As the title of this blog, states, this post is about guns. As many of the other topics on this blog, guns are a topic that is usually controversial. The 2nd Amendment and gun control seem to spark heated debate unless spoken among sympathizers of the same position. My personal opinion, which will undoubtedly come out in my writing, is that I consider the 2nd Amendment – 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 – a right for every law-abiding citizen. I also believe in some forms of gun control. It is a common sentiment that you can be pro 2nd Amendment and pro gun control, but I beg to differ. The following paragraphs will present a few facts, but mostly arguments for and against guns.
The New York Times wrote, “The Supreme Court in 2008 embraced the view that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own a gun for personal use, ruling 5 to 4 that there is a constitutional right to keep a loaded handgun at home for self-defense…On June 28, 2010, the court ruled in another 5-4 decision that the Second Amendment restrains government's ability to significantly limit ‘the right to keep and bear arms.’ Writing for the court, Justice Samuel Alito said that the Second Amendment right ‘applies equally to the federal government and the states.’” At this point in time, it seems that our nation is more “pro 2nd Amendment” than “pro gun control.” The National Rifle Association – Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) states that as of 2009, the number of privately owned guns rises about 4.5 million a year.
Even with the Court’s decisions and other legislation that has been passed, there are many arguments against guns. Some of the more common arguments are that guns kill people, many children are killed by accidentally getting ahold of their parent’s gun, and that guns are dangerous. First, guns do not kill people. Yes, the bullet that ends a person’s life may be shot out of a gun, but guns do not shoot to kill – a person must aim the gun and pull the trigger. Second, any person can pick up a gun and accidentally shoot themselves. It is more tragic that a child does it, but a person is a person. The fact that a child has access to a gun should lead to a pointing of the finger at the adult who left that gun out in the open than a pointing of a finger to an inanimate object. The NRA-ILA states, “The firearm accident death rate is at an all-time annual low, 0.2 per 100,000 [people], down 94% since the all-time high in 1904. Since 1930, the annual number of such deaths has decreased 80%, to an all-time low, while the U.S. population has more than doubled and the number of firearms has quintupled. Among children, such deaths have decreased 90% since 1975. Today, the odds are more than a million to one, against a child in the U.S. dying in a firearm accident.” Thirdly, any object that can kill is “dangerous.” If a person takes the time to learn how to handle a gun safely and develops a respect for the power a gun contains, that gun becomes a tool to protect oneself and not an object to fear.
Another idea we should keep in mind, is that as good of an intention gun control laws may have, there is a huge flaw in their rationale – laws are for law-abiding citizens, not criminals. A country could pass every gun control law possible and completely restrict its citizens, but the criminals will not obey the laws. As criminals, by definition, they do not care about laws passed to stop the usage of certain guns. The following video may offend some people, but I ask that everyone watch it with an open mind. (Please keep in mind that this video is a parody – I am no responsible for any other videos this author posts or their personal views)
Even though I am pro 2nd Amendment, I am still in support of certain aspects of gun control laws. I am in favor of the background check citizens need to go through before they can be eligible to own a personal firearm. I am in favor of registering firearms, so in the case that they are stolen we can identify the gun when it is found. However, I do not believe registering your firearm should be mandatory or government regulated/controlled. If an owner would like to register their gun to monitor their own property, they would be free to do so. Ideas I would like to see implemented are the following: a gun safety class should be mandatory before a person is eligible to purchase a firearm, this gun safety class should also have to be renewed at least once a year, a class on teaching someone to shoot should also be mandatory, this shooting class should also be renewed at least once a year, and starting at an early age gun safety should be taught to young children. There are many nuances with gun control laws that need to be examined, so that safety and a citizen’s rights can go hand-in-hand without one or their other being put on the back burner.
Guns are an important variable when it comes to the topic of the control of crime. Police officers, federal officers, and other government agencies use guns in defense of United States citizens. Criminals also use guns against other criminals and to intimidate the citizens they are taking advantage of. The media gives powerful presentations of gun. Watching the news or listening to the radio spreads the news of a gun-related death, mugging, assault, etc. which tends to paint a negative view of guns. Films show action and violence with guns all around, whether the bad guy is about to kill the good guy with a gun or the good guy wrestles the gun away at the last minute and is able to kill the bad guy. It seems that whoever has the gun is the victor, and while that may not always be true, it is an important idea. This idea leads me to my ending statement; the statement that I want my audience to remember, even if they do not remember anything else of what I have written here. Just like if the good guy has the gun or the bad guy has the gun - guns do not make the decision to the pull the trigger, people do.
Published: March 6, 2011. Accessed: April 14, 2011.
Published: January 14, 2011. Accessed: April 14, 2011.
Accessed: April 14, 2011.
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