? Essay, Research Paper
Erik Castaldo
Term Paper
Should the constitution protect private gun ownership?
Should the Constitution protect private gun ownership? This is an
arguable question with two developed sides dating back to when the
constitution was written and the second amendment was developed.
After the American revolutionary war in the seventeen hundreds, our
new country needed a basis of government, rules, rights and ideals.
The fathers of our country wrote these rules and regulations which there
was an unanimous agreement on. They named this writing “The
Constitution of the United States of America.” One right the constitution
gave the people was the second amendment written in 1791 which
stated. ” A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a
free state, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
There are controversies about this amendment, however. In the
present, the second amendment and private gun ownership is said to
be hurting our citizens rather than protecting them. This is an arguable
statement, however. Several major court cases have had an impact on
private gun ownership since the second amendment was written.
These cases forced additional rules to apply to private gun ownership
to make it safer.
The citizens whom appose private gun ownership feel that the
second amendment has no real meaning in the present and it was only
written to ensure our freedom and undeveloped country from hostile
take over. America is a now a strong world power and the threat our
new country had is obviously past tense now. They also feel that guns
have a better chance of hurting people rather than helping someone
and making guns obsolete will solve the problem of most homicides.
Statistics show that hand guns are the most common weapon seen in
homicides across the nation and some states which do not allow
private gun ownership have much lower homicide rates than we do
here in America. Guns also rank among the highest accidental deaths.
The people against private gun ownership wish to completely ban
guns from all people. This would most definitely lower homicide rates
in America just as it did in other countries but it is unfair to the
American people who safely use guns for sport or collecting.
Americans who are pro private gun ownership think that without
guns, there wouldn’t be an America. Many people see guns as a way
to protect their loved ones, valuable items and property. Guns are used
in many ways for recreational activities such as target shooting and
hunting. They believe that it is a freedom that came along with the
country and should not be taken away.
In my opinion the rights of the second amendment should not be
taken away. I have many examples of how private gun ownership is
beneficial to people but couldn’t find any which show that it is a con on
society that had a background other than peoples stupidity,
misjudgment and being unsafe.
House jacking in Florida. A 49 year old male with Parkinson’s
disease. Fatally wounded a criminal whom was breaking in through his
glass sliding doors with a legal handgun.
The Times 5/6/00
Man stops Bronco theft by threatening with handgun, no shots fired,
in Pennsylvania.
Butler Eagle 4/20/00
A woman’s separated husband, armed with a butchers knife forced
his
companion was armed and fatally shot the would be murderer with a
legal firearm.
Tri-City Herald 8/17/00
A 60 year old Las Vegas home owner was awakened by his
barking dog at 1 A.M. Armed with his legal handgun, the man
investigated. Opening the door to his den, he encountered an armed
intruder. A gun battle ensued and the legal gun owner came out on top.
The police arrived and captured a fleeing accomplice outside. Inside
they found a handgun, still in the dead mans hand. The invader had a
long record for burglary and battery.
Las Vegas review-Journal 7/19/00
Don’t blame the inanimate gun for the actions of armed violent
felons. Concerned law abiding gun owners agree with our founding
fathers who know that freedom depends on the right to keep and bear
arms. For every soldier who fought for liberty we owe thanks and
gratitude. Its sad to think that there is a force intending to take away
our constitutional firearms rights. Instead of concentrating on reporting
accidental incidents or parental lack of responsibility the media should
focus on the wrong doings and phony two-faced actions of the anti
gunners. Instead highlight the shooting sports as an American tradition.
There is a need for the mainstream population to hear the stories of
those who have used guns for self protection and survived the
onslaught of vicious criminals who would have robbed and killed their
victims had they not been armed.
The hypocrisy of anti-right to bear arms individuals who are
exposed with hired armed bodyguards are insidious. How easy for our
enemies to overtake us unarmed. What are the antigun politicians
thinking? That the rest of the world loves America and wouldn’t dream
of military occupation because were defenseless? How stupid! In the
real world the reason the USA is a number one power is because of
our superior firepower. The same concept keeps armed citizens safe
from an increasingly violent and unpredictable environment.
Responsible law abiding citizens who legally own guns, who keep
them safe for sport and protection are rightfully exercising a privilege
that America, freedom and liberty stand for. To remove this
fundamental amendment would be a nail in the coffin for democracy.
Since Britain banned and confiscated all legally owned handguns in
1997, gun crime has gone up. Eighty years ago, England effectively
had no antigun laws at all. Gun crime was statistically insignificant. A
former police superintendent said in 1973, “As each anti gun law
passes, gun crime steadily grows worse. It stands to reason that the
same course of action would render the same results here. If the police
are allowed to be armed for self protection shouldn’t the people?
“Guns protect families, gun haters ignore the real causes of crime”
In conclusion, I think that instead of new antigun laws, enforce zero
tolerance for illegal possession and 100% prosecution of criminals who
use guns. We should monitor gun purchases and resales from gun
dealers. Finding and eliminating “black market” gun dealers would be
a huge and effective step. Establishing good safety programs
necessary for citizens to pass in order to get a gun license would be
another good precaution. One last thing would be to mandate
proficiency tests for licensed individuals to prove that they can adeptly