The Second Amendment: The Right To Bear Arms

The right to bear arms has been topic of discussion among people since ancient times. Political theorist John Locke viewed possession of arms as a personal freedom one should abstain. The Second Amendments purpose and meaning has been a key controversy. The Amendment adopted in 1791, was constructed so each state maintained a militia, composed of everyday citizens who served as part time soldiers which were well regulated. People feared the federal government would use its standing army to go against its will on the states, the authors of the second amendment intended to protect the states militias’ right to bear arms. Some will claim the amendment protects the general public. Among industrial nations, the United States is the leader in per-capita gun deaths. Gun control laws serve as several functions. “They may be designed to hinder certain people from gaining access to any firearms. The laws may limit possession of certain types of weapons to the police and the military. A person who wants to make a gun purchase or obtain a gun license may be subject to a waiting period. Gun-control laws vary from country to country.” In the United States, there’s a severe lack of agreement on gun control which has led to a variety of …show more content…
There is no longer a need to protect ourselves by using guns. We have strong police forces and other protections to shelter Americans in this century. The only other reasons one would want to obtain a gun is for protection because of the fear of another having a gun or to cause harm on purpose to others. It’s a cycle and if we halted it, the craving of wanting a gun in the home would surely decrease. Allowing guns to be open to the general public isn’t reassuring, it makes some nervous. Guns should solitarily be available to military personnel or police officers and