Banning Assault Weapons:
Protecting the American People or Infringing upon Their Rights??
1966, Charles Joseph Whitman climbed to the top of the iconic clock tower in the center of Texas University in Austin and killed sixteen and seriously injured thirty of his fellow Texas Longhorns. 1991, George Hennard, thirty-five, opened fire on forty innocent patrons at a Luby’s in Killeen, Texas, killing twenty-three of his intended targets. 1999, citizens in a small Colorado County of Douglas were distraught when the infamous Columbine High School massacre rocked their town. More recently, campuses like Virginia Tech, Purdue, and even an elementary school in Connecticut have had students and teachers brutally murdered at the hands of young adults (CNN).
When asked to describe the above-mentioned events, words like horrific, saddening, and terrifying inevitably are among the first to cross one’s mind. The question arises, “Where does the line lie that separates American’s personal freedom from the public’s safety?” The Second Amendment promises, “[…] the right of people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” But after the recent shootings and scares at the campuses of Purdue and Oklahoma University, one must ponder the idea, “Should America ban assault weapons?” This emotionally charged battle has even reached the White House steps, and is hotly debated by Republicans and Democrats alike. This paper will present a comparative analysis of banning and not banning assault weapons, and will conclude with a discussion in favor of lighter gun control.
As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the United State’s Bill of Rights specifically promises that the American citizen will have the right to “bear arms” and that right will in ...
... middle of paper ...
...weapons that have a massive killing ability from the hand of killers and mentally unstable individuals.
Being that this paper has objectively presented argument for both banning and not banning assault weapons, it will now proceed to briefly further develop the idea of less stringent gun control laws on the premise that until a “bullet”-proof definition can be agreed upon and a law that would not allow for any type of loopholes, banning assault weapons will do little to truly protect the American Public. The main support for this claim can be supported by the fact that the ban of 1994 was not effective, and in reality, did not protect the average American any more than before it was passed into law. Assault weapons are undoubtedly dangerous, but until their can be more effective assault weapon definition, America should not be subjected to a ban on assault weapons
Gun control is one of the most controversial and one of the most talked about topics in the U.S. Some believe that if guns are taken away that there will be less violence and that the death rate may even go down. While others believe that they have a right to bare arms like it states in the constitution. One of the most talked about reasons on why gun control should be stricter is the obvious: guns are not safe. But what people don’t understand is that everytime a gun is purchased a criminal background check is done right away. What people are unaware if is that the majority of people who purchase guns have already bought one in the past. Another talked about issue is the Right to Bear Arms. The Right to Bear arms has been in the constitution for decades. The constitution is not just something you can edit and re-write everytime you see a problem with it or think its “outdated”
A growing number of publicized tragedies caused by gun violence have caused a great stir in the American community. Recently, President Barack Obama has made proposals to tighten the regulation of and the restrictions on the possession of weapons in America to lessen these tragedies. Should the legislative branch decide in favor of his proposals, all American citizens who do or wish to own the type of weapons in question or who use current loopholes in existing policy would be directly affected. His proposals, which are to “require background checks for all gun sales, strengthen the background check system for gun sales, pass a new, stronger ban on assault weapons, limit ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, finish the job of getting armor-piercing bullets off the streets, give law enforcement additional tools to prevent and prosecute gun crime, end the freeze on gun violence research, make our schools safer with new resource officers and counselors, better emergency response plans, and more nurturing school climates, [and] ensure quality coverage of mental health treatment, particularly for young people,” have been cause for a large amount of recent debate (whitehouse.gov).
Over the last decade or so, the United States of America has been shaken by an epidemic of terrifying mass shootings, devastating slayings of unexpecting victims, and unnerving annihilations of the innocent. There is no specific target, no explicitly sought-out group, nor definite individual. From a classroom of first-graders, to a crowded movie theatre, to a U.S. Naval yard, the location seems at most, random, other than that it is almost always a public place. The perpetrators responsible for these horrific murders also vary, and often surprise those who thought they knew them. However, while the occurrences of mass shootings are unpredictable and always shocking, most have one thing in common: the use, or rather misuse, of assault weapons-automatic or semiautomatic military style rifles. To ensure the safety, security, and well-being of the people of the United States, the government should ban assault weapons.
Assault weapon control is becoming an unavoidable topic in the United States. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation more than nine hundred people have died from mass shootings in the past seven years and an assault rifle was used in twelve of the forty-three mass shootings in the past four years. The U.S. Department of Defense has long defined assault rifles as fully automatic rifles used for military purposes. The National Firearm Act of 1934 prohibited fully automatic weapons in the United States. The 1994 Assault Weapon Ban prohibited semi and fully automatic weapons and any weapon with military style characteristics. California Senator, Dianne Feinstein, is leading the charge in the American government to pass a bill that will limit the capacity of ammunition in a magazine and ban assault weapons that are too dangerous for public use. It is time for the American government to act swiftly and acknowledge the dangers assault rifles pose.
...cts with his life." Indeed this paper does not advocate the complete removal of all firearms, only the selective restriction of certain extra-powerful models. American citizens should be allowed to hunt and protect themselves from wild animals or intruders. Simple bolt-action rifles and/or black powder models are arguably sufficient for these ends. Our children deserve a future where the threat of their peers walking into their school with semi-automatic weapons and pumping hundreds of rounds into their peers is almost non-existent. Indeed there will always be evil among us and they may use these simple weapons that are allowed for evil. But the extent of that damage would be much less. May our future contain many great freedoms for all. And may there be sensible limits imposed that protects the freedom of all men to pursue happiness as they live without fear.
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.
Assault weapons have been labeled as the number one source for mass killings in America. The idea that a weapon can fire a large amount of bullets at a remarkable speed can be used for recreational use was thought of otherwise. This type of weaponry was made for one reason and that is to eliminate as many people as possible and accomplish it in a reasonably fast time. The problem is everywhere and to help control the issue the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to enacting and enforcing gun...
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.
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 means that citizens have a right to bear arms, but since this amendment is not very clear there is some controversy. Many people argue that there shouldn’t be assault weapons because they are too powerful, or that this amendment was not intended to allow high powered assault weapons. There are many reasons on why assault rifles and large magazines should not be banned in the United States, including protection, defense, and past bans have not been effective.
Larry Gerber (2011) also speaks about the history of the Second Amendment and analyzes the common laws, customs, and traditions of gun use in America. The author makes some comments on the famous phrase from the Second Amendment, which speaks about the right “to keep and bear arms,” and gives its modern interpretations (Gerber, 2011).
The 2nd amendment “The Right to Bear Arms” has not been brought up to date in over 200 hundred years and it is time that we make the necessary adjustments. Handguns and assault weapons are to blame for many mass killings in America. Each year, more than 30,000 people die in the United States in firearm-related incidents. Handguns and semi automatic weapons have been used in these massacres. The choice of rules such as exercising the right to further background checks and limit the availability of automatic weapons should be the first and foremost concern of both federal and state legislators.
As violence and murder rates escalate in America so does the issue of gun control. The consequence of this tragedy births volatile political discourse about gun control and the Second Amendment. The crux of the question is what the founding fathers meant when they wrote, “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.” Since the writing of the Second Amendment the make and model of firearms has changed dramatically and so has the philosophies of the people. A rifle is no longer defined as a single shot, muzzle-loading musket used to primarily protect families or solely for food. Should the weapons we use today be protected by an amendment written nearly 222 years ago? Should the second amendment be rewritten? Does the Second Amendment apply to individual citizens? These questions spark extensive debates in Washington D.C. regarding what the founding fathers intended the amendment to be. The answer to this question lies in the fact that despite hundreds of gun control articles having been written , still the gun control issue remains unresolved. History tells us gun control debates will be in a stalemate until our judicial system defines or rewrites the Second Amend. This paper will examine the history of the Second Amendment, and attempt to define the framers intent, gun control legislation and look at factors that affect Americans on this specific issue...
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.
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.
A solution to assault style weapons and large capacity magazines. I would like to see a full ban on large capacity magazines as their practicality for civilian use is minimal. For assault style weapons using the AR 15 as reference. I believe a stricter protocol for selling these weapons could be helpful, as many other countries have implemented stricter gun laws have they have proven successful. I would propose that for someone to obtain a semi-automatic rifle the buyer should go through a mental health evaluation and, a firearms safety test along with a waiting period before you physically can obtain the firearm. This would be similar to obtaining a driver's license but, for that specific gun.