...Firearms Control Regulations Act which prohibited guns at home from being functional firearms and also made it nearly impossible to own a gun. This created conflict with the second amendment in the constitution, 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.” It can be seen this law D.C. passed violates the constitution due to citizens not being able to have a functional firearm at their home. This caused the case of District of Columbia v. Heller to arise. Dick Anthony Heller, a police officer in D.C., applied for a one-year license that he would use to own a handgun at his place of residence. He was then denied the license. Heller sued D.C. on the account of not upholding his second amendment right. The district court’s response was it was not valid and it was dismissed. It was appealed by Heller and The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided that making people have...
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...The Difference between Conservatives and Liberals America is divided. There are two main types of political views in America, conservative and liberal. These views are very different. The conservatives usually believe in a small federal government, giving the power to the localized state. On the other hand, liberals base their opinions on the idea of equality for all, and the importance of individual rights. They desire a large government for the purpose of creating an equal environment for everyone to succeed. In American politics, there has always been a constant struggle for federal power; and because of our democratic voting system this power is always changing hands. This is a healthy balance of power, but it can increase the divide between the two political parties. There are very evident differences between liberalism and conservatism, but almost all...
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...problem of Gun Control. Our founding fathers form the Bill of Rights specifically the second amendment to protect American citizens just in case the government turns tyrannical. Presently, the 2nd amendment is being debated on the extent gun rights apply in the expense of public safety. In the last half a century senseless mass shootings has shaped American history, from the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, and (attempted) John Regan. Additionally, mass shootings has made a similar impact on society from the Columbine, Tucson, and Sandy Hook. As a result, those events caused a media frenzy and public outcry...
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...ARGUMENT ESSAY Gun Control in Canada The shooting at the National War Memorial and Parliament building in Ottawa, Canada, last month has led to considerable discussion of the country's gun laws. Unlike the U.S., Canada has some of the toughest gun regulations in the world and no equivalent to the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution, which protects U.S. citizens' right to bear arms. In 1977, Canadian Legislation of Gun Control was passed by the Canadian Parliament regulating long guns for the first time, restructuring the availability of firearms, and increasing a variety of penalties. Canadian firearms law is primarily federal, and therefore national in scope, while the bulk of the firearms regulation in the United States is at the state level; attempts to introduce stricter legislation at the federal level are often defeated. The importance of this issue is that not all North Americans are necessarily supportive of strict gun control as being a feasible alternative to controlling urban violence. There are concerns with the opponents of gun control, that the professional criminal who wants a gun can obtain one, and leaves the average law-abiding citizen helpless in defending themselves against the perils of urban life. Is it our right to bear arms as North Americans? Or is it privilege? When looking at the 1977 Canadian Legislation of gun control, it is easy to see that there is some bias and assumptions present. For one, it assumes that left to its own devices the legislation...
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...Historically, the Second Amendment's incorporation into American law began with the Supreme Court's ruling in Barron v. Baltimore (1833), which held that the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government, not the states. This interpretation limited the direct impact of the Second Amendment on state and local regulations regarding firearms. But, in the 20th century, a series of legal developments expanded the reach of the Second Amendment to apply to state and local governments as well. One crucial milestone was the Supreme Court's ruling in McDonald v. Chicago (2010), which incorporated the Second Amendment's protections against state and local infringements on the right to bear arms. This decision extended the individual right to firearm ownership, as affirmed in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) to all levels of government, reinforcing the notion of an individual right to bear arms for...
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...Gun control is a controversial issue that continues to spark heated debates and calls for action. With over 48,800 firearm-related deaths reported in the United States in 2021, the need for effective measures to curb gun violence is more pressing than ever. This essay examines the escalating demand for increased gun control, exploring the complicated aspects of the debate and the importance of stricter regulations. The call for enhanced gun control gained momentum as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a significant increase in the rate of gun deaths between 2016 and 2020, with a 15 percent rise in 2020 alone. Democratic lawmakers staged a sit-in on the House floor, recommending the reintroduction of bills on gun control,...
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...the crimes are still being committed by people who have possessed a firearm that has been obtained illegally or without proper permits. That being said there has been a strong push for gun control because of the rise of shootings involving a large group of people such as the Columbine massacre, Virginia Tech shooting and latest Aurora movie theater shooting involving people who have purchased firearms legally. Gun control laws in the United States have been established for many years but to maintain a civilized society with limited crime stronger control laws need to be enforced in which will help reduce crime in our country. Establishing stronger gun control laws will educate society, reduce the amount of accidental deaths, and decrease the number of violent crimes committed in our communities. An upright definition of gun control is necessary to understand the sides and issues relating to firearms. Educating Society The first step that should be taken by state legislators is to provide classes for young adults on the dangers of firearms. “An American citizen's right to own guns is upheld by the Second Amendment to the Constitution; However, many people feel that the amendment is outdated, and that gun control is of utmost importance in an increasingly violent society” (Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 2012 p 6). The organizations such as The National Rifle Association "Believe that every law-abiding citizen is entitled to the ownership and legal use of firearms” (NRA.org...
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...It is shocking and depressing to ever hear stories about accidental gun deaths or suicide. However, these stories could be diminished with gun laws that make it harder for people to have access to or be around the deadly weapons. There are more than twenty-two million children currently living in homes with guns in the United States. This number becomes a problem when children are uneducated on gun safety and their dangers. Nearly 1,500 children younger than eighteen die from shootings each year. A majority of these death are accidental deaths in a home with a gun (Schaechter). Suicide could also be reduced with tighter gun control. Some gun control laws would make it harder for people with mental health issues to come into possession with...
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...Origins of American Criminal Law Desmond Barnes Professor Poydasheff Bus 100 01/20/13 Strayer University Origins of American Criminal Law The 2nd Amendment is the right to bear arms. One of the most amendment since it was adopted in December of 1791. This amendment always people to keep and bear arms. The importance of this amendment is being felt even in modern day times with the recent shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The debate on stricter gun laws was started when twenty-two children and six adults were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, including the shooter’s mother. The argument of who should be able to have access to a gun and the type of gun erupted the nation. The Federal government has the power to enforce this amendment but the state has the right to make their own laws dealing with guns and who can have them. The state may put in place certain laws about gun regulations. The federal also has to the power to rule such unconstitutional. This way there is always a constant check and balance between the state and federal government. The four goals of the criminal justice system are to stop people from committing crimes, protect society from people who can cause harm, to punish people who have committed crimes and to reform those people. These four goal keep our society in balance. Our police system enforces the law and tries to prevent people from committing crimes. If the crimes are committed still such people are put into jail to stop harm...
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...Gun control, one of the most controversial and pressing topics that are being discussed during the presidential campaign. Every candidate believes that they have an answer, liberal that push for increased gun control, to conservatives that believe that lessening gun restrictions on the answer. Two candidates that I believe have well-developed solutions to this issue are Democrat, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Republican, Ted Cruz. After researching and comparing the supposed plan of action of each of these candidates, I believe that Bernie Sanders has the most thoughtful and effective plan to deal with the issue of gun control. To begin, Senator Bernie Sanders shares the opinion of most democrats, that restrictions on purchasing and registering gun should...
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...extremely well know gun ownership activist group. In 2008, the NRA was financially involved in 271 campaigns for both the house and the senate. Of those 271 campaigns, 230 won (SVDS 1). The National Rifle Association has a strong voice in the United States congress. As for Barak Obama’s gun control legislation, the NRA openly opposed and disputed the idea of enforcing new gun control laws. The NRA believes that doing so would be an infringement upon the second amendment. Because of their conservative political ideology, the NRA endorsed those opposed to gun control legislation (NRA-ILA 1). Though most were republicans, some were democrats as well (SVDS 1). The Gun Owners of America, formed in 1975, was created to protect American’s rights to bear arms under the second amendment. This group has endorsed many campaigns in order to sway congress toward their stance on gun ownership. When Barak Obama tried to instill new gun control regulations, this organization encouraged citizens, who were also opposed to the bill, to contact the Social Security Administration. The interest groups who opposed the gun control legislation fought very hard to defeat the bill and ultimately...
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...Gun Control what’s The Point Sondra Miller Dr. Kimberly Stanley December 8, 2013 Gun control in America is a debate that is a constant concern about the 2nd Amendment or the right to bear arms. Having the freedom to carry a gun is a very controversial issue in society today. There are many people who feel that guns has been a problem and part of the reason there is so much crime. In 1994 a crime bill was passed by President Bill Clinton that would prohibit just anyone from owning a gun (Washington Times vol0). As long as guns are made readily available for Americans to own them, tragedies such as the 1999 columbine school killing that 13 people were killed and wounding countless of others (Cullens2000,p 439) will continue to happen. Gun control policies should be stricter for people who wants to own a gun and for the store owners who sale them. The Hoffman Gun Center and Indoor Range require that gun owners have pistol permits that want to buy assault rifles. According to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Safety the law requires that a person who wants to buy a gun be at least 21 years of age, no convicted felonies, background check, and take a safety and storage course (Hoffman, 2001, newspaper). In America at least 400 children will die...
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...easily argued that we are currently living in a culture of violence. As we watch, read or listen to the news; daily incidents of individuals becoming victims of gun violence trumps the headlines. With tragic incidents such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut that occurred in December of 2012, as well as the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado in July of 2012 occurring less than six months away from each other, prompted debate on a national level regarding the importance of gun control and mental illness. Other highly publicized mass shootings, such as the one that occurred in Tucson, Arizona in January of 2011, involving former US Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, along with the two events mentioned above, “all shared two common characteristics: all four shooters were mentally ill, and all four used guns with large capacity magazines, allowing them to fire multiple rounds of ammunition without reloading (Barry, 2013).” As the Second Amendment guarantees an individual’s right to bear arms, the issue at hand is: how can the government prevent guns from landing in the wrong hands, while at the same time, providing better mental health services for those in need. In this paper, I will explore and compare the agenda setting process regarding two landmark gun control legislations that were passed along with the agenda setting process today – proposed by President Obama in the wake of the tragic shootings at Sandy...
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...Arms Trafficking between the United States and Mexico: The Drug Trafficking Nexus Transnational Crime and Globalization By: Katrina T. Mason May 2, 2008 The United States is quite known for their proactive stances on the “War on Drugs”, “War on Terror”, and “War in Iraq”. Some view them as the international police and others view them as the international fiend, but it is in no doubt that the United States takes a very active stance in fighting what they believe is evil and wrong within the world. This is increasingly true for the evils that occur within its own borders such as the continued drug epidemic, domestic violence, child abuse, poverty, gangs, and prostitution (with the exception of Nevada). Unfortunately though, the United States’ stance on legal activities crossing from their own governance into neighboring states where the activity is illegal is not held with the same level of concern or dedication. A primary example of this double standard can be seen on the Mexican-United States border. This is not in reference to the debris from the giant wall being built on the Mexican border falling to the southern side, the young Americans fleeing across the borders to intoxicate themselves, or even the revolution of McDonalds springing up in towns throughout Mexico; but instead to the small arms and light weapons trafficking continually flowing down from the border states into Mexico causing alarming murder rates, economical...
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...Gun Control or Our Freedom Jill Sanders ENG/215 January 28, 2013 Sophia Hsia Gun Control or Our Freedom The pros and cons of gun control has been a debate over the years brings several issues to light. The myth of the Second Amendment is merely a reasoning clause for the right to bear arms, and people have the right to bear arms for their own personal use. The truth of the Second Amendment is “A well- regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state ” (www.guninformation.org/freedom.html). The legislative proposals are trying to restrict the availability of firearms to the public raise several questions. What restrictions on firearms are truly permissible under our Constitution? Does gun control constitute crime? Will the nation’s crime rates decrease with stricter regulation put on gun ownership? Last but not least would it hinder or impair the means of self-defense of citizens? (Krouse, March 2005) “First it is important to realize that the right to live is a very important right and a freedom”. If more gun control means lives saved then more gun control should mean more freedom. “The government has an obligation to protect the people’s rights such as the right to live. So the government has an obligation to place more restrictions on individual gun ownership. Do you as an American agree to the government is infringing on your rights?” We are going to explore the choices we have as citizens of the United States (www.guninformation.org/freedom...
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