In 1871 the National Rifle Association emerged as the first organized gun group. The goal of the association then was much more focused on the sporting and hunting skills aspect of the activity and had very limited involvement in politics. It wasn’t until 1934 that the federal government first took legislative action against gun control. The rise of the Prohibition Era sparked a need for federal involvement in guns due to the increase in organized crime. Similarly, in the 1960’s the American people witnessed a sharp increase in assassination attempts of high profile political figures. The States then began following in the federal governments footsteps by implementing their own set of restrictions and regulations on guns. Even today, in the twenty first century, we still see the issue at stake in action. Some notable acts of abuse of the second amendment were the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, and of course the Orlando Night Club shooting in June of 2016 which marked the deadliest mass shooting attack in United States History. The issue surrounding gun control has been debated since before the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791. For years, Federalist and Anti-Federalist debated to what extent “the right to bear arms” applied to the American people. Today, two sides to this issue have emerged: those who are ‘pro-gun control’ and those who are ‘anti-gun control’. 

We are now faced to ask ourselves the hard questions. Do we enact more gun control and regulations? How far can we go without infringing upon the people’s constitutional rights? These are just a few of the questions the American people and todays politicians are faced to deal with. Simply stated, the American people are rightfully entitled to their guns, however, with this right, there must be reasonable regulation involved. Closure on this issue will never be achieved unless both the Federal and State governments are willing to get on the same page to be able to enforce the same laws. Human life is at stake and immediate action is now being required in order to get this out of control issue under control. Felons are getting their hands on automatic assault weapons, and law abiding citizens are having their rights compromised by the government. Mass shootings are through the roof and the number of fatalities consequently is rising. Much controversy is held specifically over assault weapons. Many people can’t wrap their minds around the idea that assault weapons are necessary for personal protection. Once the second amendment had been extended to cover self-defense in the home in 2008, many people raised question to why such destructive mass murder weapons were being granted for everyday “self-protection”. As Stephen King once said, “if you can’t kill an intruder with ten rounds, you need to go back to the shooting range” (Morris). The system is broken and it is time to rid ourselves of the political gridlock between the Democrats and Republicans. While we can recognize the right of people to their guns, as people of modern day society, we must also open our eyes to the statistics and reality being presented in front of us.

America is a nation won with and founded upon gun ownership. A study shows that the United States has 88.9 guns for every 100 people (Morris). Americans love their guns and pride themselves on their right to own and carry them. However, with this right comes extraordinary responsibility. Some would say that because this is such an incredible and fragile responsibility, not everyone should be deemed fit to exercise it. It is fair to say that yes, the majority of Americans support having some form of gun control (Morris). This includes but is not limited to, standard back ground checks, gun safety education, and the use of regulated permits. These are among many of the “common sense” safety regulations that the clear majority of the public agrees with. Some would also say that the Constitution doesn’t not explicitly state the right of individuals to own guns for their own self pleasure and enjoyment. A 2013 Gallup poll demonstrates the many different reasons behind people purchasing guns: the poll concluded that 60% of gun owners listen “Personal Safety/Protection” as the reason for owning a gun” (Lott).

As a, pro-gun stance individual, I firmly believe in safety regulations. I acknowledge that laws and regulations have saved many innocent lives and have kept guns out of the hands of individuals who are unfit to possess a fire arm. I recognize that the majority of Americans support the use of gun laws and regulations. In addition, I also am a strong proponent of very intense background checks. If you are applying for a gun permit, it is implied that you believe that you are fit and responsible enough to obtain this fragile right. With that being said, I therefore believe that the United States government then has every right to consider every crease and detail of your personal background when determining if you’re qualified to own a firearm. Enacting the strictest background checks will help to ensure only the most deserving and upstanding citizens of our country are allowed to possess a fire arm. This would place the burden of the right to bear arms directly onto the citizen themselves. The Second Amendment guarantees responsible, law-abiding adults an absolute right to choose to own ordinary small arms. But, that right is subject to reasonable and rapid screening mechanisms designed to exclude criminals and the irresponsible, and to numerous other restrictions as well (Kates). While some gun control is necessary, it is critical to protect citizen’s rights to the second amendment and ensure that people’s rights aren’t being infringed upon. The founders knew what they wanted when they drafted the constitution and bill of rights. I conclude that it was the intent of the framers to initiate this bill in order to unite the citizens against tyranny, preserve freedom, and protect individual’s rights (Vandercoy). After a hard-fought battle in the Revolutionary war, the Founders recognized the value and need for personal gun ownership. It is my belief through personal analyzation and supreme court cases that the founders did indeed intend to grant all citizens the right to bear arms. I believe this right also extends to self-defense and does not stop at the home. The right to carry is among other things that I deem just. I do not support the use of “safe zones” in schools. It is necessary to have armed and trained individuals on site in the case of emergency. If no single person is armed within the school building, authorities will not get there in time to save everyone. Immediate action is required in order to stop such a threat and time is always of the essence. Furthermore, it is fact that Americans also favor the “more guns, less crime” hypothesis (Lott). I believe through legislative action, we the Americans can continue to exercise our gun rights while ensuring only the most qualified citizens are able to get their hands-on firearms. It is vital that local, state, and the federal government are unanimous and translucent in gun control laws. The second amendment is applicable to each and every one of our citizens, and therefore everyone must be held to the same set of standards. Lastly, I attest that assault weapons be reserved only to government institutions such as the US military and the National Guard. I cannot rationally justify within my mind the need for any ordinary citizen to own a weapon with the potential to kill dozens of people in a matter of seconds by the single click of the trigger. I wholeheartedly believe that this will decrease the amount of mass shooting that we have been witnessing recently within our country. Innocent lives will be saved if these sensible practices are installed within our laws and government.

Deeply rooted animosity over guns has been the center point of controversy within the last decade. Its argued that this tension has arose due to two differing cultural groups. Rural America (typically conservative) has always been a strong proponent of guns, while Urban America (typically more liberal) has historically been very critical about gun rights. These two cultural groups do not see eye to eye. Rural America see guns as a source of protection and food, while Urban America views them as dangerous and threatening (Crooker). Consequently, conservatives choose to focus on the “bear arms” verbiage of the amendment, liberals are much more inclined to argue that they key word in the amendment is “militia”. They argue that in the late 1700’s, the intent of having a “well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state” was to ensure that the people could protect themselves from the distrust between the state and federal governments at the time, and to uphold the principles of the constitution. 

So now chaos has erupted due to differing gun laws across state and county borders. If all three areas of our government can unite to enforce the same set of laws, I believe the holes in our very broken system will begin to diminish. In short legislative action must happen and it must happen soon.  The second amendment interpretation will stand that citizens are indeed entitled to their right to bear arms. “The intent was not to create a right for other governments, the individual’s states; it was to preserve the people’s right to a free state, just as it says” (Vandercoy). The second amendment serves as a check on all governments and therefore possession and practice of firearms by individuals will be honored. All citizens granted with a permit will be permitted to possess a firearm within their home for their own self-protection. If granted a right to carry permit the individual will be allowed to exercise that right freely in accordance with any regulations that may be associated with that specific permit. Also, assault weapons will not be granted to the public. Assault weapons exceed an individual’s right to bear arms and therefore will be reserved to government run institution only where they will be regulated for military and national security means. These steps are essential to protecting the common welfare while not overstepping on anyone’s rights. Practical steps must be taken in the form of legislative action to modernize our gun control laws to keep up with a quickly changing world. Balance is what is needed to end the long standing feud between pro-gun and pro-gun control groups. While neither side can ever be 100% satisfied, coming to a fair and logical agreement can do nothing but help ensure the safety and well being of our country. Human life is such a scared and fragile thing and we must do everything within our means to protect it. By altering the laws that are already in place instead of creating more new ones, we can begin to transform the system back to normalcy. We must refrain from imposing harsh laws and restrictions on the everyday law abiding citizen in an effort to keep guns out of the hands of criminals (Kates). We mustn’t purse stricter laws to deter the few bad at the expensive of the responsible majority. Compromise is a foundational building block of democracy. Focusing on the things everyone cares about such as security and protection is the starting point. As Publilius Syrus once said “Where there is unity, there is victory”. America is a nation prided on our success. Allowing one of our most cherished rights (that so few people in the world get to exercise) to divide us so extensively would be a disgrace to our Founders. Restoring the original intent of the amendment is paramount. If we can succeed in these few areas, we can make our country united and safe for all once again. 