Kaitlin Halvorsen
October 14,2015
POL103
Gun Violence The United States has experienced much devastation due to gun violence. Most recently at a college in Oregon, a gunman killed 10 people and injured 9 and then took his own life. The United States is the most heavily armed nation, “a society with a firearm for nearly 90% of its 321 million citizens, (cnn.com). The man who is responsible for the devastation in Oregon had all of his guns legally, purchased by him or a relative, (Sanchez). So the debate continues on guns, and whether they should be legal. A top argument for guns is the second amendment of the United States constitution. When the second amendment was put into the Bill of Rights, they believed that an armed population …show more content…
It was later more clarified that the second amendment was meant more for a militia rather than each individual. In 1886 Herman Presser was a part of a citizen militia group and also led the group. It is said that he “did unlawfully belong to and did parade and drill in the city of Chicago with an unauthorized body of men with arms, who had associated themselves together as a military company and organization”(findlaw.com). At this time in Chicago you could only be a part of a militia if you were authorized to do so. Presser had no license from the governor of Illinois to be apart of a militia of the state. Presser opposed, saying this violated his second amendment right. The Supreme Court eventually stated that it did not violate his second amendment right, that there is a limitation that the power of congress and the national government to decide, not the state, (findlaw.com). The court eventually disposed of Pressers case that exists a right to assemble in a militia. Another case that happened before Presser v Illinois was the United States v Cruikshank. In this case the Supreme Court ruled that the second amendment does not guarantee a person the right to bear arms, only the states rights to maintain militias, …show more content…
They are a threat when in the hands of criminals. According to the Department of Justice, “in 2004, among state prison inmates who possessed a gun at the time of the offense, less than 2% bought their firearm at a flea market or gun show and 40% obtained their firearm from an illegal source,” (Planty, Truman). Whether guns are illegal or not, people would still be able to get ahold of guns, considering how many people illegally own guns
October 14,2015
POL103
Gun Violence The United States has experienced much devastation due to gun violence. Most recently at a college in Oregon, a gunman killed 10 people and injured 9 and then took his own life. The United States is the most heavily armed nation, “a society with a firearm for nearly 90% of its 321 million citizens, (cnn.com). The man who is responsible for the devastation in Oregon had all of his guns legally, purchased by him or a relative, (Sanchez). So the debate continues on guns, and whether they should be legal. A top argument for guns is the second amendment of the United States constitution. When the second amendment was put into the Bill of Rights, they believed that an armed population …show more content…
It was later more clarified that the second amendment was meant more for a militia rather than each individual. In 1886 Herman Presser was a part of a citizen militia group and also led the group. It is said that he “did unlawfully belong to and did parade and drill in the city of Chicago with an unauthorized body of men with arms, who had associated themselves together as a military company and organization”(findlaw.com). At this time in Chicago you could only be a part of a militia if you were authorized to do so. Presser had no license from the governor of Illinois to be apart of a militia of the state. Presser opposed, saying this violated his second amendment right. The Supreme Court eventually stated that it did not violate his second amendment right, that there is a limitation that the power of congress and the national government to decide, not the state, (findlaw.com). The court eventually disposed of Pressers case that exists a right to assemble in a militia. Another case that happened before Presser v Illinois was the United States v Cruikshank. In this case the Supreme Court ruled that the second amendment does not guarantee a person the right to bear arms, only the states rights to maintain militias, …show more content…
They are a threat when in the hands of criminals. According to the Department of Justice, “in 2004, among state prison inmates who possessed a gun at the time of the offense, less than 2% bought their firearm at a flea market or gun show and 40% obtained their firearm from an illegal source,” (Planty, Truman). Whether guns are illegal or not, people would still be able to get ahold of guns, considering how many people illegally own guns