Professor Gregory Shows
English 1302
5th march 2013 Sides of Gun Control
Gun control has been surrounded by controversy since The Bill of Rights, including the Second amendment was passed in the congress. "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," the founders wrote. Today there is considerable argument over just what the founders intended by their words. Did they mean to provide only for armed units to protect us from invasion, or did they mean that each individual has a right to a gun? Both gun-control supporters and gun-rights advocates have their legal arguments to support their side, but the federal courts have upheld all laws regulating gun ownership when the laws have been challenged on the basis of violating the second amendment.
During the time between the American Revolution and the Civil War, no more than one-tenth of the American population owned guns. They became more a part of American culture due to the marketing efforts of gun manufacturer Samuel Colt, who played on the fears of the middle-class to sell weapons for "self-defense". The end of the Civil War also played a role in the increase of gun ownership, as many soldiers returned home with their weapons in hand. Gun control was not a major issue or concern in the history up until the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King which increased public awareness to the relative lack of control over the sale and possession of firearms in America. Congress passed the 1968 Gun Control Act, which banned mail-order gun sales and instituted more stringent licensing requirements for dealers. After an attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981,gun control became the hot issue it is today. Congress passed several laws concerning armor-piercing bullets and automatic weapons. In addition, Brady bill was passed which requires a five-day waiting period for all handgun purchases.
In today’s gun control debate, those