When I was a senior in High School, we spent over two weeks on the topic of “Amendments” and one of the most conflicting topics we covered was gun control, specifically the 2nd Amendment. Today, it’s still one most hotly debated topics in the U.S. and how it applies to the 2nd Amendment. The 2nd Amendment states that, “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” (Cornell Univ. Law) .Citizens all over the country have made their own interpretations of what the Founding Fathers wrote when giving us the right to bear arms. The debate of gun control laws in the U.S. today relates to the 2nd amendment because the amendment lacks to give clarity to what type of weapon is acceptable, lengths we should take to keep them out of the wrong hands, and the backlash that pro gun advocates to believe limitations are unconstitutional.
The biggest issue being argued by pro and anti gun enthusiasts is should semi-automatic rifles be allowed. When the 2nd amendment was made into law, semi-automatic capabilities
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Pro gun advocates are arguing that any limitation goes against not only the law itself but also the vision the Founding Fathers had for its citizens bearing arms. The arguments they give, besides being unconstitutional, focus on the fact that guns will always find their way into the wrong hands, taking them out of law abiding citizens hands leaves us unprotected (Israel). The NRA’s slogan of “The Good Guy with the Gun” is what they are basing their protest on gun control law on (Israel) .The only problem with this is that the recent mass shootings have involved law-abiding citizens that have fallen through the cracks mentally. While their records have shown that they didn’t get in trouble, it didn’t show that their mental capacity couldn’t handle owning and possessing a
The Second Amendment has always been met with much debate on whether gun control is constitutional or unconstitutional. The framers of the Second Amendment have left many people with different opinions on what its true intent was. Charles L. Blek Jr. and Joseph Sorban have two different views with many over lapping ideas and use court rulings, Second Amendment history, and past events in their articles to help support their positions.
The way that an individual interprets the wording of the Second Amendment influences their point of view on who has the right to "keep and bear arms" (Amendment 2). The controversy brought on by the Second Amendment is because the Second Amendment does not clearly define whom "the people" are. This ambiguity has left room for action by legislative bodies and the courts to pass laws and make interpretations that influence the way this Amendment is applied and enforced. The Second Amendment says, "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 2).
This essay will discuss the pros and cons of gun control. Some U.S. States have already adopted some of these gun control laws. I will be talking about the 2nd amendment, public safety, home safety, and do gun control laws really control guns. I hope after you have read this you will be more educated, and can pick your side of the gun control debate. So keep reading and find out more about the gun control laws that the federal and some state governments want to enforce on U.S. Citizens.
Throughout the years there has been an ongoing debate over the Second Amendment and how it should be interpreted. The issue that is being debated is whether our government has the right to regulate guns. The answer of who has which rights lies within how one interprets the Second Amendment. With this being the case, one must also think about what circumstances the Framers were under when this Amendment was written. There are two major sides to this debate, one being the collective side, which feels that the right was given for collective purposes only. This side is in favor of having stricter gun control laws, as they feel that by having stricter laws the number of crimes that are being committed with guns will be reduced and thus save lives. However while gun control laws may decrease criminals’ access to guns, the same laws restricts gun owning citizens who abide by the law; these citizens make up a great majority of the opposing side of this argument. These people argue that the law was made with the individual citizens in mind. This group believes that the Amendment should be interpreted to guarantee citizens free access to firearms. One major group that is in strong opposition of stricter gun control laws is the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA argues that having stricter gun control laws will only hinder law-abiding citizens. The final outcome on this debate will mainly depend on how this Amendment is going to be interpreted.
While the political topics most often discussed in the media over the past several years have been about the economy and wars on terror, gun control is still a major issue that is still being debated in Washington. Some congressmen, usually of the liberal persuasion, advocate stricter gun laws that would limit the number of guns on the street and their availability to the public. Other congressmen, usually of the conservative variety, advocate more relaxed gun laws that would increase public access to guns. The arguments over whether or not gun laws should be written to constrict gun sales or enhance gun sales often leads to discussion of the constitution, not only because of its precedence over all other laws and the connotations of claiming a proposal is unconstitutional (and hence clearly un-American,) but because the second amendment exists to guarantee citizens the right to keep and bear arms. Debates over specifics on gun control are superfluous for one simple reason: everyone should have a gun.
Multiple mass shootings such in Aurora, Colorado, Roseburg, Oregon and Newport, Connecticut has sparked massive gun control disagreement. The media has influenced two point of views regarding this topic. One side argues that increasing gun control decreases casualties of mass shootings, while the other side claims decreasing gun control increases self-defense. In a US News article by Susan Milligan, she argues that “although gun control does not stop criminal activity, it decreases accidental deaths and suicide”, thus saving lives. LA Times writer and social policy professor, James Wilson claims gun control does not solve gun violence and makes it harder for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. Both authors use language to convince the
In the book Guns, Gun Control, and Elections: The Politics and Policy of Firearms, Wilson discusses the complex issue of gun control and the many debates and controversies regarding the issue. Many people throughout the United States feel it is the right as a citizen in the United States to own a weapon, and the government should have no say in the matter. These people believe this because of the part of the Second Amendment that states, “The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” People who are strong advocates against gun control use this part of the Second Amendment to drive their point across. Advocates against gun control believe that preserving the freedom of a state through a militia is not the only way it should be looked at, these people believe that the amendment also implies a clause that takes into account one’s right for self-defense.
In 1791 the Second Amendment was ratified. "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."- Second Amendment, the U.S. Constitution. It is not a secret that the Second Amendment has been a major topic of discussion in recent news. Understanding why and how the Second Amendment came about and why several United States Presidents have tried to change the amendment is important. Getting to know the importance of regulating gun control along with discussing the many disputes, but taking into consideration the good and bad evidence is something everyone should take into account.
The debate over the right to bear arms according to the Second Amendment has been a hotly contested issue for many years in American history. The matter has been one of the most controversial issues in the second half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first; disputed between politicians on the liberal and conservative side along with issues such as abortion, capital punishment, and gay marriage. The Supreme Court has officially defined the controversial Second Amendment by stating that states have the right to maintain a militia separate from a federally controlled army (Gale Encyclopedia, pg. 155-162). However, “Courts have consistently held that the state and federal governments may lawfully regulate the sale, transfer, receipt, possession, and use of certain categories of firearms, as well as mandate who may and may not own a gun (Gale Encyclopedia, pg. 155-162).” Therefore, the issue is one that is extremely hard to clarify. Which side is right?
The second amendment to the US Constitution shows that it is unconstitutional to have complete and total gun control. The second amendment states that “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 it is the right of an American citizen, abiding by the constitution, has the right to bear arms. Currently, there are over three hundred and seven billion people residing as American citizens. Within the homes of these Americans, forty five percent have a registered gun in their household. As a diverse nation, there are many reasons why there are guns located within a household. Sixty percent stated the gun is used for protection against int...
As a result of several recent mass shootings, gun control has become a popular topic. Gun control refers to the laws, background checks, and more protections against mentally ill individuals purchasing firearms. Some of the population believes that gun control should be strengthened, while the others are against it. There have been many situations in which firearms were used to harm innocent people, but gun control is not the solution to the problem we face as a nation.
Central in the arguments against gun control is its ability to restrict any citizen of the United States the right to own guns which is protected under the constitution. Specifically, due recognition is made to its connection to the 2nd Amendment wherein it seeks to protect the individual liberties of people. This facet also applies to gun ownership regardless of the original objective and intention. “The second amendment from the Bill of Rights grants private citizens the right to bear arms. Thus, people who stand firmly against gun control insist that no legislation, technically, should have the right to take away a citizen’s guns without first repealing the amendment in question” (Groberman 1). A good approach to consider in highlighting this part comes from depriving the citizen of his basic right on the basis of specific presumption that it would be used for violence or crim...
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...
In America guns have been a major topic of controversy and have been at the forefront of many political debates. Our forefathers created the Second Amendment, which allows American citizens the right to bear arms. There are many who support the Second Amendment right to bear arms, but there are also many who oppose it. Those who support the Second Amendment often do so because it is their fundamental right granted to them by the United States Constitution. The Second Amendment allows citizens to have the ability to protect themselves and their property from outside adversaries. In contrast, there is almost not a single day in America where gun related violence is not reported in the news. This leads many to believe that guns are a key contributor to the increase in violent and deadly crimes. This has caused many to push for stricter
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.