Gun control has been a topic of discussion in the United States since the day we became a nation. The founding fathers made it known in the Second Amendment, that citizens of the United States should have the right to bear arms. This discussion in allowing Americans the right to own guns has proven to be both horrific and lifesaving. With great power comes great responsibility, and many times in America people have proven to themselves and others that they do not have the level of responsibility to own a weapon. Because of these people, gun restrictions have been made to try and keep guns out of the hands of these heinous individuals. Just a few of the gun control laws include Gun Free School Zone Act (1990), Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act (1993), etc. Gun control is very important and will always be a touchy topic; knowing what laws to activate, knowing the history of gun grabbers and gun nuts, and putting yourself into a position to see what you would do are all ideas that will help us get a better understanding o what is going on with firearms in America.
After the shootings of Sandy Hooks Elementary School, and Aurora, Colorado, President Obama wanted to require criminal background checks anytime someone bought a firearm, ban assault weapons, limit magazine clips to 10 rounds, and ban any firearm that can shoot through armor. I agree with President Obama that there needs to be a criminal background check anytime someone purchases a firearm to make sure that they are responsible enough to carry a gun. The reason these massive shootings have happened is that the people that sold the guns to the buyer did not do a good enough job making sure they are mentally stable and that they are not a criminal. If we were to thoroughly check everyone’s background before they bought a weapon, maybe there wouldn’t be so many tragic shootings. At the same time, I believe that if you are in the right mindset, you should be able to purchase any type of firearm you want whether it be a handgun or an assault rifle. There is no reason not to let someone who has been a great citizen not be able to have that weapon. Many Americans were unhappy with Obama’s ideas, Ted Cruz even put, “up a webpage with a menacing, altered picture of the president in a commando outfit. A caption read “Obama Wants Your Guns” next to a fundraising appeal, “(Lichtblau and Shear). At the same time, President Obama had many people back him up saying his speech was, “One of the most moving things I’ve ever seen,” (Lichtblau and Shear).
The issues between gun grabbers and gun nuts have been going on since guns have been invented. Gun grabbers do not like the idea of people having guns and rightfully so, “In 1974 alone, there were 325,000 reported incidents of firearms being used illegally to assault or threaten citizens,” (Winkler 16). Because of this crazy statistic, Washington D.C. put a ban on handguns and instead made people use shotguns and rifles, but these weapons were to not be used for self-defense, only for recreational use. In United States v. Miller, a case in 1939, the court ruled that Congress can ban sawed shotguns because they “bore no relationship to service in state militias.” After that case, the court said they would not rule in any cases that dealt with the Second Amendment; they ended up doing this for seventy years (Winkler 25). IN 2008 after the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, Plaxico Burress, a stud wide receiver for the New York Giants, was out partying one night; while walking up some steps, his gun slipped from his waist, and he ended up shooting himself in the leg causing him to rush to the hospital. John Feinstein said that “owners and players should agree that players can’t own handguns” and was also very high on abolishing the Second Amendment (Winkler 33). Any time something crazy happens with guns, antigun enthusiasts make a statement saying that wouldn’t happen if we didn’t have guns. Gun grabbers will always have something to say when something bad happens; when someone uses a gun to protect themselves and their family, this is where the gun nuts come in to praise the Second Amendment.
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Gun nuts love being able to have their guns and proudly support the Second Amendment. In United States v. Emerson, there was a man who had charges for illegal possession of a firearm. Emerson’s wife filed a restraining order on him which then causes him not to be able to carry a gun, but Emerson did not give up the gun. Eventually, this problem was taken to court, but the court did not want to hear the meeting because they don’t like talking about the Second Amendment. Emerson got to keep his gun and returned to his life (Winkler 47). In the 2000 election, Al Gore was very anti-gun, and George W. Bush loved the individual rights theory. Bob Levy had a great point in saying,” You don’t want a bank robber or a crackhead up there as a poster boy for the Second Amendment,” (Winkler 59) he was saying that the case would probably be someone who fits his saying. He wanted to make sure that the court heard from people that feared criminals breaking into their houses or coming up to them on the street. If he could get a good person on the court, then he thought it would change the way some Americans feel about the Second Amendment. One case that helped the gun nuts accomplish this was Shelly Parker et al. V. District of Columbia. Shelley was an elderly woman who lived in a neighborhood where there were a lot of thugs and she fought them out of her neighborhood. This story is exactly what the gun nuts wanted; a sympathetic story that shows how guns can be used for good deeds. So now what must we do to ensure that guns do not get into the hands of the wrong person?
In almost every major shooting, the person who is shooting usually has something wrong mentally with themselves. After leading a rally Donald Trump, talking about people who shoot large crowds of people, said” These people are mentally ill and no one talks about that,” (McDonald). We need to be more open to people who have mental illnesses and get them to places where they can learn how to deal with the things they are going through. It is proven that “mental illness alone approximately triples the risk of some form of violence,” (McDonald). Being able to understand why someone wants to do a certain thing is a big part of how we make our country a better place to live. We need to be more aware of people around us and be able to know if they are mentally stable and talk to them to see if they are okay. In doing this I believe that we would cut down the number of shootings that took place. The House members had to vote on something of this matter in 2013.
If I was a member of the House of Representatives, I would vote against President Obama’s proposed gun control legislation. I would vote against it because no one would be able to protect themselves from being robbed or someone pressing them in the streets. I believe that saying I agree with some of the ideas that the President has would be good enough for me to keep a healthy relationship with the rest of my colleagues. If I were to just completely disagree with everything the President and the other house representatives said, then I would be looked at as if I didn’t know what I was talking about. Hopefully, most of us in the House of Representatives would be able to work together to find a better way to have less gun violence in America. Even though I do like the idea of checking everyone’s background before purchasing a firearm, it is mainly mental illness that causes these massive shootings. Instead of just taking away big assault rifles, I would propose an idea that involves checking the buyer's mental state of mind and criminal background to see if they can own a firearm. Taking away everyone’s guns would be a major threat to the United States. Criminals would just be able to run around with no fear of someone putting them in their place.
In conclusion, gun rights will always be an issue people will debate about, I don’t know if there will ever be a set gun regulation or if they will be taken away completely. Since the time guns were made, they have been so fondly looked upon. As long as we don’t let the guns get into the wrong hands the country will be safe. Also guiding more people to mental health care if they seem out of the ordinary that way, they can learn how to deal with whatever is going on with them. When they do get into the wrong hands, we need to have someone who is going to stand up for themselves and the country to say we will not put up with this; if we were to abolish guns there would not be someone to put an end to it.
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