The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads, "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." In reality, what that really meant was that only those in a state regulated militia were the ones protected by the Second Amendment, though we know that has changed over time. Some assumed that the Second Amendment was set in place to protect us from the tyrannical government. Can we say that those changes have been for better or for worse or have things really changed at all? As citizens of this free country, I believe that we should be able to keep and bear arms, however; I also believe that there are a few concerns that should be addressed. …show more content…
The controversy with the Second Amendment is that it does not clarify who “the people” are. Therefore, leaving room for legislative bodies and courts to interpret and influence their decision on how laws become introduce and enforced. Therefore, if we let an individual interpret the Second Amendment we will get different opinions. For instance, we have the gun control activist, that believe that since there is not a militia, no individual should possess firearms.The activist back up their claims by stating that the possession of weapons make the country unsafe and puts children at risk children at risk of finding the weapon and accidentally shooting themselves or someone else. They also believe that only the police or government officials should have the right to carry weapons and that by banning guns it would minimizes the gang related shootings that take the lives of many innocent bystanders every day. On the other hand, we have the anti-gun control activists arguing that banning guns will not reduce crime instead it would leave law abiding citizens vulnerable to armed criminals. For instance, they mention that if convicted felons manage to get their hands on a weapon now, who says that by banning them is going to stop them from doing …show more content…
Personally, I have a few concerns with the Second Amendment that I feel require focus such as the sale of assault weapons, high capacity magazines, and the age of the applicant. I believe that gun control guidelines and regulations need to become stricter across the country. For instance, we should consider banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines to ordinary citizens and those that are permitted to purchase this sort of weapons should register them with their local agencies. Everyone has the right to bear arms if that is what they wish, but that does not mean that everyone should. I would suggest that, the ages be raised to 21 and not reduced like some states have done. A license to purchase weapons shouldn’t be treated like a driver’s license, the age is a big determining factor, in ,y opinion some 18 year old’s are not responsible enough to drive, let alone owning a weapon. All the states should follow suit and have the same rules and regulations, that will make things easier for the courts to implement those regulations. There are a few laws that don’t make any sense to me for example the right to open carrying of firearms. This I am against, I can’t understand why someone has the need to carry their weapon in public, no one should be able to carry but
Thomas Jefferson once said, “The beauty of the second amendment is that it won’t be needed until they try to take it.” Today there are people who want to take our right to bear arms, they wish for gun control and gun bans, although they don’t see that without our guns we cannot protect them, the same people who wish we couldn’t carry or own our weapons. Even our government has tried to push gun regulations on us. This is what Thomas Jefferson was trying to tell us! The second amendment to me means the right to stay free and protect the people who I care for, the American people.
Everyone in the United States of America has an opinion on gun control regardless of their age, race, or religion. From within those opinions arguments are formed. People are arguing about gun control at their jobs, at their schools, and sometimes at their places of worship. On one side of things there are the people that support gun control like certain politicians or political organizations, teachers, police officers, and so on. On the other side of things there are the people that are against gun control, people such as hunters and various types of criminals. When it comes down to sensitive topics like gun control, there are very few people that do not choose a side. The Second Amendment, like all Amendments that constitute the Bill of
The Second Amendment of the constitution of the United States was adopted on December 15, 1791. “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” (Gun Control Laws). There is controversy on the exact meaning of the Second Amendment. There is also a lot of controversy surrounding guns and gun laws, and what could be done to prevent gun violence and mass shootings in our country. There has to be a way to prevent gun violence, while still upholding the Second Amendment and protecting the rights of law abiding citizens who have the right to own and carry guns legally.
The Second Amendment, as it stands, is only one generalized sentence which does not take into consideration all of the factors in the case. For instance, the banning of certain types of weapons will not achieve the desired effect alone. Instead, a multi-faceted approach to the problem will be required to achieve the optimum effectiveness. For instance, in most cases, involving mass shootings, the weapons used were either legally obtained or were stolen by relatives of someone who legally owned the weapons. Perhaps, requiring all gun owners to securely store their weapons in a gun safe, and being held responsible if the guns fall into the wrong hand. Likewise, requiring more stringent background checks, possibly including psychiatric exams and a list of personal references to ensure that guns did not end up in the hands of someone who is mentally
The ongoing debate about gun control i largely intertwines with the 2nd Amendment. In 1791, our founding fathers ratified the 2nd amendment to the constitution, allowing the “right to bear arms”. As law-abiding citizens, we should exercise our right to carry a gun responsibly. A large portion of the American population feels that any form of gun control enactment would infringe on their rights as a gun holder and eventually eliminate their privilege to possess a firearm. Which could possibly lead to challenging other civil liberties. However, due to the carnage left from mass killings, mentally disturbed attacks, assault weapons, and terrorist, stricter
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding gun control whether it be the right wing Conservatives wishing for very little if any gun control, or the left wing Liberal wishing for very strict and predominant gun control. This topic is widely debated between many different people over many different countries. However, in America this topic is taken to new heights when you take into account the second amendment and what this amendment means to some people. 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 singular phrase has been debated thousands of times. Some believe that when it says Militia it vehemently
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”. As stated in the Wikipedia cite focused on the second amendment, “The right to bear arms is the people 's right to have their own arms for their defense”. Breaking the exact amendment down in to pieces is as simple as that, but yet throughout our world so many citizens have different thoughts and opinions. In my opinion though, I feel we as American citizens have the right to self-protection and the right to bear arms in our own homes and this right should never change.
People who are against gun control often cite the 2nd Amendment. The claim is that the 2nd Amendment gives them unfettered right to own guns. I disagree. The 2nd Amendment states “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State”. I interpret that as the government being able to supply guns to civilians who promise to protect their state as a part of a militia. Now that we have a strong, standing, voluntary military protecting us, we don't need civilians to be the ones to fight
Do you think that the framers of the Constitution intend for every U.S. citizen to have the right to bear arms? What if everyone had weapons in a mall? They could do whatever they want with them. How would you feel about gun control then? The second amendment states that people have the right to bear arms and that right should never be violated. The Constitution exactly 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" (“Gun Control”). It also empowers the state militia, which is why there are arguments about the limitation of arms. The American citizens have two different interpretations of the second amendment. One side thinks that the second amendment gives the right to bear arms only to a militia; the other side says that the second amendment gives an individual the right to bear arms. Although critics say that every US citizen has the right to keep and bear arms, gun control is needed because thousands of US citizens are killed every year because of the misuse of weapons which proves that owning weapons and firearms are doing more harm than good.
The Second Amendment reads, “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” (Caplan). “Underlying this amendment are two goals of an individual and collective defense from violence and aggression, which have been recognized by Congress” (Caplan). The second amendment should help secure right of the people to have a gun in their home. “The government should not be permitted to declare who would or would not be able to bear arms on the basis of vague religious tests or any other nebulous standard or artifice” (Caplan).
In the United States today, gun control is one of the most hot button issues in the political and social world. The debate on whether or not current gun laws are strict enough, what types of guns should be sold, and if they should be sold at all, is a large and ongoing one. While there are two very polarly different sides to the debate. The side of the debate, that aims to promote gun control is aiming to put a stop to the gun violence. However, Gun control or a gun ban, or even a complete repeal of the 2nd amendment, would not solve the problem of gun violence in this country. Not to mention, any ban on weapons should be considered as a violation of the second amendment. ( Document 2 ) Document 2, the second amendment, was put into the
The Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own guns ; that guns are needed for self-defense from threats ranging from local criminals to foreign invaders; and that gun ownership deters crime rather that causes more crime. The issue with gun control laws is that people want to add more laws related to gun control because of the recent events happening in schools and public buildings. While many people are for gun control laws, based on information, we should not enact more gun laws because they need to be utilized for self defense and are required for hunting and sports.
There is a debate that seems as if it never ends the gun control debate. And it always seems like there are only two sides to the debate. There are those whom believe that guns are a necessity. As well there are those whom believe that the second amendment should be abolished and believe guns should be outright banned. Although these are both the extremes they are both right in their own ways. Outright banning guns is not the right thing to do nor allowing anyone to have a gun at any time. The second amendment should not be changed, but there should be other changes that affect the way guns are sold.
What would you say if I were to tell you that over the past seven days, approximately 200 people have been killed by guns in the United States? What if then I said that from 1982 to 2012 in the U.S., there have been 62 mass shootings? And then, what if I told you that of the shooters in those 62 shootings, the youngest was only 11 years old? This child, along with a 13-year-old accomplice, stole 7 guns from his father and the other child’s grandfather and ambushed people outside of a school, killing 5 and wounding 10 (“A Guide to Mass Shootings in America”, April 18, 2016). The Second Amendment to the Constitution gives the people the right to bear and own arms, but it has been misinterpreted because when it was created, it was intended for states to have a militia to prevent the government from imposing unfair legislation as King George did to the colonies. Now people look at this Amendment as an unconditional right to own a gun no matter what. This was not the intent of the Amendment originally. It was originally intended to keep the citizens of this country safe and the way to do this, at the time, was to let them have a gun. Now there are many more ways to keep people safe other than owning a gun. The current laws regulating the purchasing of firearms and ammunition in the United States are practically nonexistent, and so badly upheld and enforced that they might as well not be there at all.
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution 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." (1) Gun control is not one issue, but many. To some people gun control is a crime issue, to others it is a rights issue. Gun control is a safety issue, an education issue, a racial issue, and a political issue, among others. Within each of these issues there are those who want more gun control legislation and those who want less. On both sides of this issue opinions range from moderate to extreme. Guns are not for everyone. Certain individuals cannot handle a firearm safely, and some individuals choose to use firearms