On January 8, 1790, George Washington addressed the House of Representatives and Congress by proclaiming "a free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined" at his first annual address (Charters 1). Gun rights are a controversial issue in today’s day and time. With the election right around the corner, the future President of the United States has the contentious decision of whether or not to amend the Constitution to fight for the desired outcome. The United States Constitution’s second of the collected first ten amendments, otherwise known as the Bill of Rights, issued all Americans the right to bear arms; so, why prove the equal right unconstitutional (“Bill of Rights” 1)? With the modernization of the contemporary world to its current …show more content…
Two theories have emerged from the Second Amendment. Scholars, along with other professional historians, focus their scope on the first excerpt: “a well regulated militia.” They believe that the introductory clause does not promote one’s individual rights, but rather enables Congress the right to regulate and deem individual states the right to ‘self-defense.’ In return, historians termed the concept as “the collective rights theory” according to Cornell University Law School. The general public and commoners often interpret “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” as one’s independent right to bear arms without any legislative hinderance, commonly known as the “independent right theory” (“Second Amendment” 1). Being that both concepts are theories, the United States Supreme Court has not ruled either way in multiple past hearings and …show more content…
From a 2013 survey conducted by Pew Research Center, self-defense - rather than hunting or other sports involving the use of a gun - is the reason forty-eight percent of gun owners own a weapon. Hunting and sports that involve shooting supported the reason why only thirty-two percent of people own guns today. Compared to 1999, forty-nine percent of gun owners claimed they owned a weapon for hunting; a statistic that continues to drastically drop today. Statistically, when asked whether gun control would be a good idea, Americans are nearly split between two equal groups. While fifty-four percent of test subjects believe gun control acts will reduce the number of deaths in mass shooting, fifty-eight percent of participants fear that Congress’s direct involvement with amending the Constitution will make it more difficult to protect their homes and families (Clark
... the Second Amendment provides a collective right to bear arms for individuals associated with an organized military force. This court’s ruling was the first to ever favor the right to bear arms for an individual and has changed how states regulate gun ownership.
environments. Bill Clede ideas in his article seem to be guild by the idea of
The federal government should not ban the usage of guns because we need them to hunt and able to protect ourselves. People need to learn to be able to be around gun without the worry but those who use gun inappropriately shouldn’t have the guns.
Looking at the argument for stricter gun control, Gostin (2008) argues that despite America being the nation that possesses the greatest number of privately owned firearms in the world, it in fact results in the public being less safe. This point is substantiated by the fact that having a privately owned firearm in a household makes a family member five times more likely to be fatally shot than in a non-armed household. Perez-Pena (2015) notes that each year around 30,000 preventable deaths are caused by firearms, which accounts for 18% of injury related deaths in America. It also
The debate over the right to bear arms according to the Second Amendment has been a hotly contested issue for many years in American history. The matter has been one of the most controversial issues in the second half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first; disputed between politicians on the liberal and conservative side along with issues such as abortion, capital punishment, and gay marriage. The Supreme Court has officially defined the controversial Second Amendment by stating that states have the right to maintain a militia separate from a federally controlled army (Gale Encyclopedia, pg. 155-162). However, “Courts have consistently held that the state and federal governments may lawfully regulate the sale, transfer, receipt, possession, and use of certain categories of firearms, as well as mandate who may and may not own a gun (Gale Encyclopedia, pg. 155-162).” Therefore, the issue is one that is extremely hard to clarify. Which side is right?
President Barack Obama says we have an “obligation” to try anything that could save one child, but many people find this statement to be ridiculous. Gun control is thought of as a government policy or regulations to control or limit the sale and use of firearms. In the U.S. constitution, the 2nd 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. Inside America today, gun control is a major issue, especially in the political arena. People debate on the daily that not all things in society make it a safer place to live. The best intentions of America’s lawmakers often do not achieve the desired outcome; therefore, the nation is somewhat split on the idea of gun control. Some advocate there is too much government, while others feel there is not enough. Gun control may or may not help society as intended; just as giving up your constitutional rights no more ensures a safer environment nor does the gun advocate who follows laws promoting progressive gun safety.
The United State of America, established by the Founding Father who lead the American Revolution, accomplished many hardship in order to construct what America is today. As history established America’s future, the suffering the United State encountered through history illustrate America’s ability to identify mistakes and make changes to prevent the predictable. The 2nd Amendment was written by the Founding Father who had their rights to bear arms revoked when they believe rising up to their government was appropriate. The Twentieth Century, American’s are divided on the 2nd Amendment rights, “The right to bear arms.” To understand why the Founding Father written this Amendment, investigating the histories and current measures may help the American people gain a better understanding of gun’s rights in today’s America.
Larry Gerber (2011) also speaks about the history of the Second Amendment and analyzes the common laws, customs, and traditions of gun use in America. The author makes some comments on the famous phrase from the Second Amendment, which speaks about the right “to keep and bear arms,” and gives its modern interpretations (Gerber, 2011).
The debate on college campuses’ gun policies mirrors that of the national level in that at the heart of both debates is the interpretation of the Second Amendment. The Second 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.” Some argue that the wording used is outdated and that the Second Amendment does not guarantee an individual’s right to bear arms—the Supreme Court disagrees. In the 2008 Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller, the Court concluded that the wording of the Second Amendment does in fact guarantee an individual’s right to possess and carry a weapon (Mauro). While the debate over the Second Amendmant is not over yet, with the Heller ruling, for now the right to bear arms is protected by the Constitution; me...
It has been 226 years since the Second Amendment was adopted after being ratified by a majority of the states. As one may predict, America has evolved a great deal over a time span of 226 years. Due to this natural progression, people have begun to question the intent and true meaning behind the Second Amendment and its role in society today. However, the Second Amendment was only meant to be interpreted in one way. In subsequent paragraphs, I will explain the meaning behind the Second Amendment by exploring how the terms in the amendment are defined. From the definitions, I have concluded that the definition of the Second Amendment is to protect an individual’s right to keep and bear arms to ensure both national and personal freedoms and
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.
A pole performed by Pew Research shows that 61% of men and 56% of women said that passing more gun control laws would make it harder to defend their homes and their families. This means that over half of the men and women that were polled are against more gun control laws. Another poll from Pew states that 79% of males poled and 80% of females polled said that owning a gun made them feel safer. This poll’s results state that over three quarters of both men and women felt safer owning a gun. According to the National Rifle Association, guns are used for self-defense more than 2.5 million times every year. In December of 2014, Pew took another poll and found that 57% of the people that they surveyed stated that owning a gun protected them from becoming a potential victim of crime. If more gun control laws are to be created, this number would drop very quickly. More gun control laws also mean that it would be harder for a person to
There are an absolutely insane number of guns in the United States: More than 300 million, more than one per person." Therefore, it is not surprising that America has the highest death rate due to gun violence in the world. The danger that comes with guns demonstrates that stricter gun laws need to be enacted in the United states. Through this paper first I will discuss the alternative interpretation of the second amendment; Second, I will talk about gun violence. While "the NRA (National Rifle Association) believes that every law-abiding citizen is entitled to the ownership and legal use of firearms", I will argue that the production, sale, and possession of assault weapons for private citizens should be banned in the U.S. The recent shootings at Las Vegas and Parkland school in Florida have indicated the urgent needs for stricter regulations that will make it more difficult for citizens to possess a
“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.” (Amendment II, 1791). Look familiar? It should if you live in the U.S., otherwise shame on you. This concerns your ability to ‘bear arms.’ During this paper, I will go over the pros and cons to the 2nd Amendment, what people argue over what it means, and discuss both sides of those arguments. As well as some beliefs people think are true. However, I will be going over certain topics I have found online, for example, like a blog, and even a book written about gun rights… all while recieving information from the FBI, etc.
This marks the first time ever that the Pew Research Center gained more support for gun ownership than gun control. Fifty-two percent represents more than half of the nation’s population, which is tremendously high and affective. Furthermore, this detail clearly demonstrates that not only politicians have contributed in slowing down the process of gun control but rather the nation’s own citizens.