being necessary to the security of a free State,

the right of the people to keep and bear Arms,

Gun control is a real issue with Americans today. Many people have different opinions about how to handle our growing dilemma concerning guns. There are those who believe we should ban guns altogether and those who believe we should not ban or restrict the people’s right to own guns at all. Both sides have valid arguments, but neither side seems to know how to compromise because of their very different opinions. I personally believe guns should be banned. However, those against gun control have very good arguments.

The Second Amendment was written because of the colonists’ fear of an all-powerful central government taking over, but there are many interpretations of how the Second Amendment reads. The court has never found the Second Amendment to clash with the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process clause which states that, “No state shall...deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” (McClenaghan 522). This gave each state the right to set up their

weapons, both being weapons of choice for criminals. Thus, guns, like other potentially dangerous products, should be controlled by government agencies.

One issue frequently debated is gun violence that affects children. Each day in the United States fourteen children are killed in accidents, suicides, and homicides, and hundreds more are injured. Those against gun control claim that gun accidents

There are two basic approaches to controlling this problem. Either let everyone have access to guns, except those prohibited by law, or do not let anyone have a gun except those permitted, such as those in the line if duty or law enforcement officials. I personally believe that all handguns and assault weapons should be banned and destroyed with the exception of law enforcement officials and military. We might not be able to stop all of this gun violence but at least we can close loopholes that control the sale and distribution of guns in America. Next to automobiles, guns are the second most deadly consumer product on the market. There are over two hundred million guns in circulation today, compared to the mere fifty four million in 1950 (Roleff 142).

own rules and regulations, which I believe, is one reason why we have the problems that we do.

Every year more than thirty four thousand Americans are killed with handguns in homicides, suicides, and accidents. Only three hundred are listed as “justifiable homicide” (Roleff 22-23). This category includes shooting a burglar, rapist, or mugger. Police kill close to 330 innocent people annually. Citizens kill only thirty people a year because they are mistaken for an intruder (Lott, 1-2). It has been proven that a gun in the home is forty three times more likely to kill its owner, a family member, or friend rather than an intruder (Roleff 23). In 1992, more people in Texas were killed by guns than car accidents (Roleff 25). Those who do not favor gun control argue that those figures do not include citizens whose lives were saved because an intruder was scared off by a gun. They claim that close to 82,000 people use firearms in defense for themself, someone else, or their property (Roleff 117).

Gun opponents believe that the Second Amendment did not create an existing right. All it did was state a pre-existing right. They read it as though the Second Amendment specifically grants the right to the people, and if the framers intended to give states the power to maintain militias, it would have clearly said so. They also say that civilian gun ownership is “necessary to the security of a free state.” Another argument of theirs is that the amendment does

Some topics in this essay:
FBI Dolan, Control Act, Gun Control, NRA NRA, Guatemala Uganda, United Roleff, Hans Toch, Washington DC, Brady Law, Soviet Union, gun control, control laws, gun control laws, control act 1986, control act, gun control act, act 1986, bear arms, gun violence, gun ownership, believe ban, law enforcement officials, established gun control, mcclenaghan 522, gun laws,