In the United States government today, one of the foremost issues is whether or not weaponry should not only be restricted but completely taken away. The issue is more predominant than it used to be because of the increase in mass shootings, such as Newtown, CT and Aurora, CO. Pope Benedict XVI said, “No reduction or elimination of arms can happen without eliminating violence at its root.” However, something our government does not realize is that guns are not the root of violence, but are merely a branch of the larger tree. The United States government should place a restriction on eligibility when purchasing an assault rifle, but not on the purchase of handguns and bolt-action rifles which are needed for self-protection, for the livelihood of certain Americans, the protection of our basic Second Amendment right, and to bolster our economy. The American citizen’s need for self-protection when being assaulted by a criminal is necessary and should be one of the paramount reasons not to apply gun laws to the American society. All citizens have the right to defend themselves as a way of freeing themselves or others from possible harm from an aggressor. The country itself has a right to self-preservation, and if weapons are taken from United States citizens, the people would have to put all faith in the United States Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corp) when attacked by terrorists, rival countries, and other such groups. Pope Benedict XVI said, “States will need to be armed for reason of legitimate defense.” The official Vatican stand on this controversial topic is not clear. Vatican officials and popes have given speeches on the subject but have not written any encyclicals, a letter written ... ... middle of paper ... ...+debates>. Masters, Jonathan. “U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons.” Backgrounder. Jul. 15, 2013, Council on Foreign Relations. Web. Oct. 10, 2013 . Snow, Elly. “Gun Control and Hunting.” Sporting Life 360. Nov. 12, 2008. Web. Nov. 5, 2013 . White, Brian. “Maryland Gun Sales Reach Record Levels Right Before New Gun Control Law Takes Effect.” Huff Post Politics. Sep. 28, 2013, Huffington Post. Web. Oct. 10, 2013 . Zapor, Patricia. “Faith groups begin to muster their member in support of gun controls.” Catholic News Service. Jan. 18, 2013, USCCB. Web. Oct. 2, 2013. .
Carter, Gregg Lee, ed. “Federal Gun Laws.” Gun Control in the United States: A Reference
James D. Agresti and Reid K. Smith, (01/22/12). Gun Control Facts- “Number of Hunters in America. Retrieved on (02/11/12)
Richman, Sheldon. "The Seen and Unseen in Gun Control." The Freeman 1 Oct 1998: 610-611
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Opposing sides have for years fought over the laws that govern firearms. For the purposes of this paper "Gun Control" is defined as policies enacted by the government that limit the legal rights of gun owners to own, carry, or use firearms, with the intent of reducing gun crimes such as murder, armed robbery, aggravated rape, and the like. So defined, gun control understandably brings favorable responses from some, and angry objections from others. The gun control debate is generally publicized because of the efforts of the Pro-Gun Lobby or the Anti-Gun Lobby.
“I don’t believe people should be able to own guns. (Obama)” This said prior to Obama’s presidency, in the 1990’s, is still a topic that is constantly questioned today. Many American’s feel the need to seek ownership of weapons as a source of protection; While others believe that private ownership of guns will do nothing more but heighten the rate of violence due to people taking matters into his or her own hands. Philosophy professor Jeff McMahan agrees with Obama’s statement in regard to the ownership of guns. In his New York Times editorial titled “When Gun ‘Control’ Is Not Enough,” McMahan provides evidence to support his theory of the dangers that quickly follow when allowing the community to own guns legally. McMahan, throughout the text, shows responsible reasoning and allows the reader the opportunity to obtain full understanding and justifies his beliefs properly.
Ring, Ray. “Guns R Us.” High Country News (Paonia, Co) Vol. 39, No. 14 Aug. 6 2007:10-17. Sirs Issues Researcher. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.
Rauch, Jonathan. “The Right Kind of Gun Rights.” National Journal Vol. 40 Issue 11. Academic Search Complete. 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 6 June 2015.
Fields, Gary. "New Washington Gun Rules Shift Constitutional Debate." Wall Street Journal. 17 May. 2010: A. 1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Wilson, H. (2007). Guns, gun control, and elections. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Johnson, Constance N., and Ralph Shortey. "Should People Be Allowed to Carry Guns Openly?" 4.16(n.d.): 16.Web.
This is a credible and authoritative source that tries for the first time to handle different views between groups of culturists and empiricist. I think it’s a bold step into the whole debate issue of guns. I like the way the authors are able to break down the apparent differences between conflicting groups and even offer an amicable solution to solving the
Gius, Mark. "Gun Ownership and the Gun Control Index." Atlantic Economic Journal 36 (2008): 497-498 MasterFILE Premier. 30 Oct.2013
The Crux,. 'If You Believe In "Gun Control," This Is Probably Not For You... '. N.p., 2014. Web. 30 Oct.