Gun Rights Vs Gun Control Essay

Improved Essays
Gun Rights Versus Gun Control In George Washington’s address to the second session of the first Congress, he said: “Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American People’s Liberty teeth and keystone under Independence.” A very controversial topic involving gun control and gun rights has been argued for many years. Many people strongly believe that citizens should not be allowed to possess guns. Perhaps their intentions are not completely misguided. Over the past few years, it seems that more crimes have been committed through the use of guns. However, for as many fatal shootings as you hear about from media, it appears that around the same amount have ended a little differently. Our Founding Fathers gave us the 2nd Amendment, because they believed that guns were necessary for our protection. Our government and the majority of people around us today see guns as a threat. Statistics show that while guns are dangerous , they are also beneficial. Therefore, should we condemn guns, or should we recognize the protection they can offer us?
An article published by the Congressional Digest in May of 1986 asks the important question: “Do criminals commit crimes or do guns commit crimes?” At this point in the 1900’s crimes committed with the use of guns was increasingly higher than it is today. This article served to highlight the ideals between both those advocating for gun rights and those against it. After it was acknowledged that guns themselves cannot commit a crime without an individual present, the U.S. Government decided to relax the laws it had put in place against owning a gun. This in turn seems to have favored America. Deaths caused by the use of a gun, though still high, started to decrease. The reason for this was that more people owned guns and the popular argument: “the only thing stopping a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun” seemed to be true. The majority of people are afraid of guns. They should be. Guns are dangerous if they are put in the wrong hands. Realizing this, the government has required different forms of background checks in each state. Felons or anyone addicted to an unlawful substance are banned under federal statute to purchase a gun. According to Journal of Urban Health in April, 2014, “To identify prohibited persons as they attempt to acquire firearms, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act requires that a background check be performed for purchases from federal firearms licensees (FFLs) such as firearms dealers and pawnbrokers. In 2010, federal and state agencies conducted 10.4 million background checks; more than 150,000 purchases were denied when background checks found the buyers to be prohibited persons.” Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean we have kept guns out of every ‘bad’ person’s hands. Background checks don’t prevent a credible person from buying a gun and then giving it to someone who wouldn’t be considered as credible. However, the article serves to show those who advocate for gun control that certain stipulations are already in place and that they are effective. According to an article published in July of 2013, written by Wodarz, Dominik and Natalia L. Komarova, approximately thirty percent of adults/households own a gun. Within this article, there is mathematical data showing various scenarios involving guns and the outcome of those scenarios. The authors of this article created a formula to predict what would happen in different scenarios involving a gun. For example, they estimated that if you carry a gun, and are confronted by someone with a
…show more content…
Statistics are far more favorable towards gun control, but logic dictates that we are safer by having gun rights. Not only is our individual freedom at stake, but the right to protect ourselves is at stake. And yet, by advocating for guns, we are seeing increasing gun-related deaths. The topic of gun control versus gun rights is so deep and so complex, we may never find the right answer. Those who research this topic should be aware of the rights the Second Amendment gives us and the controversy surrounding it. The topic of gun control versus gun rights, is so much broader and more complex than discussed in this

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Throughout American history, the topic of gun control has been an argument filled with controversy. There have been a number of traumatic events in the country that involved the use of guns; Because of this, many Americans have become weary to the thought of anyone being able to carry a gun. Over the years, there have been many different stances developed pertaining to this topic. Some believe the Second Amendment should be completely abolished, others believe there should be no restrictions on guns, whatsoever. There is also an opinion in the middle of these two stances; some think by combining the two opposite beliefs and collaborating their ideas, a fair resolution could be made.…

    • 1059 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Guns and Gun Control. " NY Times. Nytimes.com, 20 Feb. 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. .…

    • 1112 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gun Control In Mexico

    • 1188 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Though gun control is a necessary thing, many are against stricter gun control laws. Those opposed to stricter gun control laws would state that gun control would have no effect on reducing crime (Gottieb 1991). However, according to the Huffington Post, which states that with “Higher gun violence tend to have much less stringent gun laws” (States 2013). Having gun laws that put severe restrictions on guns are unhelpful and impractical. The government can make it almost impossible to obtain a…

    • 1188 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Second Amendment, is a very controversial area under discussion in the media. Both advocates for and against gun ownership have been lobbying Congress to gain legislation in their favor for decades. Congress is at a standstill over gun issues and has voted down all proposals on gun control in the legislature. Although regulation is useless against criminals some harm can be avoided through tougher unified gun control, the American people have a Second Amendment right to bear arms, nevertheless regulators must decide who should be allowed ownership of what guns and if any training should be required among other issues, regulation must be clearly defined in order to protect society from needless harm. Proponents of gun control have debated that the Second Amendment only applies to members of militias and does not apply to individual…

    • 1674 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Middle Ground of Gun Control The topic of gun control has been one of the most controversial debates in American history. Since the Revolutionary War the right to bear arms has been a constitutional right enjoyed by millions. Although, due to the dramatic increase in the number of gun related incidents, the Second Amendment faces strong opposition that demands radical changes. From school shootings to domestic terrorism in our country, the citizens of America have questioned the government’s power to keep people safe.…

    • 2070 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gun Control has been a fiery topic to debate over the years between political parties(“From My Cold”). Because of the mass shootings,School shooting, and assassination over the years. Democrats believe there should be more regulations on guns while on the other hand,Republicans believe the should be less because it infringes on the Second Amendment rights. Gun Control is one of the most controversial topics in today's society due to how it violates the Second Amendment, infringes on citizens’ right to protect themselves, and it is a direct invasion of privacy. Gun Control laws violates our Second Amendment's right to bear arms.…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    That is one of the most important questions in today's society. Just as there are the two political parties, there are two “parties” to gun control. The citizens in favor of gun ownership, and the freedom to obtain and use guns, are relying on the Constitution. However, the opposing side is relying on the statistics that come from the increasing number of shootings across the nation. Those in favor of gun ownership beleive that it is a fundamental right to own a gun, and it should not be taken away.…

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gun Control is Not the Solution Increased Gun Control in the United States is absurd, useless, and unnecessary. In order to increase safety all throughout the United States time and effort must not be spent towards limiting gun owners of their rights. The tragic rash of school, religious, and workplace shootings has turned up the heat on the public conversation about guns. In nearly all of these cases gun laws would not have stopped the shooters from obtaining a firearm.…

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gun Debate Essay

    • 1113 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The ability to develop better gun control has for the most part eluded the government. A large percentage of people in the United States feel that there is nothing that can be done to solve the gun and violence problem. Mallory Simon, author of, “Gun Debate: Where is the Middle Ground?” is a writer and senior producer of online presentations for CNN. This piece appeared on CNN.com on January 31, 2013. The importance of understanding…

    • 1113 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The debate on gun control has been going on for a quite some time now in america. Some people believe that we should have gun control, while others believe that we should stop gun violence with more guns that can cause unnecessary violence. Although many people feel that guns should be allowed with us for safety, more guns out there can lead to more crimes involving guns ending up in wrong hands. There have been many incidents and shootings that have rekindled the gun control argument. An example of an incident is that on Feb. 29, 2016 in Madison, Ohio a high school student injured two other students with a .380 caliber handgun.…

    • 1038 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gun Control Research Paper

    • 1364 Words
    • 6 Pages

    An incendiary debate has been sparked regarding current gun control legislation in the United States, because approximately 30,000 United States citizens lose their lives to gun-related crime and injury every year (Terror). The question is whether gun control laws should be strengthened to make it harder for potential criminals to possess weapons or kept the same to preserve the rights of the United States citizens. Gun control opponents believe that the answer to this problem is to loosen gun control laws to dissuade potential shooters. Gun control proponents believe that the answer is to tighten gun control laws so that a gun is never put into a potential shooter’s hands. To examine this issue, one must carefully ponder different points of…

    • 1364 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pro Gun Control

    • 1559 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Gun control causes a lot of violence and crime in the U.S., there needs to be more restrictions. Make it harder for Americans to purchase handguns, but can carry them as concealed weapons for protection. In the last year, ten thousand seven hundred and twenty eight people died from getting shot by a handgun(Gun-Control Dishonesty). Handguns should only be for protection, not because you want to kill someone. The second amendment states that it is your right to bear arms(Gun Control Costing States).…

    • 1559 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the past few decades, firearms have had a big impact on society. These impacts have been both good and evil, and have caused controversy on the topic of gun ownership. Some groups, such as the Brady Campaign, would like to see gun control laws take away some rights and restrict others, whereas the National Rifle Association would like to protect gun rights and educate society on the use of firearms. Both sides want to stop the problem of gun violence, but protecting gun rights is the only way to truly insure public safety. Gun control will not be able to stop the use of guns, and it will put citizens in an unfair situation where they cannot protect themselves.…

    • 1808 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gun control is a topic that divides the opinions of the United States citizens and creates endless discussions that until now has not reached a conclusion. The United States has faced many mass shootings during the last years making the supporters of gun control want a reform even more. Guns are responsible for over thirty-three thousand deaths in the United States every year. The United States leads the world with more gun-related homicides and suicides than any other country, according to a 2016 study conducted by the American Journal of Medicine. (“Gun Control”).…

    • 544 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    According to a study published in 2012, the number of gun-related murders committed is at its lowest rate since 1981, even with an increased amount of people owning firearms (Gun Rhetoric, 2012). On the opposite side of the spectrum, those that support stricter gun control policies argue that the Second Amendment does not provide an unlimited right to own guns (US Supreme Court). Proponents of more gun control laws state that the Second Amendment is as dated as The Constitution and that it was intended only for militia . Nowhere in the Second Amendment is it explicitly stated that it was created to protect an individual’s right to bear arms (Waldman,…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays