Essay Example on Gun Control in the US: Controversy and History

United States (US) is one of the most armed nations worldwide, with many citizens owning firearms. With the increase in the number of gun violence and crimes, the question on gun control regulations faces controversy between the pro-gun and anti-gun supporters. Regardless of which side of the argument, one thing that everyone can agree with is that ever since the formations of America, guns have been a significant asset of the country (Barnett, 237). The founding fathers implemented the second Amendment, which gave every US citizen the right to own a firearm (Domenech, 25). The reason for this Amendment was to ensure that citizens of America are ever safe and never defenceless. Today, many Americans still believe that the federal government should preserve the Second Amendment following the recent shootings and a series of terrorist attacks that have threatened national security.

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One reason for opposing gun control is that it is an infringement of the fundamental rights of American citizens to possess firearms. The Second Amendment explicitly protects this right. It 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’’ (The Bill of Rights). Clearly, this Amendment states that US citizens have an inalienable right to own guns, and the government cannot hold back this freedom. Attempting to introduce gun control measures in the country is a violation of the constitution. This makes gun control measures unlawful considering that the government is needed to protect and uphold the constitution. Gun control advocates have argued that the Second Amendment cannot be used to justify the ownership right of firearms because the right was conditioned on organized militia service.

These advocates claim that individuals’ right was tied to the context of military and civilians were only empowered to have guns in preparedness to serve when called to duty. Legal scholars have rejected this claim by stating that the Second Amendment protected the individual right to own a gun. (Barnett, 241) also refuted the claims of the advocates by stating that the term ''bear arms'' as described in the Second Amendment, did not have a solely military connotation, and it referred to private use of the firearms. Therefore, the constitution still allows every civilian to possess a firearm.

Another argument is that gun control cannot prevent killers from engaging in murderous acts. (Domenech, 27) observed that most of the calls for stricter gun control measures occur after tragic incidents like mass murder conducted by criminals with guns. Proponents of gun control cite tragedies like the Sandy Hook incident to push for further restrictions on the rights to own a gun (Barnett, 245). This push comes despite the lack of research data to support the theory that possession of guns increases the occurrences of mass murder. Common sense tells that stricter gun control laws cannot prevent sad incidents like the case in Sandy Hook, which led to the death of twenty children and six adults since no laws can deter terrorists, serial killers, or murderous people from destroying innocent lives.

Many people think that gun control will significantly reduce violence. The reality is that putting a ban on gun ownership will not solve violence problems since criminals already, and will continue to obtain firearms illegally. Many instances have shown that gun control measures cannot end criminal activities and murder cases in the US. Desert News ranked all the states in the US based on gun control enacted by 2011 (Hartvigsen, 1). Some of the gun control measures in the states included background checks and permitted to purchase regulations. The state of Illinois was listed among the top states with stringent measures on gun control.

Paradoxically, the Neighbourhood scouts named East St. Louis, Illinois s one of the US cities with the highest homicide rates as of 2017 (Hartvigsen, 1). One wonders why Illinois had strict gun control laws for about six years, yet it still recorded high rates of crime and violence. The case of scenario is one of the many cases that show how gun control is inversely proportional to the reduction of gun violence and crime. Instead of blaming gun possession for mass murder, the government needs to identify the valid causes for such incidents and take stringent measures to avoid future occurrence (Hsiao, 1). Placing such blames on the rights protected by the constitution is neglectful and will only leave civilians vulnerable to more attacks in the future.

Another argument against gun control is that it enables the success of violent crimes orchestrated by criminals. Stricter gun control is a positive way of ensuring that every shooter is successful. Arguably, allowing every citizen to own a firearm would enable them to defend themselves in the event of an active shooting, thus, enhancing individual security. Most people invest in guns to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Introducing strict gun control legislation will make it impossible for civilians to acquire guns for self-protection purposes (Hsiao, 1). The results will be increased rates of crime as individuals will be barred from owning guns. It is because criminals will find it easy to attack and rob homes where owners have no guns since they are not worried about being confronted by lethal legal weaponry by their targets. Therefore, gun control measures only reduce the ability of civilians to protect themselves by having guns.

Supporters of gun control argue that people with guns are still vulnerable to attacks and murder. Although this is true, proponents should not use it as the key for denying individuals their right to self-defence and increase their ability to fight criminals (Hartvigsen, 1). Therefore, it is needful for the government to stop legislation on gun control because these measures interfere with the safety of the public. By imposing these laws, the government violates the individual right to bear arms. Also, implementing laws on gun control implies that the government is forceful in shaping individual conduct, contrary to the constitution. In a nation that prides itself on being democratic, the government should not tolerate any action that will result in the infringement of the constitutional rights of its citizens. Instead, the government needs to respect the privacy of the citizens allow them to possess guns if they want.

Conclusion

Overall, gun control is a strategy that violates the Second Amendment, which allows civilians to possess firearms. Enacting laws to control ownership of guns is equivalent to jeopardizing the lives of many citizens since American civilians depend on guns for self-defense. If the public is disbanded from owning firearms, more crimes will occur as criminals will conduct more attacks without fear of being interrupted by their prey. According to the second Amendment, all Americans are born with unalienable rights that the government should not take away. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the rights of Americans are not violated. Gun control laws will imply that the government is taking away the natural-born freedoms of its citizens. The government is also responsible for protecting the citizens of America by ensuring that they are secure at all costs. In most cases, security starts with a person; that is why everyone is advised to fight in case of an attack prevent the enemies from accomplishing their mission. Without firearms, it would be hard to engage terrorists or criminals. Therefore, through gun control, the government would fail to ensure the safety of the civilians. Predictably, more crimes and violence would occur if gun control is implemented. It is time for the citizens to unite and fight for their constitutional rights.

Work Cited

Barnett, Randy. “Was the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Conditioned on Service in an Organized Militia?”. Texas Law Review 83.1 (2004): 237-277. Web.

Bill of Rights. The Second Amendment. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CONAN-1992/pdf/GPO-CONAN-1992-10-3.pdf

Domenech, Benjamin. "The Truth About Mass Shootings and Gun Control." Commentary 135.2 (2013): 25-29. Web.

Hartvigsen, Matthew. “10 States with the Strictest Gun Laws | Deseret News.” DeseretNews.com, 7 Apr. 2013, www.deseretnews.com/top/1428/0/10-states-with-the-strictest-gun-laws.html.

Hsiao, Timothy. (2015). Against Gun Bans and Restrictive Licensing. Essays in Philosophy, 16(2), 180-203.