Over the last few years, homicides due to firearms have seen a large increase in commonality and the debate over gun ownership is as impassioned as ever before. On one hand, avid gun owners cite the 2nd Amendment and their constitutional right to bear arms as reason to maintain possession over their firearms. On the other hand though, many fanatics believe that guns should not be accessible to any member of society, exempt of course for only members of the law enforcement or their country’s military. However, weighing all the possible options and providing resources for stricter gun control laws could help save the lives of many countless victims. Currently, there are over 33,000 gun related deaths per year, coupled with over 370 mass shootings …show more content…
Currently, each store must conduct a background check that consists of asking of prior convictions and commitments to mental institutions from the potential buyer. If in the case that the buyer is deemed fit for purchase, they can likely walk out of the store with a gun, including a high-powered automatic rifle, the same day. However, if their application is flagged a more extensive background check is conducted, rightfully so. Nonetheless, rejections only occur in less than 1% of gun applications and more often than not uninformed and untrained citizens become gun owners if they apply (LePore 4). Even members of the “No Fly List,” a list for potential domestic terrorists, who aren’t allowed to board American flights, are often allowed to obtain a gun license without much thorough investigation to their background as long as they haven’t been labeled mentally disabled. Such is the case with the Orlando’s gay nightclub shooter last year, Omar Mateen. Mateen, was a suspected terrorist, who although was on the “No Fly List,” was still allowed to obtain a highly powered automatic weapon just days before his unprovoked massacre. By applying a more thorough required background process, gun stores face much less risk of selling to a potentially unstable person with ulterior motives than
Science fiction author Robert Heinlein once said “"An armed society is a polite society." While, Heinlein may have been a science fiction author, modern American society has always had a fascination and love of guns. Gun rights activists frequently use the Second Amendment in their defense of gun rights which 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.” However, in the wake of an increase in violent gun crimes many areas have sought to ban certain types of guns. This dispute was at the center of the Supreme Court Case, District of Columbia v. Heller which ignited a fire storm over whether the District of Columbia had the right to ban
Sandy Hook Elementary. Aurora, Colorado. San Bernardino, California. Las Vegas, Nevada. Orlando, Florida. (Words with Negative Connotation) These are just some of the biggest mass shootings that have swept America in the past few years. Hundreds of lives are lost each year to gun related violence in the United States alone. Gun control has been a topic in our country since our founding fathers adopted the second amendment to the US constitution. Although recently controversy has sparked to an all-new extent in America due to the recent spike in mass shootings and gun related homicides. So many families and loves ones are affected each year in the United States because of gun related violence and other mass killing events, because of these events gun control laws need to be revamped and strengthened in American in order to protect the citizens.
The Second Amendment of the US Constitution protects individual gun ownership. The Second Amendment of the US 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." Gun ownership is an American tradition older than the country itself and is protected by the Second Amendment; more gun control laws would infringe upon the right to bear arms. Justice Antonin Scalia, LLB, in the June 26, 2008 District of Columbia et al. v. Heller US Supreme Court majority opinion syllabus stated, "The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home." The McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) ruling also stated that the Second Amendment is an individual right. Lawrence Hunter, Chairman of Revolution PAC, stated, "The Founders understood that the right to own and bear laws is as fundamental and as essential to maintaining liberty as are the rights of free speech, a free press, freedom of religion and the other protections against government encroachments on liberty delineated in the Bill of Rights."
Gun control has been a topic of conversation for a long time. With that comes the issue of gun violence that has taken over America, from concerts and movie theaters to schools and churches, mass shooting have taken many lives. Data has shown that 19 children are hospitalized every day from a gun related injury and 1,300 children are killed each year from gun injuries. And there are many people who are opposite sides of the firearm issue. Some people believe that it is their constitutional right to be able to own as many guns as they want while the opposite side of the spectrum believes that the second amendment should be erased from the constitution and make guns illegal. However, many people on both sides agree that kids need to be taught gun safety.
"The world is filled with violence. Because criminals carry guns, we decent law-abiding citizens should also have guns. Otherwise, they will win and the decent people will lose."-James Earl Jones. I chose this quote because if you don’t let good citizens protect themselves then criminals will take advantage of that. There is no real way to get rid of guns and there will always be guns. Just to clarify something a lot of people don’t know is that all automatic rifles are already illegal in our country. You can only buy semi-automatic rifles. The only way people can make semi-automatic rifles automatic is by illegally converting them using a device called a bump stock. President Trump is already pursuing a ban on all sales of bump stocks. Gun Control does not work because no evidence proves it deters crime rates at all, it just takes away guns from good citizens
In the third Bush-Kerry debate, taken place in 2004, George W. Bush stated, “I believe law abiding citizens ought to be able to own a gun. I believe in background checks. The best way to protect our citizens from guns is to prosecute those who commit crimes with guns.” Simply put, people who follow the guns laws do not deserve to have these rights banned (www.OnTheIssues.org). Gun control is the act of trying to limit what type of gun is to be sold and who guns should be sold to. This debate of whether to have strict or open gun laws has been around since the start of the country. The Second Amendment is meant to protect the American citizen’s right to guns; although people today still argue over the definition. As a result in the decline
“If we don’t get gun control laws in this country, we are full of beans. To have the NRA rule the U.S. is pathetic. And I agree with Mayor Michael Bloomberg: It’s time to put up or shut up about gun control for both parties.” These are the words Harvey Weinstein spoke in his opinion about gun control. The United States has a gun problem, and many acts regarding gun control have been issued. Those acts have proven that gun control decreased violence. Gun control has been changed and added to for years. In regards to certain types of violence, gun control acts have been issued since 1934. While some think gun safety can decrease violence, gun control has and will increase safety. Gun control can decrease violence as it’s done in the past, it will create safer schools, and it can limit the availability of firearms. Although some
How many times have you heard on the news about another shooting? Too many times! Having gun laws is something that a lot of people disagree and argue about. I think there should be more gun control laws for fewer deaths and safety reasons.
Guns. They kill people. They are responsible for millions of deaths throughout history, through genocide and war. They are responsible for domestic tragedies such as Newtown and Columbine. What isn’t understood and not portrayed in today’s media about guns though is what they can do to ensure freedom for all, and guarantee safety to those who possess them. All gun control laws should be immediately repealed, legally justified by the second amendment.
In the US there are an estimated 300 million guns spread among more than a third of the population. But are these guns being put to correct use,along with this the US also has the highest homicide rate as a result of firearms in developed countries, with over %60 of homicides being firearm related. So the question is Should gun laws be tightened in the United states?
Did you hear about the recent school shootings? A substantial amount of them could have been prevented with more gun control laws. In the United States, there is an abundance of legally owned guns. However, there have been a number of shootings using legally-owned guns, bringing up the issue of whether or not to enact more gun control laws. Supporters argue that the 2nd Amendment was intended for militias, and that gun violence incidents would become rarer. Opponents argue that the 2nd Amendment gives people the right to own guns, and that guns are used for self-defense. I know that more gun control laws must be enacted in the United States, because the 2nd Amendment doesn’t extend to regular citizens, and they would reduce gun deaths.
“The second amendment of The United States Bill of Rights is my concealed weapons permit, period.”- Ted Nugent. Saving lives one by one starts with limiting the purchase, sale, and use of guns in America. According to Alexander Lee, the political and social debate over the question of how much gun control is appropriate and it has been regularly discussed within the last decade. Shootings such as Sandy Hook, and Tucson shootings have raised the government’s awareness on guns and possible restrictions and regulations. Gun talks are discussed with the question, “Will controlling guns cut back on violent crime rates?” Although many guns are open to be sold to the public over 18, there are traditional gun laws that limit who can own them. These laws include sell restrictions to the mentally disabled, the age in which you can obtain a gun, background checks, and dishonorably discharged military personnel. Gun control laws could have a positive effect in America by reducing homicide rates, but at the same time, citizens still have the right to bear arms under the second amendment under the U.S constitution. Gun control laws do not mean the absolute confiscation of guns, but rather reduce the amount of power a gun and the amount of ammo that a gun can hold.
I would consider myself to be a conservative, although I do share a few liberal beliefs. I am a
"The long, difficult history of gun control." Washington Post. 23 Dec. 2012: A8. eLibrary. Web.
In the constitution the second amendment says, "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 means a person has the right to keep a gun inside their house for self-defence, but does that right also exist to have a gun outside their home? The controversy for gun control has been going back and forth for federal issue and states right. On my behalf, I believe it’s not the guns who harm the people but the people who use the guns. We can’t just ban guns, we still need to protect ourself but there can be a better control and laws for the use of guns.