Gun control is the effort to restrict or limit the possession and use of guns. The gun control debate may be one of the most important issues in our society. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that the 2nd Amendment restrains the government’s ability to ban handguns. Some politicians are passionate about gun control and make voting decisions based upon on this issue alone; hence, the people we elect into office directly affect our lives. A few republican politicians have a strong belief in the right to own guns. This battling contradiction can sometimes make it difficult to approach the issue reasonably. The arguments have different statistics and facts regarding how firearms can impact society. It is important to realize that there are strong and valid points to be made for both sides of gun control issues. With that in mind, is there a “right” or “wrong” side to this issue? Gun right advocates believe that the 2nd 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” guarantees the right to own guns and that gun control laws are a violation of their constitutional rights.(constitution) Sarah Palin, Alaska’s former governor, believes that gun control is taking away the rights from the citizens in which the 2nd Amendment has granted them. She is in favor of the constitution and expresses that gun control laws are unconstitutional; “I support our constitutional right to bear arms…You start putting more and more laws on guns and you take away a second amendment right.” (Romano 2) The government is constantly proposing legislation for more and more gun control. However, they cannot be so naive to think criminal... ... middle of paper ... ...ent, and More - Newsweek. 30 Jan. 2011. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/30/sarah-palin-s-gun-control-warnings-at-safari-club-international.html Romano, Andrew. "Sarah Palin's Gun Control Warnings at Safari Club International - Newsweek." Newsweek - National News, World News, Business, Health, Technology, Entertainment, and More - Newsweek. 30 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2014. http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/30/sarah-palin-s-gun-control-warnings-at-safari-club-international.html Souter, David. "David Souter on Gun Control." OnTheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues. 09 Feb. 2010. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. . United States. The U.S. Constitution - The 2nd Amendment. By James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. .
"The Controversy of Gun Control." Open Discussion about Various Controversies. N.p.. Web. 3 Dec 2013. .
Joseph Sobran argues that, “there are solid constitutional arguments against gun control. For one thing, nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government granted the right to limit an individual's right to own firearms”. He states that the government has no right to limit guns. Even though he has a point there is a limit to that statement such as serious criminals and mentally unstable people. Likewise Sharon Harris states that guns protect people against criminals, “the right to bear arms protects the individual from violent aggressors and from the ineffective protection state and federal government is offering its citizens … criminals benefit from gun control laws that make it more difficult for ordinary citizens to protect themselves.” She believes that guns keep people safe and that regulating guns will only benefit criminals. This is not true because regulations help prevent criminals from getting guns. Having less regulations is a dangerous
Richman, Sheldon. "The Seen and Unseen in Gun Control." The Freeman 1 Oct 1998: 610-611
Conservatives believe that the Second Amendment gives citizens of the United States the right to bear arms. Citizens also have the right to defend themselves. Conservative views point out that laws pertaining to gun control do not stop people who disobey the law, such as criminals, from obtaining guns. To lower the gun crime rates, new, additional laws should not be created. Instead, the enforcement and abidance of laws currently in place is what is needed in order to solve the issue of gun control, according to the conservative view. On the opposing political viewpoint of the liberals, guns are not needed for citizens’ protection. The role of the government is to protect the people through law enforcement and military. Liberals believe that there should be more gun control laws created in order to lessen gun violence as well as limit the ability for criminals to obtain guns. Liberals believe that more violence is inevitable with more guns in the possession of citizens (Conservative vs. Liberal
“Gun Control Reform.” Issues & Controversies. Facts On File New Services, 28 Feb. 2011.Web Oct. 2013.
Johnson, Fawn. "The Silver Lining in the Gun-Control Defeat." National Journal. (2013): Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web 31 Oct. 2013
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.
Throughout the years there has been an ongoing debate over the Second Amendment and how it should be interpreted. The issue that is being debated is whether our government has the right to regulate guns. The answer of who has which rights lies within how one interprets the Second Amendment. With this being the case, one must also think about what circumstances the Framers were under when this Amendment was written. There are two major sides to this debate, one being the collective side, which feels that the right was given for collective purposes only. This side is in favor of having stricter gun control laws, as they feel that by having stricter laws the number of crimes that are being committed with guns will be reduced and thus save lives. However while gun control laws may decrease criminals’ access to guns, the same laws restricts gun owning citizens who abide by the law; these citizens make up a great majority of the opposing side of this argument. These people argue that the law was made with the individual citizens in mind. This group believes that the Amendment should be interpreted to guarantee citizens free access to firearms. One major group that is in strong opposition of stricter gun control laws is the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA argues that having stricter gun control laws will only hinder law-abiding citizens. The final outcome on this debate will mainly depend on how this Amendment is going to be interpreted.
America is the most well armed nation in the world, with American citizens owning about 270 million of the world’s 875 million firearms (Marshall). Indeed, this is more than a quarter of the world’s registered firearms. The reason why Americans own so many guns is because of the Second Amendment, 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.” (Rauch) This amendment guarantees U.S. citizens the right to have firearms. Since this amendment is relatively vague, it is up for interpretation, and is often used by gun advocates to argue for lenient gun laws. Hence, gun control is a frequently discussed controversial topic in American politics.
Wilson, H. (2007). Guns, gun control, and elections. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Joaquin Sapien, How the NRA Undermined Congress’ Last Push for Gun Control, propublica.org, Jan. 24,
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 growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified. As citizens of the “Land of the Free” possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity... Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and gun related crimes in an effort to call on the government to take action. By enacting more laws and stricter control, these people not in favor of guns feel society would be better safer.
The second amendment to the US Constitution shows that it is unconstitutional to have complete and total gun control. The second amendment 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.” This means that it is the right of an American citizen, abiding by the constitution, has the right to bear arms. Currently, there are over three hundred and seven billion people residing as American citizens. Within the homes of these Americans, forty five percent have a registered gun in their household. As a diverse nation, there are many reasons why there are guns located within a household. Sixty percent stated the gun is used for protection against int...
Sowell, Thomas. " Do Gun-Control Laws Control Guns? ." National Review [Washington] 22 Feb. 2013: 1. Print.
For years proposals for gun control and the ownership of firearms have been among the most controversial issues in modern American politics. The public debate over guns in the United States is often seen as having two side. Some people passionately assert that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own guns while others assert that the Second Amendment does no more than protect the right of states to maintain militias. There are many people who insist that the Constitution is a "living document" and that circumstances have changed in regard to an individual’s right to bear arms that the Second Amendment upholds. The Constitution is not a document of total clarity and the Second Amendment is perhaps one of the worst drafted of all its amendments and has left many Americans divided over the true intent.