“Gun Rights in America”

Tyler Thomas

English 1010

July 28, 2013

Since the Declaration of Independence, Americans have been fighting against the powers of 'Big Government’; however the current American government is now becoming the power that was once being fought against. "The right to bear arms shall not be infringed" as stated in the constitution, now more than ever, is calling for a need for citizens to prevail in order to prevent an inalienable right from being impeded. The government currently has an immense amount of control and regulations regarding the ownership and use of firearms in this country, there is a lack of room for any further government infliction on this constitutional right.

Many people may argue that guns are the reasoning for the amount of violence seen in America today. Based on research, the amount of guns within a community does not necessarily correlate with the rates of crime (Michael Planty. Ph.D. Jennifer Truman). Many Americans argue that in order to stop the violence,a ban on firearms is necessary; however, the remaining percentage of American citizens believe that by making certain weapons illegal crime rates will significantly increase.

Law enforcement is a daily battle with crime, including those crimes that involve the use of firearms. Officials of the law carry a sidearm each and every day in which they are on duty, yet many may be curious as to their position on gun ownership for the common American citizen. Utah’s Officer Johnson believes that as stated in the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms is not only a right but a privileged. A gun owner himself, Officer Johnson stated that “although I have never had to draw my weapon in order to use lethal force against another individual, I would not want there to come a day when I needed a weapon to protect myself and my family and not have that right” (Johnson, 2013). Officer Johnson made it known that he is a strong supporter in law abiding citizens owning guns for protection and recreational uses.

Mixed reviews have been heard all across the nation in regards to civilian’s views on gun ownership and gun control. Many citizens believe that guns are the gateway to crime; therefore guns should be banned from basic ownership. With two opinions to every social issue, there are also individuals who believe that firearms, if used for legal purposes, are not harmful to a society and therefore should not be banned nor argued against. Many who argue against gun ownership keep track of the amount of guns that are used to commit crimes each year; however what they do not understand is the amount of guns that are used each year in America for protection and recreation. If viewed in that aspect, the amount of guns used for crime would be significantly lower than those used for legal purposes. Ron Morris, a gun activist, believes that in order to “keep America safe and secure” civilian gun ownership is a requirement (Morris, 20113).

In response to those who are pulling for firearm restrictions, there are Americans who believe that any sort of weapons ban would not only be a violation natural born rights that are set within the constitution, but it will also be a cause for more crime, murders, and mass shootings within American societies. Those who are against bans on weapons compare it to bans on drugs, although they are illegal, criminals are still capable of possessing them. If guns bans were successful, many pose the question how the government will guarantee that criminals will be unable to retain firearms. In the eyes of many Americans who support gun ownership, it would be much more dangerous for communities if citizens did not have guns to protect themselves, however criminals were able to get their hands on guns to commit crimes. Criminals are just that, individuals who commit crimes with blatant disrespect for laws that have been put in place.

Any form of gun control within American would cause more harm that the good law makers are trying to promote. Guns themselves are unatament objects that are unable to think and act on their own. In order for a crime to be committed, there must always be a human being behind the gun who is willing to make the move to pull the trigger. If guns were unavailable, criminals would find a method to commit their crime that was equally as effective. Many Americans are using guns as a scapegoat to avoid addressing the bigger problems such as repeat criminal offenders and mental health. Although those are both larger issues that many may fear to address, these are the main reasons Americans are seeing steady crime rates and mass murders. Despite the beliefs of many citizens, a ban on guns, firearms, and other weapons will not reduce the amounts of crime and it will also not promote a safer community a living environment.

Bibliography

Johnson, O. (2013, July 26). Law enforcement views on Second Amendment. (T. Thomas, Interviewer)

Michael Planty. Ph.D. Jennifer Truman, P. (n.d.). Firearm Violence. Retrieved from

Morris, R. (20113, July 26). Second Amendment Views. (T. Thomas, Interviewer)