The Second Commandment of the US Constitution gave the right of the people to keep and bear arms. The American idea of the right to bear arms has since then been debated and introduced a new debate on gun control. The article, “Gun Control: An Overview”, defines gun control as it is used in the United States as, “any action taken by the federal government or by state or local governments to regulate, through legislation, the sale, purchase, safety, and use of handguns and other types of firearms by individual citizens”. Not only social but political debate over the question of how much gun control is appropriate has been an extreme topic for several decades. Discussions on the topic tend to revolve around three major talking points: sociological, ethical, and legal dimensions.
Gun violence has become a major issue within our society and has increasingly gotten worse. There have been many school shootings that have taken place because of faulty guidelines on gun control. BBC News education correspondent Sean Coughlan, states in a recent article, “At the beginning of 2018, Education Week, a journal covering education in the US, began to track school shootings- and has since recorded 23 incidents where there were deaths or injuries”. Many citizens have expressed their concerns on gun control to the government, demanding there be further guidelines put in place to conceal and carry; but this has also raised conflict among those that believe changing the law could be an act of neglecting their constitutional right. Not only have there been mass shootings in schools but within public settings as well. In this social, explosive society we live in today, gun control is one of many hot topics being discussed. People are very passionate on both sides of the spectrum. We, as a society, are conflicted on whether we should be allowed guns, or ban them altogether. I believe much has to do with life experiences and one's background in determining if one is for, or against gun control.
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It is more than just having a gun to show off, or to be cool. To many people, having guns expresses the main foundation this country was built on; freedom. According to the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, it protects the individual's right to keep and bear arms. It was ratified on December 15th, 1791 as part of the Bill Of Rights. There are some today that argues only the police and military should have guns because of the word “militia”, but the people are the militia. If our country was attacked, all Americans would take up guns, if we still have them, to fight and protect our land and families. Unfortunately, those who live in places like China cannot own a replica of a gun, let alone have a real one. Those brave enough to protest throw rocks, Molotov, and anything they can possibly get their hands on at tanks and anything else the government throws at them. Those citizens would rather die than live without their freedom to choose. What is amazing is that those in charge will disarm their citizens, but keep armed security guards around them. In the United States, each state has its laws surrounding whether or not it is legal to carry weapons. In some states, open carry is permitted, which means that a firearm can be carried out in the open if the citizen of that state meets all the requirements of that state. In other states, concealed carry is allowed which means that a person can carry a legal weapon in their vehicle or on themselves but it must be hidden from sight. The people need weapons to protect themselves, their families, and our country. Crimes happen every minute of every day, everywhere. No one wants to be a victim. For example, anyone's car can break down in the middle of the night on a deserted road and there is no cell service to call for help. It is up to us to protect ourselves when no one else can. Not only is owning guns our constitutional right but guns are also used for sports. Though it is rapidly decreasing, hunting is one big reason people want guns to be around. Hunting is something families have enjoyed for decades. Not only that, it is how the people originally got their food.
Even if guns were banned, that is not going to stop crime. The criminals now have the weapon, and the people have nothing. Chicago is one of the strictest cities with guns, and by the end of 2015, Chicago’s crime rate has risen up to 18,600 per 100,000 people. It is often joked how Chicago is the crime city, murder capitol, and other things it has been nicknamed. People are killed by the hundreds every year there, but the criminals do not care about the laws set in place. Evil will find a way to prosper. Chicago is not the only place where shootings occur. For example, to name a few mass shootings in recent years in the United States, One of the largest mass shootings in the United States was the Las Vegas shooting during a music festival that killed 58 people and injured 413 people. The shooting that occurred at the gay nightclub in Orlando, Fl killed 49 people and injured at least 53 people. The Texas church mass shooting involved 26 people killed within the church. The mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fl leaving 17 people dead and 17 others injured. A shooting at Walmart in El Paso, Texas killed 22 people and at least 24 people were injured. The deadly shooting at a football watch party in California that recently just happened on November 18, 2019, resulted in 4 dead and 6 injured. 2019 has been the first year since 2016 with an average of more than one mass shooting a day. Mass shootings and the killing of innocent people with guns are the number one reasons guns should be prohibited or at least locked away. For those who are against ownership, it is understandable. As stated earlier, what happens to someone in life can shape and mold their opinions and what they believe. Being a parent of a lost child due to gun violence at a school shooting, theater massacre, etc, having gun regulations would be something a parent or loved one of the victims would simply want. Accidental gun deaths, suicides, etc, are all reasons to want to ban these guns. There are those who are not objecting to banning all guns, but just assault rifles, like the one used in many of the mass shootings.
Will banning these guns, or guns in general, stop the problem? Unless society can find a way to control greed and powermongers, we will not have the answer. In the hands of one person, a gun could be a lifesaver. In the hands of another, it could be a lifetaker. More and more laws are passed to stop the violence, but crime continues to grow. Citizens used to feel safe with police protection, but even police are being targeted. There have been many incidents where police have used their guns in an unnecessary manner. Shooting victims for no reason and leaving their loved ones heartbroken. Many people once felt protected whenever the police came around but now in today’s society, a person may feel uncertain about how to feel. Not only have police taken advantage of guns but many others with gun licenses have well. Depending on someone’s place of living can be their answer to the use of gun control. If one lived in a nice, suburban area, they might not see the need for weapons. On the contrary, if one was born in the country where they grew up using guns for hunting, and protecting themselves from whatever lurks in the woods, they would tell you why citizens “need” guns. The people left Europe for freedom and the right to own land, worship as they please, have their own government, and not be taxed to death. Without guns, these accomplishments would not have been possible. It was a noble cause back then, however, guns are used for unnecessary bloodshed in today's society.
How and why is it getting so bad? What happened to the days of common sense and responsible people? There is no one answer to this because human nature is unpredictable. Even though one might be for gun ownership, and one might not be, we should all collectively celebrate that we live in a country that gives us the right to choose. The people have a chance to change what is wrong, and they have the opportunity to fix their problems. The pros and cons of gun ownership are a double-edged sword, and what one has experienced or been through will determine which side each person decides to stand on. Each person should get to choose whether they are for, or against gun control, and that is what freedom is about.
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