Gun Control

Introduction

Gun control has been a hot topic for very long time. People on the anti-gun control side believe that gun ownership is a Constitutional right backed by the Second Amendment. The anti-gun believe that you should be able to posses and own any firearm. They also believe that gun laws only restrict the law abiding citizens. Pro-gun control believe that guns are the backbone to our crime problem. They also believe that gun laws help keep guns of the street and deter crime.

Discussion

The Second Amendment reads,' 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' (Kopel pp. 278-302). 'Underlying this amendment are two goals of an individual and collective defense from violence and aggression, which have been recognized by Congress. The second amendment should help secure right of the people to have a gun in their home. ' The government should not be permitted to declare who would or would not be able to bear arms on the basis of vague religious tests or any other nebulous standard or artifice'.

The first infringement on the Second Amendment came on November 30, 1993 when President Clinton signed Brady Bill I. The law required that there be a five day waiting period on all hand gun purchases. The Brady Bill also banned semi-automatic rifles and other military type weapons. The five day waiting period is suppose to stop felons from buying guns. But, Waiting periods do not stop felons from getting guns.

Since 1968 it has been illegal for a felon to possess any firearm. Most of the criminals do not get their guns from stores, most get them by theft or on the black market. ' While legitimate users of firearms encounter intense regulation, surutiny, and bureaucratic control, illicit markets easily adapt to whatever difficulties a free society throws in their way' (Kopel pp. 278-302). A study by Professor James D. Wright and Peter H. Rossi, showed that, fifty percent of criminals expected to get a gun illeagily the same day they get out of prison.

Brady Bill talks about recording and keeping track of guns for safety reasons. When people talk about the militia many people believe that the National Guard is our guarantee for a free state. People need to realize that the President is Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard, and ...