...The Great Gun Debate Introduction Among the more diverse issues in an already polarized society is a national perspective of guns (Hargrove & Perdue, 2015). The gun debate in the U.S. dates back to the 18th century, when the nation’s founders were crafting the Bill of Rights—the first ten amendments to the Constitution, adopted in 1791 (Smith & Ross, 2013). All gun control debates turn on interpretations of the Second Amendment, the worst written and most bizarre part of the constitution (Eichenwald, 2015). The Second Amendment gave Americans the right to “bear arms;” however, for more than 200 years, people have disagreed over how to interpret the amendment (Smith & Ross, 2013). Heated debates over guns have created division among “we the people.” On one end of the divide are pro-gun extremists. On the opposite end of the divide are anti-gun extremists. Then, there is the rational middle—the group that is often left out of the debate. This group typically consists of average law-abiding citizens who do not believe that Americans should be stripped of their rights to bear arms, but, rather, that some laws should be tightened up to ensure that guns and deadly accessories, such as high-capacity magazines, stay out of the wrong hands. Over the years, numerous mass shootings in schools have forced lawmakers to assess and tighten gun-control laws, which has also reignited the fiery gun debate. This assessment will attempt to uncover a proper course of action via a rigorous...
Words: 3335 - Pages: 14
...Can the amendments from the Bill of Rights be valued of importance? The bill of rights consists of ten amendments each guaranteeing an individual right of every United States citizen. In this essay I have picked two amendments, which I will explain, their importance and negative consequences. Continuing on the relevance of the second amendment in today’s American climate and the arguments that those are for/against about gun control. The first amendment of the Bill of Rights sets the tone for the rest of the document showing the limitations the government has towards any United States citizen. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,...
Words: 1121 - Pages: 5
...Gun control in America Some gun control laws should stay the same because gun related deaths have dropped, it is our Second Amendment right, but some state laws should change to keep guns out of schools. Barrett (2013) discusses that gun violence is declining in the U.S. Figures from the United States Bureau of Justice and that gun related deaths have dropped 39% since 1993 (Truman, P.H.D & Planty, Ph.D., 2013). The author also states that handguns are mostly responsible gun related deaths and injuries, which raises questions on the emphasis of assault weapons of some gun control supporters. According to Barrett (2013), he states the government says nonfatal gun crime has dropped in the last twenty years by 69%. It is good that the rates have dropped that much. Singh (1998) focuses on an essay written by Jeremy Putley in January 1997, which criticized the American system of government and the assumed deficiencies of its constitution, highlighting gun control in the United States. The topics include the amount of Americans who have died from gun-related deaths yearly during the 1990s, identification of the two gun control measures which were padded by the Democratic 103rd United States Congress, and explanation of the gun crisis in the United States. The United States Bill of Rights (Madison) 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.” The Bill of Rights is...
Words: 1857 - Pages: 8
...In the essay On Racist Speech by Charles R. Lawrence III, he writes about the fact that racial insults have become an issue in what is supposedly a free country. Lawrence states that universities must create policies or codes in order to ensure the protection of all students from any remarks that can be considered racial harassment. However, he points out that the opposing side claims that if such policies were to be created, they would be impeaching on every American’s constitutional rights as stated in the first amendment. Lawrence states that this argument has “placed the bigot on the moral high ground and fanned the rising flames of racism” (65). I agree with Lawrence’s point of view in the respect that any sort of racial insults should not be protected under the first amendment and those who claim otherwise are only doing a disservice to everything the constitution stands for. In order to ensure the equality of every individual, universities should place policies that prohibit the use of racial insults. In the beginning of the essay Lawrence claims that protecting individuals against racist speech is one of the most important ways to “reinforce society’s commitment to (racial) tolerance as a value” (65). While I do believe...
Words: 1020 - Pages: 5
...components will be included in the essay in B.) Teaching a lesson in a 12th grade Social Sciences class about the meaning and importance of the rights guaranteed under the bill of Rights. This is in line with the History-Social Science Content Standards of California Public Schools objective 12.2.1 “Discuss the meaning and importance of each of the rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights and how each is secured (e.g., freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, privacy.) [ (California Dept of Education, 2000) ]” The first resource I am using is a hand out from the Southern Poverty Law Center website Tolerence.org that will be used as a pre and post lesson assessment tool. This simple hand out asks only two questions which students will have to provide a short written answer for. This first is “What rights are protected under the First Amendment? The second is “What would be a violation of someone’s First Amendment Rights?” While these may seem to be simple questions, there will likely be a drastic difference in response from the pre-assessment to the post assessment, which is the main reason I selected this resource. As a pre-assessment, it will allow the teacher to understand the base of knowledge the students already have about the First Amendment, and as a post-assessment, the teacher will be able to see how much learning has occurred during the lesson. This would be a primer I would use in my lesson about the First Amendment as well as a post lesson assessment...
Words: 648 - Pages: 3
...Danielle Born EN102 November 10, 2012 Portfolio How has this course benefited me in my career? This course has shown me another type of writing styles. We were taught to to plan out and write an argumentative essay. This course will help me in my career because I now know another advanced writing style. Writing is very important in the business world. With amazing direction from my professor, I was able to see where I had gone wrong and fix and learn from my mistakes. I believe this course has made me an even stronger writer than I was before. What specific skills have I learned in this class? The specific skills that were learned in EN102 were, constructing a strong thesis statement, compiling strong supporting ideas and learning how to write argumentative essays. Instructor Comments regarding my performance: Lesson 1: You did a good job creating ten solid questions and presenting them in a manner to produce a quality response. You handled each stage of the interview professionally, well done. Thank you, Karen You came up with some solid ideas for topics that will work well as a final project. Do some preliminary research and make sure you will have no trouble finding enough information on your topic to meet the minimum requirements (1,400 words at least) of the project. Thank you, Karen Lesson 2: You did a solid job on your chosen activity. Good work eliminating all spelling and grammar errors. Thank you, Karen This assignment will serve as the foundation...
Words: 2022 - Pages: 9
...America, gun control is a very serious issue. There are different opinions on this issue, the National Rifle Association (NRA), feels that guns are safe when used for protection by responsible citizens, others feel that guns are far to dangerous to be kept in homes, and that guns should not be owned by anyone, only used by the National Guard and law enforcement. These people think their opinions are correct according to the second amendment, the amendment that deals with the bearing of arms by citizens of America, but there have been different interpretations of it. The reason that people feel gun ownership is such a problem is that so many people lose their lives by them each year. Personally, I feel that guns lead to increases in crime, murder, and household accidents. By reducing availability of guns and providing education on gun safety, I think that these things will help make America safer. Before making up my mind on what I felt about the issue, I made sure to consider the opinions of others and to collect statistics. People from the (NRA), who are against gun control, feel that the people are responsible for the negative effects guns have on America. Helen Smith, a forensic psychologist who shares the ideas of the NRA, wrote an article titled “It’s Not The Guns”. In this article, she talks about the increase in school and youth violence, relating to guns. She blames the children and irresponsible parents. She denies that guns are easier for kids to get today which is understandable...
Words: 1303 - Pages: 6
...The United States Constitution By: Toby Glavin This essay is going to be based on the United States constitution; I am mostly going to be talking about the second amendment. The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America asserts, “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.” At the time when this amendment was passed, the country was still primarily an agrarian and hunting society; guns were a household item, and necessary for daily life. The armed farmer was the principal soldier in the revolution to establish an independent country. The framers of the Constitution understood that these gun-wielding countrymen were essential to the revolution, and wanted to insure the people would never be defenseless. In recent decades, with the waning practical application of guns in an industrialized nation, the Second Amendment has come under much fire. Living in a technologically advanced country, United States citizens no longer have a need for guns in their everyday lives and, therefore, many Americans have grown up in gun-less homes. The recent rash of violence across the country has shown that the ideals of modern American society have gone awry. Many are quick to blame guns as the reason for this violence. Actually, the problem is not the possession of guns; Americans have had them for over 200 years. Instead, the demise of the morals of society and the...
Words: 899 - Pages: 4
...War? What factors led to the expansion of the United States during the period after the Civil War, and what were the effects of expansion?! Section 1: Short Answer Questions (30 points)! Write multi-sentence responses for the prompts below. Be specific and give examples from the history we have learned.! A. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution changes laws for the entire country. Three amendments changed laws especially for African Americans. Explain how each of the following amendments changed the law for African Americans. (10 points total)! ! a. Thirteenth Amendment (3 points)! ! ! The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It freed all African Americans and prevented them from being forced to return to slavery.! ! ! b. Fourteenth Amendment (4 points)! ! ! ! c. Fifteenth Amendment (3 points)! ! ! ! The amendment addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws, and was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War. All African Americans were now counted for purposes of representation.! The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”. Therefore it gave Black men the right to vote. ! B. Answer the following questions:(10 points)! ! a. What challenges...
Words: 1102 - Pages: 5
...Bill Of Rights In 1791, the Bill of Rights, consisting of 10 amendments, was ratified into the constitution. The document’s purpose was to spell out the liberties of the people that the government could not infringe upon. Considered necessary by many at the time of its development, the Bill of Rights became the cause for a huge debate between two different factions: The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists were those who thought that there should be a new Union created with a strong centralized government and individual regional governments. They felt that it was not necessary for there to be a bill of rights because it was implied that those rights the Constitution did not specifically state would be handed down to the states. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists were opposed to such a form of government on the grounds that the Constitution, in which it was outlined, lacked clarity in the protections of the individuals. The Anti-Federalists—whose memory of British oppression was still fresh in their minds—wanted certain rights and guarantees that were to be apart of the constitution (Glasser 1991). A clear demonstration of the Anti-Federalist attitude was performed by Samuel Bryan, who published a series of essays named the ‘Cenitnal Essays,’ which “assailed the sweeping power of the central government, the usurpation of state sovereignty, and the absence of a bill of rights guaranteeing individual liberties such as freedom of speech and freedom of...
Words: 1660 - Pages: 7
...African American's Journey Essay Below is a free essay on "African American's Journey" from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. “African American’s Journey to Freedom” Charity Johnson HIS204: American History since 1865 Instructor: Leslie Ruff February 11, 2013 “African American’s Journey to Freedom” To some African Americans it may seem ironic that The United States of America is known as “the land of the free” considering that majority of their ancestors entered the US as slaves. African Americans were brought to North America via the middle passage which originated during the fifteenth century. They were enslaved for approximately 400 hundred years until the end of the Civil War in 1865. Although African Americans were enslaved in America, they were determine to survive and one day be freed in this great country. During The African American’s journey to freedom several significant events took place which was inclusive of but not limited to: The Civil Rights Movement of 1865-1877, Separate but Equal Legislation (Plessy vs. Ferguson court case) in 1896, The Harlem Renaissance of 1920, Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, The March on Washington Movement of 1963, and The Black Power Movement of the late 1960s and 1970. I will discuss the significance of these events in relation to the African American journey to freedom and how they have help shape American society today. THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF 1865-1877 Frequently when...
Words: 5251 - Pages: 22
...Monica Siah Heidi Bauer Expository Essay Final Draft “Gun Control” 03/25/13 Safe, Not Sorry Freedom seems to be defined differently between Americans these days because some relate freedom to owning a gun through The Second Amendment of the United States. The Second Amendment states: "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, has the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Presently, part of our society is attempting to legislate and regulate the possession and use of firearms by proposing a ‘Gun Control Bill’ that dictates and determines whether certain citizens of the United States are able to posses or carry a firearm. If this bill is approved, gun-owning/seeking citizens must supply a background check for criminal activity, mental illnesses, proof of citizenship and proof of an occupation. As this bill is carefully being examined, many Americans are becoming angered and agitated. This controversy has created a debate across the nation with both sides sharing suitable arguments from safety issues to leisure issues. For decades, firearms have been commonly classified into four expansive types: shots guns, handguns, rifles and submachine guns. Each style of shooter has similar internal workings as far as releasing ammunition out of the barrel and having the capability of fatally harming/ damaging anything in its target site. The significant specifics that separate these guns from one another is the firing...
Words: 1004 - Pages: 5
...The Mexican people were subject to a wide range of oppression, and became second class citizens within the U.S. Mexicans as well the indigenous people never fully assimilated into American society, Mexicans as well as the indigenous became a colonized group of people within the United States conquest. After many years of institutionalized racism, Mexicans began to develop an identity, Chicano was a way for people to identify with who they were, and became the staple to gather up the masses as well as go against an unjust system that have not only put them in a position of isolation and segregation, but have too denied them the ability to gain access to the equality of rights that have once been fought for in relation to the Treaty of...
Words: 1458 - Pages: 6
...knowledge. • National Road- First major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Connection between the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and a gateway to the West for thousands of settlers. • Communication Revolution- Samuel Morse invented telegraph. • The Market Revolution- improvements in how goods were processed and fabricated as well as by a transformation of how labor was organized to process trade goods for consumption. • Porkopolis- Cincinnati was the country's chief hog packing center, and herds of pigs traveled the streets. • Labor theory of value- The value of a commodity is only related to the labor needed to produce or obtain that commodity and not to other factors of production • Second Party System- 2 party system • Democrats- white men democracy. Free markets, no limits on hours/wages. Expand religious liberty. • Whigs- strong, economically involved central gov. • Andrew Jackson- 7th president. Democrat. • Indian Removal Act of 1830- The act authorized Jackson to negotiate with the Native Americans in the Southern United States for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange...
Words: 2107 - Pages: 9
...and events that finally led to the complete freedom and equality for African Americans. I believe that the most significant events that led to a final resolution were the Amendments and Civil Rights Acts passed and signed by our government. Although, it was hard for proper implementation of the laws at first, I believe that they were all extremely important building blocks for the movement to finally get to where it is today. The first event that started the Civil Rights Movement was the abolishment of slavery. Ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment did just this, it restricted state power federally and outlawed involuntary servitude. What this meant is that nationwide, it was illegal to claim ownership over another person. “Although its full effect was not achieved for nearly a century, it began the process of dismantling involuntary servitude as a widespread form of labor relations” (Rutherglen, 2012). With that being said, this was the first real law of its kind, so its implementation was crudely regulated. Yes, slaves were free to now go about and live as they see fit, however, even with freedom they could not regulate their own lives, there were still no laws stating that they had to be treated fairly without prejudice. This became a big problem for African Americans because the 13th Amendment gave them a promise of freedom, yet they were still having to involuntarily submit themselves to the white man. Even though they now had their “freedom” they still could...
Words: 2250 - Pages: 9
