The debate over gun control has been a major topic in the United States for decades. The national government has not adopted a definitive position on the issue, even though there is legislation in existence which attempts to regulate the possession and use of firearms by individuals. There are many opinions as to whether or not individuals reserve the right to own guns, and whether or not the government has the Constitutional power to regulate the ownership and possession of guns by its citizens. Many consider gun ownership a right guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution, and therefore are against the government’s interference where private possession is concerned. Others believe that despite the 2nd Amendment, the government …show more content…
However, ever since that time, the majority of issues regarding the Second Amendment related to gun use by the militia. Only in recent years did gun control become an issue discussed in regards to individual use by civilians. The first modern federal action aimed at regulating the use of guns was the Gun Control Act of 1968, which according to the Council on Foreign Relations “prohibited the sale of firearms to several categories of individuals, including persons under eighteen years of age, those with criminal records, the mentally disabled, unlawful aliens, dishonorably discharged military personnel, and others” (CFR). This piece of legislation sets a good foundation but needs a more extensive set of guidelines regarding gun possession and use so that dangerous situations are prevented. According to Angela Valdez, who authored Gun Control, an account of the history of gun control in America, the Gun Control Act was modified in 1993 with the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which mandated background checks for all persons purchasing a firearm from a federally licensed dealer (Valdez). While good in theory, the Brady Law has a major flaw: it does not apply to individuals who are already licensed to carry
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
America needs to institute, and initiate gun control laws throughout the entire nation. But not everybody who inhabits the United States believes in regulating arms. Those who are against establishing gun laws argue that gun control directly infringes upon their “right to bear arms” granted to them by the 2nd Amendment. Anti gun control supporters, such as the National Rifle Association, often claim that the act of regulating guns is a sufficient reason why such an Amendment was introduced in the constitution; to protect themselves from any and all forms of violation of civil liberties and freedom. Supporters of anti gun laws are unwilling to welcome any interpretations of the 2nd Amendment that do not match up “word for word,” as was written in the Bill of Rights.
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.
The gun control issue has recently created a massive uproar throughout the U.S. due to some major horrific events such as the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, where 32 people were killed, the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 where 27 people were killed, mostly children, and the Columbine shooting in 1999 where 13 people were killed, (CNN) as well as many others. To some, it is a crime issue, to others it’s a right’s issue. It is, obviously, a safety issue, an education issue, a racial issue, and a political issue, among others, and within each of these issues there are those who want more gun control, the Democrats, and those who
The debate over gun control has been raging through the American political systems for years. On one side, there is the National Rifle Association (NRA) and 2nd Amendment-citing citizens who use their firearms for hunting and self-defense. On the other, there is Handgun Control Inc. (HCI) and followers of the Brady Campaign who want to ban guns on the basis that they are dangerous. Both sides have strong arguments, anchored in historical precedent and statistical analysis. Anti-gun control lobbyists’ arguments include the guarantee of the 2nd Amendment, the definition of “militia” as any adult male, self-defense, the relative uselessness of permits and regulations, and court cases in favor of firearm possession. Pro-gun control activists
When the state of Virginia enacted its one-gun-a-month law, specifically targeted at reducing the amount of gun trafficking, there was a significant drop in the number of out of state crime guns traced back to Virginia dealers. In twelve states where child access prevention laws were put in place and in effect for over a year, unintentional firearm deaths fell by 23 percent among children under the age of 15. Following Maryland’s adoption of a ban on “gun junk” firearm homicides dropped by 8.6 percent, a total of 40 lives saved. Finally, after the passage of the Brady Law in 1994, which required background checks to be issued prior to purchasing a firearm, aggravated assaults with a weapon dropped by 35 percent and a total of five hundred thousand people with a criminal record were legally prevented from obtaining a gun (Gun Control, 2013). According to gun control proponents, these few examples are more than enough evidence to show that sensible gun laws can and do work and that if more laws like them were put in place the results would be astonishing. In addition to sensible gun laws being put in place, gun control proponents strongly believe that closing loopholes is a key component that can reduce crime and make society safer. Gun control proponents like to point out that although some gun regulations are
There has been an increase in gun sales and conceal and carry permits nearly tripling from 4.7 million to 12.8 million in response to mass shootings like Sandy Hook (Johnson). As time goes on, there has been an increased amount of debates about whether or not the United States should be adding additional regulations to firearms. Some say the U.S. should not because it would be considered as the government infringing on the people’s rights in the words of the Second Amendment: “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.” On the opposing side, others feel that guns are something that should not be
Gun control laws are the government’s way of regulating the manufacture, sale, transportation, possession, and use of firearms. In our world today, we face the vast controversy of gun control and who should be able to possess a destructive firearm, and under what conditions. These laws differ significantly around the world, and in fact the laws in the United States vary by state. Supporters of strict gun laws argue the dangers of allowing citizens broad rights to possess firearms. Opponents claim that they wish to have a source of defense in their home, and also that certain regulations may violate their individual rights. Gun control laws are protected by the second amendment in the Bill of Rights, the right to bear arms. “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.” The bill guarantees Americans the
In the past few years Gun control has become a hot topic throughout America. With all the shootings going around the United States, we are faced with controversies over gun control. Americans believe that their government is going to do whatever is best for them, but is that true when they are trying to strip us of our rights that were created for us over 300 years ago. Our country has been thriving with the amendments and laws set before us, and today we are trying to change them. But by just changing a few laws is that really going to stop a criminal from getting what they wanted, there criminals for a reason. Our second amendment gives us the right to bear arms and protect our selves from enemies foreign and domestic. This is the foundation of country; we fight to keep the right that were given to us, so that we can protect our families, our country, and our freedom.
Today in the United States gun control is a topic of immense debate, because of the shooting that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary located in Newtown, Connecticut. This most recent tragic event ended the lives of 20 students and six adults. Similar events have occurred across the United States at a movie theater in Colorado, on college campuses in Texas and Virginia, or at the grocery store in Arizona each destroying families in many communities. The questions deserving consideration is have the American people had enough lives destroyed by these horrible events and are Americans ready for the federal government to impose stricter gun control laws. Learning Team C is for stricter gun control laws and will
Millburn township students and residents held a gun violence prevention rally in Taylor Park yesterday afternoon, as a show of unity for the National Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools. Speakers included gun violence prevention activists, students, and local government officials. Lead organizer, parent and transformational coach Gina Abrams felt inspired by the activism of the Parkland students and wanted to do something that would keep the spotlight on the issue of gun law reform, as well as honor the victims of gun violence.
Close your eyes and relax. Imagine that you are in a time of 236 years ago, and imagine that you are one of the few people that had the privilege of writing the country’s constitution. It would not take long until you get to the second amendment. This 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” (Davis). This amendment has extreme importance, and should not be taken lightly. However, this amendment is not accepted like it used to be, and it is a big controversy in the United States today. Should the public be allowed to have weapons, or should the government take them
Gun control has a history dating back to 1791, when the Second Amendment of the Constitution was ratified. However, more recently, the debate over gun control has escalated into a much more public issue to which many citizens can relate. After all, stories about incidents involving guns appear frequently today in newspapers and on television or the radio. One could say that the debate started with the passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968, which banned ownership of guns by certain groups of people and regulated the sale of guns. Since then, two main groups have gradually appeared: people who oppose strict federal
Gun rights are a hotly debated topic in the United States, especially in light of recent mass shootings that have occurred. Guns have caused a high number of casualties, eliciting a need to reassess gun laws. There is no one easy solution to the problem, especially due to the development of new firearms such as assault rifles, machine guns, and semi-automatic handguns. Before delving more into the subject matter at hand, let us explore more about the history of gun policies in the US.
Gun Control is always at the height of any debate whether it be brought up in an important vital political debate or amongst a small gathering in public, it is always a hot topic of controversy. Through the years of letting people think upon this topic, the want for more and want for less is dividing the nation nearly in half. Controlling the arms which we the people have the right to bear comes down to common sense, but to make the control laws stricter is to give the government to much power and control over our lives and duties as free Americans. Those who support having stricter gun control laws do not have very persuasive support for their cause, and if they do it is not very scientific and includes unsupported data. Possibly they