Argumentative Essay: Gun Control In The United States
Zachary Harris
Professor Schweers
English 1302
November 30, 2013 Throughout our nation’s history, gun control has largely remained an intermittent issue. compared to the historical issues such as slavery and inequality for women; gun control has remained unsullied. The majority of our founding fathers were quite comfortable their selves with fire arms and saw no threat in them. Be that as it may, the debate on gun control is at an all time high and is finally demanding the absolution it deserves. At the end of the day, the right to bear arms is and should remain in the power of the people, not the government. Citizens deserve the right to bear arms as per the constitution; as well as in order protect themselves in otherwise dire circumstances. …show more content…
The “discussions about citizens’ rights to bear arms extend back to ancient times. Political theorists from Cicero of ancient Rome to John Locke (1632–1704) of England and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) of France viewed the possession of arms as a symbol of personal freedom and an indispensable element of popular government” (“Gun Control”). As you can see, the concept of personal protection is by no means a new one. Due to America’s bitter fight for freedom from Great Britain’s tyrannical empire, the founding fathers firmly believed it was within the citizen’s unalienable rights to bear arms. Not only was this idea reinforced by the need to protect oneself from would be attackers, but also the government itself if ever need be. In order to solidify this right to the people the second amendment was ratified as a hard copy defense for American citizens to legally bear arms. As it clearly states in the bill of rights, “The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” ("The Constitution of the United States," Amendment …show more content…
“In most states, as long as a person has not been convicted of a felony, he or she can receive a permit to carry a loaded and concealed handgun” (“Gun Control”). These state legislated laws allow each area of the country to govern themselves as they see fit. By and large this system is effective at allowing its citizens to dictate if they want their state citizens to carry or not. However, as with any major law, the right to bear arms is a privilege that can be revoked if certain behavior dictates it. For example, if you are a convicted felon or have a documented history of mental illness you should be stripped of your right to carry a gun. These stipulations need to remain in place in order to better ensure the overall safety and well being of the American citizens. Unfortunately most of our gun control laws are not strict and thorough enough in filtering out who can carry a gun and who can not. The ultimate goal surrounding this debate should be to “fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States, while still respecting the Second Amendment” ("An Updated...Gun
Professor Schweers
English 1302
November 30, 2013 Throughout our nation’s history, gun control has largely remained an intermittent issue. compared to the historical issues such as slavery and inequality for women; gun control has remained unsullied. The majority of our founding fathers were quite comfortable their selves with fire arms and saw no threat in them. Be that as it may, the debate on gun control is at an all time high and is finally demanding the absolution it deserves. At the end of the day, the right to bear arms is and should remain in the power of the people, not the government. Citizens deserve the right to bear arms as per the constitution; as well as in order protect themselves in otherwise dire circumstances. …show more content…
The “discussions about citizens’ rights to bear arms extend back to ancient times. Political theorists from Cicero of ancient Rome to John Locke (1632–1704) of England and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) of France viewed the possession of arms as a symbol of personal freedom and an indispensable element of popular government” (“Gun Control”). As you can see, the concept of personal protection is by no means a new one. Due to America’s bitter fight for freedom from Great Britain’s tyrannical empire, the founding fathers firmly believed it was within the citizen’s unalienable rights to bear arms. Not only was this idea reinforced by the need to protect oneself from would be attackers, but also the government itself if ever need be. In order to solidify this right to the people the second amendment was ratified as a hard copy defense for American citizens to legally bear arms. As it clearly states in the bill of rights, “The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” ("The Constitution of the United States," Amendment …show more content…
“In most states, as long as a person has not been convicted of a felony, he or she can receive a permit to carry a loaded and concealed handgun” (“Gun Control”). These state legislated laws allow each area of the country to govern themselves as they see fit. By and large this system is effective at allowing its citizens to dictate if they want their state citizens to carry or not. However, as with any major law, the right to bear arms is a privilege that can be revoked if certain behavior dictates it. For example, if you are a convicted felon or have a documented history of mental illness you should be stripped of your right to carry a gun. These stipulations need to remain in place in order to better ensure the overall safety and well being of the American citizens. Unfortunately most of our gun control laws are not strict and thorough enough in filtering out who can carry a gun and who can not. The ultimate goal surrounding this debate should be to “fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States, while still respecting the Second Amendment” ("An Updated...Gun