Second Amendment Final Essay Essays (1288 words) -

Victoria Sanson SOCI 199: Guns in America Professor Mac Innis December 8, 2015 Second Amendment A topic that always comes up when talking about gun control is the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment 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". Now people interpret this amendment many ways, whether the right to use and buy guns belongs to individuals or only to a militia. The first phrase people like to decipher is "well-regulated militia". This phrase means a militia that is consistently available and has a reliable quality across the country. For this to be capably people need to be familiar and proficient with weapons. They can't have that level of comfort or availability for defense if they don't have ready access to those weapons by owning them. Militia is another word that causes the most confusion. This word makes people think that the right discussed above isn't held by the people, but only by members of "militia" units; the National Guard. If one is not a member, then they don't have the right to have weapons. Most gun control advocates insist that they do not want to take hunting rifles away and hunting has nothing to do with militia membership. Another phrase people will look at is "to keep and bear arms". This is the right that the people have to possess, carry, train with, and use weapons; if they choose so. They don't just have to keep them locked up in a display case. Lastly the phrase "shall not be infringed" is talked about. No one can take away or limit this right in any way. There is no exception given for "reasonable" restrictions or limitations. There is not a provision for "unless most people think it's OK". There is no distinction between hunting or defense uses. According to the Bill of Rights, these rights shall not be infringed; but some may argue that the Bill of Rights is not considered absolute. The Supreme Court accepted the view that Americans have the right to arm themselves for personal use in their home and applied it to federal, state and local laws. Some courts have permitted the government to limit some rights of gun manufacturers, owners and sellers. Gun control legislation does vary widely among the fifty states. Today, questions about the Second Amendment center on bans on assault weapons, mandatory background checks, and other restrictions on gun sales and use. If so then the Second Amendment could help with the gun crime rate. There are some Pros and Cons of the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment can benefit citizens in different ways. As a gun owner they are less prone to crimes. It is a known fact that the probability of being attack by someone decreases when the person that was planning to attack knows that his or her "victim" has any kind of weapon on them. Another benefit is that it helps in preventing the number of crimes to increase. Armed citizens are found to be very helpful in reducing crime incidences. This is because according to John Lott, PhD, gun laws assisted reduce homicides by approximately 8.5%, rape by 5%, and aggravated assaults by 7% as well as robberies by 3%. With the Second Amendment, people get the same right advantage, as criminals. Citizens must have equal benefit and right in securing themselves from people with negative intentions. Gun owners become law-abiding citizens. It is said that people who own and hold concealed firearms can be recognized as law-abiding citizens (APECSEC). The Second Amendment also creates sense of safety and security. A lot of people admit to feeling safer with a gun in their possession, especially when in a crime-prone neighborhood or establishment. Lastly, it gives the right to bear arms. Even with laws that prohibit citizens from owning and carrying guns, criminals have self-imposed right to carry firearms. While criminal carry firearms for malicious intent, citizens can carry firearms for their personal protection. One thing that opponents are worried, however, is that gun-carrying individuals might be prone to commit acts of violence. Based on statistics, however, the general public