...Gun Ban Debate Gun ban debate 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, to hunt for food and to engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control takes on a proportion of extreme magnitude. 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. So what is gun control?. 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. Regardless of whether people support it or not, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that the 2nd Amendment restrains the government’s ability to limit the kind of immediate ban of handguns that has existed in some parts of America such as Washington DC. "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" That's the campaign that the National Riffle Association made. It's a compelling argument whether it might be right , or it might be wrong . ...
Words: 936 - Pages: 4
...Crime and guns. The two seem to go hand in hand with one another. But are the two really associated? Do guns necessarily lead to crime? And if so do laws placing restrictions on firearm ownership and use stop the crime or protect the citizens? These are the questions many citizens and lawmakers are asking themselves when setting about to create gun control laws. The debate over gun control, however, is nothing new. In 1924, Presidential Candidate, Robert La Follete said, “our choice is not merely to support or oppose gun control but to decide who can own which guns under what conditions.” Clearly this debate still goes on today and is the very reason for the formation of gun control laws. Guns are extremely powerful weapons. They can cause destruction, harm or even death. They can be used to defend and protect or to threaten and kill. Any way you look at it, guns are powerful tools, not only physically but socially. As college students it is important to stay abreast of the current events and issues circulating our country today, one of which is the controversial issue of gun control. It is extremely important to pay attention to where gun control laws are headed. The directions they take not only affect our nation and society but our future as well as we all move to communities and begin to raise families. So why is gun control such a hot debate? Perhaps to answer this question it would be important to look at some key statistics concerning handguns in our society. In...
Words: 2118 - Pages: 9
...12 2013 Gun Control Debates involving gun control began in the early 1960s, since then many laws and regulations have been created (“Gun Control Time Line”). However, while crimes involving the use of guns start increasing, is changing the laws going to end the violence and make people feel safer? There have been many different media sources and political debates throughout our country questioning if increasing the laws will stop the crime or not. A problem in our society that we may all suffer from is in our amendment system. Our second amendment, established in 1791, states that “everyone is entitled to the right to bear arms.” (“Gun Control Time Line”) Recently, with everyone hearing and seeing gun violence on the rise has pushed the issues of changing our laws. With nearly all states considering all of the available options, many arguments concerning whether or not laws will reduce violence, need to be thought out to determine the best for society. Debates that support changing our laws within our country, feel as if our government is losing control as we all see crime rates rising. People argue that something needs to be done to stop gun violence. Many people have said that, guns do not kill; criminals who use them are the problem (“What the Public Really Thinks about Guns”). Individuals across the nation argue that current laws today are actually allowing criminals to get access to guns that are used for crimes. Those who are in favor of changing the laws also feel...
Words: 1654 - Pages: 7
...the right to "keep and bear arms" (Amendment 2). The controversy brought on by the Second Amendment is because the Second Amendment does not clearly define whom "the people" are. This ambiguity has left room for action by legislative bodies and the courts to pass laws and make interpretations that influence the way this Amendment is applied and enforced. The Second Amendment says, "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 2). A central argument put forth by gun-control advocates is that since there is no longer a "militia", that individuals should lose their rights to own a gun. They often assert that the term "militia" should now be defined as each state's National Guard or Reserves. On the other hand, anti gun control advocates argue that the Second Amendment clearly states that the people have the right to own and bear arms even if they are not part of an organized militia. II. ANTI GUN CONTROL ACTIVISTS VIEWS AND BASIS Anti-gun control activists interpret the Second Amendment as saying that any individual, weather he be in the military or not, should be allowed to own firearms. Anti-gun control activists believe that the constitutional right granted by the Second Amendment should never be taken away because it would completely violate the purpose...
Words: 1005 - Pages: 5
...America, with 374 in just 2015. The second amendment is the right to bear arms. Gun control is another way to say it. Gun related death is one of the reasons to focus on the issue of gun control. There have been so many mass shootings and regular shootings in general. It is also incredibly easy to surpass background checks. This needs to be modified in order for the United States to be safe. Gun control is the most important issue to focus on because how easy it is to get around background checks and how many gun related deaths there have been. The issue of gun control is severely important because of how many gun related deaths there have been in the United States in the past....
Words: 953 - Pages: 4
...the 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...
Words: 2391 - Pages: 10
...Why Cannot The USA Have a Stricter Gun Control? The 44th president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, wants to apply more gun control in the states. He has on several occasions indicated his opinion against firearms and crimes committed with firearms. Obama said after the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, “We won’t be able to stop every violent act, but if there is even one thing that we can do to prevent any of these events, we have a deep obligation, all of us, to try.” (McDonough 2012) Usually the American citizens agree with their president, but never before has one presidential opinion created so much outcry. In my research paper, I will look at why the American citizens cannot agree with their president. 47 American states have turned against their recently re-elected president’s opinion on gun control. How can the opinions of a democratically elected president offend so many American citizens? Eric Reed of Texas is encouraging Americans to rally against their president in the “Guns Across America” association. He felt offended by the president when Obama expressed his wish to ban assault rifles. He said to the New York Times: “He’s essentially restricting and punishing all law-abiding American citizens. He’s taking people who have never committed a crime in their lives and he’s trying to tell them that these guns are ‘assault weapons.’ Well, I’ve got guns in my home. If they’re ‘assault weapons,’ then mine must be defective because they haven’t assaulted...
Words: 1236 - Pages: 5
...power. ” (Gun Rights FAQ). As citizens of this country it is important the rights that the people have and their real history and meaning behind the rights. Stricter gun laws is negative because fewer people will own guns, which means people will have a hard time protecting themselves and will have fewer privileges hunting. Stricter gun laws may be a good idea but only if we had a low rate of crime and criminals wouldn’t be able to get their hands on any firearms (Pratt Web). If criminals were not so smart and there was no way criminal could be able to get a gun then the stricter gun laws would and could possibly work. Connecticut...
Words: 1146 - Pages: 5
...Farah English 3 Part 2: Why gun ownership should be held more strictly: I, Omar Farah, certify that I have personally completed this assignment based on my own personal efforts. I understand if I use outside sources, I must properly give my source(s) credit using the APA format and my paper should not include more than 20% of direct quotes from other sources. I understand if I do not provide proper credit to outside sources, I will be documented for plagiarism and be required to resubmit a new assignment. I will not divulge the content of this assignment or any of my work, generally or specifically, to any current or future James Madison High School students. 1/4/2015 I chose the topic “Why gun ownership should be held more strictly” because most of our daily news flashes say at least someone was shot and killed or shot and injured. I don’t like this; it is senseless and very sad. We are losing people every day, because someone is using their gun recklessly or leaving it where someone else has access or easily found. I don’t get why people kill people it is just inhumane and against our morals. Guns have very high danger to our country as well as other countries. That is why I pick or chose to write about this topic for my persuasive essay because that is what I see in guns and want people to see it too. I have one question to my reader; do you think guns should be under a stricter law? Honestly, I believe that we should have more stringent gun laws that tell people; that...
Words: 894 - Pages: 4
...Gun Control Rhetorical Analysis Bryan Cabrera Devry University 12/08/2013 Gun Control There are many people who argue about the topic of gun control. The topic that is discussed can be heard in television, among people’s conversations, on the radio, and in political debates. In the United States, 36% of the population owns a firearm for their personal use, whether it would be for hunting as a sport, personal defense, or just plain gun collections. So there are always debates on whether there should be stronger gun control enforced. However before anything is discussed, what is gun control? Many people can say gun control prevents the sale of firearms to regular people. However other people can say gun control is merely just restricting sale to people who are mentally healthy. Gun control is defined as “efforts to regulate or control sales of guns”. Therefore, gun control just regulates the sale of firearms. There are two sides to every debate, in the debate of gun control; it’s whether or not to increase gun control. The reasoning behind increasing gun control would be shooting related tragedies. The school shooting in Columbine High School is a prime example chosen by pro control people. However now the top example chosen would be the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The people who are against gun control base their reasoning on the constitution and common reasoning. People believe that gun control goes against the second amendment of the constitution...
Words: 1813 - Pages: 8
...Gun Control Imagine a world where there were no laws controlling who could and couldn’t buy guns. Imagine that a felon who had committed armed robbery could walk into any store and buy a gun along with the ammunition that is needed for that gun. It would be a scary would if anybody and everybody were able to buy a gun. If there were no laws for gun owners this situation could happen these laws are put into place to protect not only citizens but to protect the gun owners. Thankfully we live in a world where gun control has evolved over the years in order to protect America and its citizens. 1911 was when the first law towards gun control was passed and according to The Salt Lake Tribune (1995) New York passes the Sullivan Law, which makes buying or carrying a handgun without a permit a felony. Which also started the first political fray against the gun control that was stopped because of the start of World War I? It was the start of both sides of gun control, not only was it the start of gun control, however it was also the start of people political or not, the laws were against the gun control. These Laws are put into effect to protect, and eleven years later, there was another law that was passed. In 1927 Congress had passed a law that would ban mail-order sales of a handgun but the advocates fail to pass that law on a federal level. After that, states did start putting laws into place that would regulate the use and sales of handguns (The Salt Lake Tribune, 1995). According...
Words: 1816 - Pages: 8
...a problem with guns. Like every other good old boy, I am concerned about being the victim of a random shooting, but at the same time, I want to be able to take down a nice10-point buck during hunting season. Guns effect every one of us every day. They fill us with fear or they make us feel protected. My point is this: guns are a problem, but using gun control to abolish them isn't necessarily the best solution. In gun control I mean laws that keep firearms off the street by preventing their purchase. I agree that some form of gun control is needed, but what we really need to concentrate on is gun licensing and more gun safety. I believe in my constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and I don't feel that legislators should be allowed to take away that right. Gun control can be a good thing, but if it leads to gun prohibition I will fight it until the day I die. Our country was founded on the basis of guns. The wars were won with guns and the people were protected by guns. Guns were so important that they were placed in the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution: 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 From this amendment it is apparent that the founders of our country knew in 1791 that guns did and would continue to play a role in the lives of Americans. Things haven't really changed that much. Gun control was brought into...
Words: 1497 - Pages: 6
...crime. This has sparked the debate of whether gun control is necessary to diminish crime and many pro gun advocates, look at Switzerland as proof that it is false. To get into this heated debate, it is important to understand the term gun control. Gun control is defined as laws that control the selling, owning, and use of guns (Webster's Dictionary). Like in any debate there are always two very different stance on this topic. PRO Pro gun control advocates argue that having strict gun laws will decrease the nation's crime rate. They also point out that having tougher gun laws will save lives by avoiding any more public massacres. To the eyes of a gun control advocate, it seems like a no brainer. After all, the less guns on the street will result in less gun related deaths. In the United States, 33,636 people have died due to a firearm in 2013 (Alpers, Philip).That number accounts for murders, homicides and suicides across the country. Thousands of people that year lost their life due to a firearm incident and the number keeps growing each year. Many gun control advocates wonder why it is so difficult to implement stricter gun laws in the world's greatest democracy. The misinterpretation of the second amendment is what's holding back the U.S. Many people that are against gun control throw around the Second Amendment a whole lot. What many have failed to realize is that the Second Amendment protects the right of militias to own guns, not the individual. Let's take a look at what...
Words: 1584 - Pages: 7
...America has the highest amount of gun related deaths each year in the world. “In Germany 381, in France 255, in Canada 165 in the United Kingdom 68, in Australia 65, in Japan 39 and in the United States, 11,127” (Moore Michael, 51:15-51:48). Since the United States has the highest number of deaths, it is important to have gun-control laws that restrict people from owning dangerous firearms like machine guns. Gun-control laws should support both sides of the debate. Of course, both sides will not be completely happy with the laws created, but America should have a balance. In 2008, a poll was taken stating: “Adult poll respondents’ views on the meaning of the Second Amendment; An individual’s right to bear arms: Republican 51% and Democrats 41%” (The History of the Right to Bear Arms). Today, the United States is more divided on gun-control than it has ever been. The Second Amendment 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”(Milestones in Federal Gun Control Legislation). Unless the Second Amendment is changed, we cannot take the right from others to own guns. However, the government should regulate the types of gun Americans can own and who can own a gun because times have changed and American’s mental health system is broken. Decades ago, the United States was once a country where a gun was considered to survive and protect. “As Americans civilized the wilderness...
Words: 1374 - Pages: 6
...Gun Control, An Idea That’s Time Has Come As a Criminal Justice student I lean toward the gun control side of the current debate. In his Federalist Papers James Madison said, “Americans have the right and advantage of being armed – unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms” (Raymond). Madison may be right about our citizens having more rights than those in other countries, but our government places too much trust in the American people. If you take away privately owned guns, it does not solve anything because doing so would consequentially create a communist or police state. Instead of taking away the guns, a better solution is to control who buys guns and for what purpose they should be used. Opponents of gun control may say that a seven-day waiting period before being able to buy a gun does nothing to help fight or prevent crime or to save lives, it is needed to keep more people from dying, to keep people from being robbed, and to keep guns out of the hands of known criminals. There are over 283 million licensed guns in the U.S. (Herbert 1), and that does not include unregistered and illegal weapons that people own, sell to and buy from unlicensed or criminal sources. The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution grants Americans the right to “bear arms,” but when they kill innocent people or even themselves, should all Americans have that right? More than 50% of U.S. homes own one or more guns (White 1). The question...
Words: 3076 - Pages: 13
