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Argumentative Essay: The Right To Bear Arms

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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.” This statement, endlessly quoted and debated and parsed, stands as one of the fundamental pieces of the Bill of Rights. Countless debates on the national level have tried to decipher what exactly the “right to bear arms” means. When more and more innocent people are being killed at the hands of gun violence, it is time to evaluate our current lack of restrictions and checks on guns in the United States. The lack of restrictions on guns coupled with the fact that ordinary citizens can own assault rifles and military-grade weapons is an impetus for the gun violence that has become seemingly ubiquitous in the past years. The United …show more content…

According to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, “if the FFL has not been notified within three business days that the sale would violate federal or state laws, the sale may proceed by default.” Three days is not a sufficient period of time to comprehensively assess someone’s mental condition and their ability to safely carry a gun. Another problem regarding mental health background checks is the number of mental health cases that go unreported. Without records detailing a prospective gun buyer’s mental health, there is insufficient evidence to prevent them from buying a firearm. In terms of criminal history, the three-day rule still applies. Additionally, background checks are only mandatory through federally licensed firearms dealers. If ex-convicts were to buy from private sellers, they could buy firearms unrestricted by legislation. The lack of legislation surrounding mental health and criminal history background checks increases the likelihood of firearms falling into the hands of those more likely to abuse

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