the federal government might oppress the population if the people did not have the means to defend themselves as a nation and as individuals.
For years proposals for gun control and the ownership of firearms have been among the most controversial issues in modern American politics. The public debate over guns in the United States is often seen as having two side. Some people passionately assert that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own guns while others assert that the Second Amendment does no more than protect the right of states to maintain militias. There are many people who insist that the Constitution is a "living document" and that circumstances have changed in regard to an individual’s right to bear arms that the Second Amendment upholds. The Constitution is not a document of total clarity and the Second Amendment is perhaps one of the worst drafted of all its amendments and has left many Americans divided over the true intent.
George Washington once said, “Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people 's liberty teeth and keystone under independence …”. In the United States, Gun violence has become a reoccurring issue impacting the nation immensely. As we look into the past ten years, school shooting and public shootings have played out in the media stirring up a debate on gun violence. Because of these ongoing evil attacks, firearms are seen as the killer rather than the person who is firing the gun. Many are fighting for gun rights by using the points of the Second Amendment, the government’s control, and stricter gun laws.
Gun violence in America is a public health crisis, which needs to be recognized and changed by legislatures, and the voting American. As conscious Americans, we need to vote for changes to gun laws that would improve background checks nation-wide, make firearm registration mandatory, restrict the sale of assault weapons and weapon modifications that give the shooter military-grade fire power, and invest in gun-safe technology and safe firearms storage designs. This type of technology will help prevent criminally oriented people from accessing guns, and will help prevent the accidental deaths of many children by guns. This essay will explain the reforms needed to help ensure Americans can still exercise their 2nd amendment right of owning firearms, and preventing the unnecessary deaths of many Americans at the same time.
Recent mass shootings at San Bernardino and Sandy Hook Elementary have resurfaced the issue of gun control, with citizens appealing to the federal government to change laws concerning firearms. While there are organizations that are for tighter gun laws, groups like the National Rifle Association argue any laws restricting possession and use of firearms ignores the Second Amendment, and therefore reduces a law-abiding citizen’s constitutional right to own a firearm (Stingl, 2015). However, the United States still has a higher crime rate compared to other developed countries that have tighter gun laws, suggesting more restrictive laws could reduce gun violence (Grey House Publishing, 2011). With increasing gun violence and deaths, laws pertaining
The second amendment states “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The Founding Fathers included this in the Bill of Rights because they feared the Federal Government might oppress the population if the people did not have the means to defend themselves as a nation or individuals.
Will gun control stop harm or protect citizens? Today, the opinions of Americans vary on whether guns harm or protect citizens. However, gun control is not a new controversial issue. In 1924, U.S. Senator, Robert La Follete, said, “Our choice is not merely to support or oppose gun control but to decide who can own which guns under what conditions.” This proves that gun control has been a concern to Americans since the mid- twentieth century, and possibly even earlier than that. Even with the U.S. laws limiting the access of guns, it has not stopped the misuse of guns. Thirteen school shootings have been recorded in the United States within the first six weeks of 2014. Gun control is an effort to stop crimes by limiting who can access guns. Guns are very powerful weapons that have a great impact on society. They can change a family’s life forever. The destruction they cause cannot be reversed or taken back, and one trigger could take a person’s life away. For these reasons, government interference is needed to restrict the harm guns can cause. The U.S. government should place more limitations on guns because of the carelessness and misuse of guns, which has led to an increasing number of crimes and violent actions against the innocent.