Battleground America by Jill Lepore

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

Taya Kyle, the author of the article “American Sniper Widow: Gun Control Won’t Protect Us”, believes that there are two sides of the argument on gun control. People can use statistics, facts, and real life examples to argue that there should be stricter control of guns in the US, but they cannot eliminate the emotional side of the story. While in the last two decades, violent crime rates have actually been reduced in the US, fears have gone up. Anyone can be a victim of a violent crime because if another person decides to do harm, they will do it under any circumstances.

People who appreciate activities like shooting competitions and hunting, use firearms responsibly. This use contrasts with other uses, which often result in consequences that can be both intended and unintended. With past and present mass shootings, and acts of bloodshed perpetrated with the usage of weapons; has triggered a focus on gun control that once again has been brought into the spotlight. The purpose of the ongoing gun argument addresses the crimes that are committed with guns. This issue of gun control separated people into two groups: those who believe that carrying guns might prevent some crimes and fatalities, and those who don’t. There are individuals who believe absolutely the reverse: that more crime and deaths

The debate over stricter gun laws has been ongoing in the United States for quite some time now. Individuals who oppose stricter gun control laws argue that the second amendment to the constitution of the United States constitute part of the bill of rights that protect the right of American citizens to bear arms, and any attempt to set up laws for gun control will be a direct violation of this (Hofstadter 10). They argue that the primary purpose of the amendment was to ensure that American Citizens had the capability to protect themselves against criminal activities and defend the country against external aggression. From a personal perspective, the recent surge in instances of gun violence in the United States of America indicates that stricter gun control laws are necessary for the safety of the American citizenry. Thus, this paper is going to focus on highlighting the benefits of more stringent gun control laws and why members of the public should support it.

In light of the stereotyped, yet nonetheless accurate, obsession of firearms that the American people proudly uphold, restricting the use of guns proves to be a much more difficult feat than one would have you believe. “America 's pervasive gun culture stems in part from its colonial history, revolutionary roots, frontier expansion, and the Second Amendment”.

One characteristic of American culture trough out the years, has been its affinity for diverse weaponry, particularly guns. However, many do not realize that America’s relationship with guns is engraved into the very frames upon which the country was established. In the eightieth century, as a means for hunting and self-conservation during the American Revolutionary War and the American Indian War, it was established with the enactment of the American Constitution 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”, also known as the Second Amendment. (Constitution)

In this article, Greenhaven Press, is an American publishing company which mainly publishes books on social issues, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning, explains how an improvement of stronger gun control law will save lives. Green haven Press, faults that some gun-control laws are usually board and leaves room for loopholes. Greenhaven Press, developed their thesis by citing statistical facts, the District of Columbia v. Heller case, and quotes from the Second Amendment and the Brandy Act to show how gun-control laws came about and developed flaws through-out time. Greenhaven press’s research shows that the production of the black market of guns would never die out and the only way to keep structure within the American society is to make stronger

The author of “Confessions of a Liberal Gun Owner” is both anti-gun and pro-gun. He argues that it is too easy for someone to obtain a gun and that there should be tighter regulations on gun ownership. But at the same time, he also believes that owning guns can be useful especially when they are needed to protect yourself or your family.

Guns are one of the most controversial and debated-upon topics in America today. In the Constitution, Americans are given “the right to bear arms,” and many Americans are proud of and believe strongly in that right. Though, that right has been constantly misused. Homicides by gun are at a higher rate in the United States than any other country in the world, mass shootings are at an all time high (many of which have occurred in the past two years alone), and terrorism has been at an all-time high. So, naturally, it is a topic that needs to be discussed. In the articles Change Your Gun Laws, America (1), author Fareed Zakaria provides the readers with some harrowing statistics on guns and insight over how the U.S. laws on guns need to be managed.

The history of guns has long been embedded in our society and culture. Back in the old days, people used guns for the hunting of food. Most people in those days also would use guns as their main source of income as wells as for the protection of themselves from Indians, wild animals, and other enemies. There had less rules concerning the purchasing of guns and the handling of it. However, the times are really changing and the intents of civilians to do things are sometimes not for the better. According to the viewpoint essay “Stronger Gun Control Laws Will Save Lives” by Christine Watkins, Watkins states that there are “400,000 crimes committed every year,” and “the United States has the highest rate of firearm deaths (more than 30,000 each year) among twenty-five high-income nations.” Firearms are very dangerous, and having guns does not necessarily mean that it will protect a person from enemies. It is the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens, not the citizens themselves. There would be a reduction of gun-related deaths and incidents by having stricter gun regulations and performing more thorough background checks or gun owners.

The continuing Mass Shootings in the United States has caused the gun control debate to intensify. While anti-gun control advocates say the Second Amendment guarantees each individual the right to bear arms, the pro-gun control group reads the Second Amendment as a collective right to bear arms; meaning organized militia are the only ones with that right. This essay will analyse the effectiveness of several different articles which present arguments for and against gun control.

The article “Will recent shooting influence gun legislation” takes about how the recent shootings are having an influence on people's perspective on gun control. It explains the various mass shootings across America such as the one at Charleston. Some people are deciding to go out and buy more guns, while others are trying to enforce more gun control laws. The American people are split down the middle, deciding whether they should protect gun rights or attack then. The article tackles varying concepts, such as mental health with guns and the use of assault rifles. It shows how gun violence has escalated in the past few years, and how the American people are reacting to it. Overall, it is about

In the United States of America the right to bear arms gave birth to a phenomenon called the “gun culture,” the term coined in 1970 by a historian Richard Hofstadter, which describes America’s heritage and affection for weapons(1). Not only did gun culture become an inseparable part of American democracy, but also it is considered to be synonymous with independence and freedom, the most important values for American society. Even though the crime rate and murder rate in the U.S. is higher than in any other developed country, U.S. citizens oppose every attempt made to pass gun control legislation(2). However, it may sound like a paradox, but the crime level in the most liberal states, when it comes to gun ownership, is the lowest in the

In 2002, with the release of *Bowling for Columbine*, I hoped to challenge the irreplaceable position of the gun in the heart of the American spirit. It devastates and unsettles me, that more than a decade later, as a ‘civilised’ society, we are no better than we were at the beginning of the century. We are stuck in a perpetual mutiny against guns, one that led and will lead to nothing but exponential escalation of violence and unamiable phony politics.

“The story of post-revolutionary America,” writes Rosemarie Zagarri, “is the story of how American women and men sought to define – and ultimately to limit and restrict – the expansive ideals they had so successfully deployed against Britain.” In this excerpt from Revolutionary Backlash, Zagarri depicts the extreme radicalism of the American Revolution, while also suggesting that there were some constraints to its extremism. Unlike the normal way of life in European government and society, Americans desired a nation in which the inherent rights and freedoms of individuals were recognized and respected. While these rights and freedoms were ultimately achieved, many groups of people were still left out. Women of all kinds, people of color,