The right to bear arms in todays society
The right to bear arms in today’s societyThe Right to Bear Arms in Today’s Society
The Second amendment of the Bill of Rights has arguably been the subject of a most controversial debate in our government. The Amendment states, “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” (O’Connor 469). In the drafting of the Bill of Rights, memories of British rule were still fresh in the minds of many; therefore, one of the main objectives of the Second Amendment was to insure the capability to defend liberty against any party that may pose a threat to it. In today’s society there are opposing views on the significance of the right to own a gun. As a sportsman, hunter, and collector of guns, I intend to address some of the popular arguments associated with the issues of gun control and will support my stand on the importance of this right to bear arms with research and persuasion.
Many people blame guns for the increasing crime in our nation, and others stand up for their right to bear arms and demand that the problems lie in the system that fails to adequately deal with the people that are committing the crimes. Some groups lobby the nation’s capital on both sides of the controversy trying to convince the government to join their side of the battle. The NRA (National Rifleman Association) is one of the most powerful lobbyist organization in the country and the nation’s most influential group supporting for the right to own a gun. The anti-gun lobbyists are in smaller, less influential numbers striving for waiting periods placed on the purchase of firearms, background checks that would prevent the sale of firearms to individuals with a mental or felony record, or total bans on the purchase and ownership of guns.
The anti-gunners take many approaches in their efforts to eliminate the Second Amendment from our Constitution. Based on the belief that the guns are to blame for the crimes they are used in, many believe that waiting periods would ignite a massive reduction in gun-related crimes. Also, they believe the waiting periods would prevent crimes of passion by providing a cooling-off period. During these waiting periods, the gun dealer would conduct a background check on the customer. If a background check showed any mental record or felony in the buyer’s past, the sale would be denied. Many criminals convicted of felonies have their charges dropped to misdemeanors through plea-bargaining which would enable them to still purchase a gun. John Hinckley attempted to assassinate President Reagan with a gun that he purchased just prior to the attempt, but even with a background check he met all of the qualifications to buy a gun. “In California, Connecticut, Washington, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, and...
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