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Bearing Arms at Nineteen Years Old Essay

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The right to bear arms is embedded in our Nation’s constitution as the second amendment of the Bill of Rights. The amendment states, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed (Bill of Rights).” Currently these laws should be extended to nineteen year olds because they are considered legal adults and citizens. Although the United States no longer has local militias, the idea of keeping a secure state still stands today. Since 1960, the general trend for crime in the United States is at a gradual increase (Uniform Crime Reports). With the growing concern for the safety of the community, young adults at the age of nineteen should be able to …show more content…

That being said, this increased exposure to society leads to more exposure to threat. In 2009, David Ward, president of the American Council on Education, stated perfectly “The events of September 11, 2001, certainly changed the way campuses, as well as the rest of the country, view the issue of security.” He goes on, “the tragedy at Virginia Tech has put these issues at the forefront of our Nation’s consciousness (United States).” Many other events that have happened in American society raise awareness and concern towards societal terrorization also. In addition, in 2010, “an estimated 1,246,248 violent crimes occurred nationwide” and thirty-eight and a half percent of these crimes were robbery, forced rape, and homicide (U.S. Department of Justice). Because nineteen year olds are more exposed to danger in society, nineteen year olds should have a legal right to conceal a handgun for protection of the individual carrier and the public as a whole. In addition, giving a nineteen year old the ability to use handguns for recreational purposes enables them to use what they learn, through the required courses they take, in a way that is not harmful to the public. In fact, many universities have gun clubs that participate in competitions for college students, many of whom are not twenty-one. The participation of clubs allows for social acceptance and better self-esteem for gun owners, lessening the likelihood of ill use of handguns by owners.

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