Addressing the Gun Violence Crisis in the United States

In the past year there have been a worrying number of shootings in the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there has been 290 mass shootings in 2015 (gunviolencearchieve.org). The United States needs to find a way to limit these numbers any way possible. Although guns are a “right” because of the second amendment, there is no logical explanation on why an assault weapon, which can shoot more than 10 bullets before needing to reload, are legal. Times have changed so the laws should too. The country no longer needs a militia when there is an army trained to protect us. The United States needs to better regulate guns, whether it is a better background checks or banning military-style weapons. Each year 30,000 deaths are caused by guns (Goldberg). Guns are a huge issue in the United States because something so dangerous is also an American pass time. Guns are used for hunting and protection. However, certain guns are not actually needed for hunting or protection. By adding more regulations to guns, it can make gun ownership safer. Contrary to what many believe, gun regulation doesn’t mean getting rid of all the guns in the United States, but by making
People believe the second amendment gives them the right to own as many guns as they want because they are a United States citizen. The second amendment, which says “the right to bear arms shall not be infringed”, begins with “a well-regulated militia”. This does not give an individual the right to own guns because they want to but for the safety of our country. The Constitution, written in 1787, helped the United States get soldiers in a time when we needed an army. It is now 2016 and we have an army to keep us protected from various threats. Michael Waldman, President of the Brennan Center of Justice, states there is “nothing about an individual right to bear arms”. Law arguments from 1888 to 1959 about the second amendment also states “an individual right was not guaranteed”