As the gun control debate rages on and continues to be a substantial topic among our presidential debates, do we need a little bit of reform to an outdated constitutional amendment? The second amendment was adopted over 200 years ago in 1791. Since then there have been many changes in our culture and advances in firearm technology. Year after year, decade after decade, one shooting after another, our gun laws have hardly kept up. Our closest allies and most similar foreign counterparts surpass us in their updated firearm laws. Why does the U.S. continue to lack in reform and change in our 2nd amendment?
Since the inception of the 2nd amendment in 1791, we have seen a massive technological advancement in firearm technology. (1) Back in those days, firearms were only capable of firing only 1-2 shots a minute, 3 if you were lucky. Today, firearms are capable of firing 100’s of rounds per minute with the option of high capacity magazines holding 200 rounds or more. (2) With those advancements in technology, does it make sense for the general public to still have access to these types of weapons? During the infancy of our nation, it was not possible to drive to the local sporting goods store and buy 1000’s of rounds of ammunition, no questions asked. Most of us are in agreement we need
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Australia banned firearms and had a gun guyback program in 1996 and introduced much stricter laws. These revisions included a 28 day waiting period and providing a genuine reason why you need to purchase a firearm. They have seen a massive decrase in gun violence. Total intentional firearm related deaths plunged 50% in the 10 years after the 1996 laws were introduced, even as Australia’s population grew almost 13%. The rate of gun suicides per 100,000 people dropped 65 percent from 1995 to 2006, and the rate of gun homicides fell 59 percent. Those statistics have to just be too good to be true. Plus that infringes on our rights as American citizens to bear arms.
I believe that the amount of deaths related to guns each year in the United Sates is absolutely absurd. The amount of deaths compared to that of other countries is so drastic I’m very surprised the government controlling the U.S. hasn’t taken any action against guns and the laws surrounding them. My opinion on the United States Second Amendment is that it should not have ever been set in the law and that there is no use for guns besides
Paul Barrett wrote about a discussion whether or not we should amend the second amendment. He used the words from a retired supreme court justice Paul Stevens to help justify the points on why we should amend it. The main points that came out are that the 2nd amendment was made for militias or the military to bear arms and didn’t let the federal government regulate weapons but only left it to the state governments. The right to bear arms is essentially not an unlimited one. As the country grows older the interpretation of the 2nd amendment changes as well.
The 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution should be amended not repealed. The problem that we are having in America is people are misusing guns. It seems easy for me to understand that we should set some rules and limitations on what a person has the right to own, carry, and use. Keeping track of intense powered weapons made to kill people isn’t the same thing as getting rid of and banning all weapons and getting rid of the 2nd amendment. Three reasons why the second amendment shouldn’t be repealed is because number one, the 2nd amendment is important to prevent the government from posing a threat.
The topic of gun control and firearm regulation has been subject to heated debate for a long while. Both sides have potent arguments, however the core of this issue ultimately boils down to the constitution itself. More specifically the second amendment. This argument quickly becomes quite complicated because gun control and firearm regulation concerns not only the right of citizens, but more importantly the safety of citizens. The second amendment helps to guarantee an imperative right belonging to all citizens.
Updating the Amendment 2.0 The right to bear arms has been a favoured constitutional law since its establishment in 1791, but as more gun related violence and accidents occur, there has been increasing debate on whether or not guns should be banned in the US altogether, and if not, what regulations should be required for the purchase and handling of them. While guns should not be completely banned from the country, the rules and regulations of gun laws should be tightened. In the 2nd amendment, it clearly states that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” While this statement still holds true, the evolution of firearms and how they have become more dangerous throughout the years is a clear sign of why the laws should be changed.
The 26th amendment states “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.” My opinion on the 26 amendment is that the voting age should be lowered to 16 instead of 18. I also believe the 2nd amendment should be change which also expresses “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.” Changing the 26th amendment could gradually increase society being safer. I feel the 26th amendment should be change because people of teenage years seem to know just as much about politics as much as older people.
A stronger focus on gun control in the United States involving restriction or even an outright ban of guns could serve to help the problem greatly. In 2015, 13,286 people were killed by firearms in the United States, with 26,819 suffering from non-lethal injuries (qtd. in “Guns in the US”). Taking away guns, the means that many urban criminals have to commit their crimes, would be very beneficial to cities. Recent studies found that the most effective way of reducing gun crime is to lower the amount of guns available in circulation.
The second amendment is needed in the society that we live in today. It would cause a lot of trouble if people tried to amend the second amendment. I understand that the trajectory for the right to bear arm is becoming narrow and people are starting to see an issue with it. But, I believe that there are different things that can be enforced that will prevent some of these issues. Thomas Jefferson stated, “No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
Although the second amendment states all americans have the right to bear arms crime statistics show that we need tighter gun control to lessen the widespread shootings. Gun violence has existed in america
The question on whether the 2nd Amendment in the U.S. should be changed or not has become a widely discussed and argued topic as of recent, due to recurring incidents of shootings occurring on U.S. soil by its own inhabitants. While many would be in support of the right to bear arms, including myself, I do believe that the current gun laws need to be made more restrictive than they are in their current state, for the sake of the country and the safety of its people. I’m well aware that I am not a U.S. citizen and that I have no say in what decisions are made there regarding the country’s constitution, but I feel that what I have to say is shared by many of America’s people and that it’s not only Americans that are affected by guns but also those who are visiting the country from abroad. There are many problems regarding America’s very unrestrictive gun laws at present, whether it’s the fact that there is no federal minimum age for possession of a long gun, or the fact that individuals don’t
During the assault weapons ban of 1994, gun deaths were significantly low, as shown in a graph in the Washington Post. This shows that another ban on assault weapons, and possibly a permanent one, could largely impact the force leading to gun violence and
Alexis Clarke Professor Frank English 110 29 October 2015 Gun Control Will Not Eliminate Crime The big issue of gun control in the United States, is that many people believe that it takes away the 2nd Amendment rights, which is the right to bear arms. Citizens of the United States are promised the the right to bear arms in the Constitution, and by applying gun control laws takes away that same right. Crime is high enough in cities with very few laws pertaining to gun control, but taking guns away from people who are registered with license will not solve the problem either. Placing more limitations on gun owners, particularly responsible gun owners, will not reduce gun violence.
Guns should be banned in America, with 30,000 deaths yearly in America, we need to do something about it. Many counties have made strict gun control laws or just have banned guns and that seems to be helping them. We have the most gun deaths out of all wealthy countries, which is unacceptable and we need to change it as fast as possible to prevent further deaths. Many people say that guns shouldn't be banned because of how the Second Amendment says, “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 Second Amendment was written in 1791, around 225 years ago!
Since the begining of America, the Founding Fathers wrote the strong-standing Bill of Rights with amendments to protect the country that had just recently won their freedom, but one amendment has been the top theme of controversies for centuries. Gun laws offend the Bill of Rights in so many ways and they prove ineffective. Gun Laws are relevant due to thousands of deaths and self-protection. The argument goes on but without guns there is militia, one of the main intents of the Second Amendment. These simple rules can reduce deaths, proven by millions of influential people.
"In 1990, handguns were used to kill approximately 48 people in Japan, 8 in Great Britain, 34 in Switzerland, 52 in Canada, 58 in Israel, 42 in West Germany and 10,728 in the United States”. For many years, America has been regarded as one of the world’s most perilous and ferocious countries in the world. The death rate caused by active gun shooters in the US is extraordinary: “since 1968, more Americans have died from gunfire than died in … all the wars of this country 's history”. Hence why public ownership of guns should be abolished in the USA. Can you imagine to what extent the death rate in America has increased by now?