Gun Control Essay

The United States Constitution says that U.S. Citizens have the

right to bear arms. Although this was written with no

constraints, there are now laws that limit certain parts of gun

ownership. The reasons for gun control fall under the flag of public

safety. Though there are many safety reasons why private ownership of

firearms should be banned, these arguments are outweighed not only by the

need for protection, but because the limitation of ownership rights could

become dangerous to personal freedom.

When the U.S. Constitution was written, some delegates thought

Militia was military forces because the Federal Government had its own army

to protect the people. The second amendment was made in response to the

fear of being helpless before a standing professional army. On December 15, 1791,

Virginia ratified the Bill of Rights, making it, with the second amendment, part of the

constitution (The Commission for the Bicentennial of the United States

Constitution, 5).

The Constitution does not guarantee gun ownership for just any

reason. The second amendment makes it clear that only a well-regulated

Militia needs arms. As recently as 1980 the Supreme Court noted that “The

second amendment guarantees no right to keep and bear a firearm that does

not have some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of

a well regulated Militia” (Isaacson, 163). The meaning of the second

amendment, as interpreted by pro-gun control supporters, was to allow

citizens to protect themselves from and oppressive government, not to allow

anyone the power to shoot another human being.

The main reason for gun control boils down to the want for personal

and public safety. One upsetting fact about guns is they increase the

severity of a crime. "With guns, unlike knives or hands, rage and

recklessness are likely to be translated cleanly and quickly into death"

(Isaacson, 162). Another upsetting fact is that hand guns are people

killers, which is their only use. People with guns are more likely to take a life that with

upclose and personal weapons like the knife or the fist.

Gun control activists believe that a ban on hand guns would

gradually deplete the number of handguns in circulation. This would slowly

take care of the cheep Saturday Night Specials, which hold no use to police

or sports men, because they only last about 10 years. Little pistols are

not needed by ordinary people and can easily be concealed be street

criminals. This statistic shows the effect of the availability of handguns on America.

The handgun is not needed except when a person wants to hide a weapon. For home

defense, the shotgun is more effective with its wide blasting stopping power, while a

handgun has to be aimed exactly on target.

A big problem with keeping guns in the house is the curiosity and

ignorance of children. Children are more capable of finding guns than they

are given credit for. Even if a child is well behaved and listens when they are told not to

touch a gun, they may still fall under to peer pressure and let their friends play with a

gun. Not only is a gun dangerous to children, but the ammunition is as well. A child

could be seriously hurt by an exploding bullet, which can be set off by being hit by a

rock, a

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