GUN CONTROL

Gun Control

Dixie Rodeman

Com 220

date: February 28,2010

Instructor: Lisa Thompson

Gun Control

Thesis Statement

There are so many people getting killed by guns? may be each state should have strict laws about the guns.

Introduction

In the 1960s after the assassinations of President John F. Kenedy? Dr. Martin Luther King? and Senator Robert F. Kenedy? gun control became a major subject of public passion and controversy. To some people gun control is a crime issue? to others it is a rights issue. Gun control is a safety issue? an education issue? a racial issue? and a political issue? among others. Within each of these issues there are those who want more gun control legislation and those who want less. On both sides of this issue opinions range from moderate to extreme. Guns are not for everyone. Certain individuals cannot handle a firearm safely? and some individuals choose to use firearms inappropriately (Brown? 2003). Our society has passed laws regulating the ownership and use of firearms? and more legislation is being considered. Most of this legislation restricts? to some degree? the rights of individuals to possess or use firearms. Some restrictions may be necessary? but some recent legislation has gone too far. Society benefits from firearms in the hands of responsible citizens. Attempts to keep firearms away from these citizens do more harm than good.

Analysis

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution 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 Founding Fathers included this in our bill of Rights because they feared the Federal Government might oppress the population if the people did not have the means to defend themselves as a nation and as individuals. This idea was not new. The Founding Fathers' thoughts on the right to keep and bear arms were influenced by Aristotle? Cicero? John Locke? and Algernon Sidney. The militia referred to cannot be construed as meaning the Army or National Guard? in the words of Sanmuel Adams: “The Militia is composed of free citizens”. Additionally? George Mason considered a “well regulated Militia” (Brown? 2003) to be one “ composed of … Gentlemen? Freeholders? and other Freemen”. The Revolutionary War was won with the help of “ armed populace composed of partisans? militias? independent companies? and the continental army…..”. It is obvious from this that the Founding Fathers thought that society benefited from firearms in the hands of the people. Many years later we began placing restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms. The first restrictions concerned the manner in which citizens could carry arms. In 1850 the Louisiana Supreme court ruled that the constitution did protect the right to carry concealed weapons. Shortly before the civil War? some southern States passed legislation denying slaves and freed blacks the right to possess firearms. The basis of this legislation was the Dred Scott decision. They reasoned that since blacks were not considered citizens they did not have the rights of citizens? ...