Gun Control in America Today

Gun Control in America Today

In the time when our forefathers were busy developing and writing the Constitution, the right to bear arms was a very important aspect of the common man's life. Today, gun control is a very controversial issue in our present American society, and most Americans develop their own opinions early in their lives. To some, guns are the protection that no family or household should be without. To others, guns are used to kill innocent people and commit violent acts of crime. Some believe that if guns were not controlled by the government, crime might skyrocket to unreasonable levels. Eventually, they might even become customary for the ordinary man and woman to carry around daily. Luckily, guns are not as standard like electric shavers or a set of keys. Right now, it is illegal for a person to carry a concealed weapon without also carrying a permit. Many people believe that the Second Amendment is outdated, and that guns should be controlled due to the contrasting purposes of guns in 1776 and today.

The gun control controversy started long ago with the colonists and the Native Americans. Constant wars and heavy losses to the English gave the colonists the idea of gun control. A war in 1675 ended up wiping out two Native American tribes and resulted in heavy casualties to the Massachusetts Bay Colony and surrounding colonies. The colonists began to restrict tribes from use of firearms of any kind. (Jacobs 25-26) This was the first event that involved gun control of any kind in the history of America, and it was fraught with colonization domination and fear. It was not until the constitution was

written and the Second Amendment ratified that people were guaranteed the right to bear arms.

"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 Second Amendment states. The constitution has been widely interpreted ever since it was written. The original intent and objective of the Amendment is still interpreted both literally and figuratively to this day. Interpreted literally, the Second Amendment states that Americans have the right to form a militia and bear arms. However, if one looks at the Amendment figuratively, one might conclude that it is out dated and was meant for defense in the early stages of American history. Looking at it this way, people should not be able to purchase and use guns today unless they are part of a police department or in the militia. It all comes down to the question. Is the purpose of the Second Amendment to uphold and maintain or to grant? Nevertheless, asking this simple question is not the case. Today's court system in America views the Amendment literally. It is possible for a person to buy a gun from a gun shop with a simple background check for any convictions..

The two major political parties of America, the Republicans and the Democrats, are at a stalemate in the controversy. "Republicans tend to be against gun control, showing the policies of the White House and the majority of opinions in the Senate... The Democrats view gun control as an important step to securing the lives of [the] citizens." (Kleck, Patterson) Like the political parties, Americans are also a part of this stalemate. There is no way to tell what kind of people will be for or against gun control, either. For example, if a man and woman's son is killed or injured in a gun related incident, it is equally possible that they might go either way. They might think that if the government monitored gun control more intensely, then maybe their son would not have been killed or injured. On the other hand, it also possible that they might think that if there son also had a weapon on him, maybe he would have been able to defend himself and not get hurt.

Are the Amendments equally important and equally significant? The First Amendment deals with the freedom of speech. The Third Amendment deals with housing troops in the homes of citizens. The Fourth Amendment deals with the illegal searches and seizures. The first and fourth still apply today, while the third does not directly affect any Americans today. That means that there is a possibility that the Second Amendment is also outdated. Just as the Third Amendment was meant to keep British troops out of the homes of the colonists, perhaps the Second Amendment was written so that the people have the right to bear arms in times when a regulated militia is in need.

The numbers of deaths and injuries caused every day far outweigh the enjoyment hunters experience or the money that gun shop owners make. Sure, right now people may feel like they have protection if they own a gun in there home. It might make them feel secure and safe. However, there is always a chance that an accident occurs, especially if there are young children or teenagers living in the house. Today's music, TV, and video games make firearms very interesting to young people. When kids and teenagers find their parents' gun, sometimes they might feel an urge to play with it and experiment with it. If this happens, injury is sometimes unavoidable and death is a definite possibility. Of course, guns help America win wars, guns help hunters hunt

animals of all kinds, and guns make money for people. But these are hardly enough to say that they outweigh the negative results of guns.

When shootings like the Columbine High School shooting take place, one must begin to wonder if not controlling guns more strictly is worth it. If a criminal wants to find a gun, a criminal is going to find a gun. However, if guns were reserved for only the military and police, criminals and terrorists have to look harder, take longer, and pay more. When the law enforcement agents of America have to arrest these lawbreakers, it is much more difficult and much more dangerous to do if the criminal is armed. These armed crimes, sadly, happen every day in our country. Homicides, kidnappings, suicides, armed robberies, etc., put the lives

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