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Dec 6, 2023
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The Second Amendment
Joshua Chambers
Southern New Hampshire University
Politics 200
Abstract
To be sure, one of the more controversial amendments would be the Second Amendment.
This is the amendment that covers a private citizens right to bear arms. This amendment has been
analyzed from many different standpoints. From wording to grammar, the Second amendment
has been interpreted in different ways by the two parties. It has even defied logic convention
when it comes to how the parties typically look at the constitution.
I will try and shed some light on the framers thinking about why they worded the
amendment the way they did. In doing this I will lean heavily on case law and research from
respected scholars from both sides of the political aisle. We will look to the typically
republican/conservative pro-gun view as well as the liberal/democrat gun control camps to give
an unbiased look into this topic.
Thesis Statement
I plan on explaining in depth that from its inception the second amendment mirrors the
open-endedness. The framers’ intended to leave the amendment vague to allow for adaptation to
changing times and technology. I will engage in good faith the gun control argument by
providing statistics, case law and scholarly research to help us understand the effect the Second
Amendment has on not only a private citizen but how it works with other amendments in the
constitution.
The Liberal/Democrat View of The Second Amendment
By and large you will find the current state of the democratic party to be in favor of gun
control and tight restrictions and regulations on how and what can be purchased as a private
citizen. Obviously not all democrats are as drastic as others. But they all do believe that you can
legislate your way to ending gun violence that no doubt does plague many major as well as
minor cities throughout the US.
Democrats believe that they can reduce gun violence while
respecting the rights of responsible gun owners. They believe they should expand and strengthen
background checks for those who want to purchase a firearm because it shouldn’t be easier to get
a gun than a driver’s license in their estimation (one marked difference would be there is no right
to a driver’s license embedded in the constitution. It is considered a privilege in most states.)
How Do the Democrats Read and Interpret the Second Amendment
One of the major points of contention that democrats make is illustrated by Rep. Jamie
Raskin of Maryland. In defending a Biden Administration ruling upholding a rule enacted by the
ATF banning pistol braces (something we will cover at a later point in this paper.) Rep. Raskin
stated that
we don’t want them to repeal the Second Amendment. We want them to read the
Second Amendment.” Raskin argued that his Republican colleagues repeatedly invoke the
second half of the Second Amendment, describing the right to keep and bear arms, but gloss over
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