Introduction: The second amendment to our Constitution is an amendment that ignites strong passions when it is being debated.

Some people claim that any regulation on guns is a clear violation of the amendment while others believe the opposite. We are one of the few countries in the world that allows their citizens to own firearms because it is enshrined in our national identity. The right to bear arms is as American as apple pie. Our founders experienced tremendous burdens while they were under the rule of King George and they knew that it was important for a free people to be able to own firearms. They believed that owning weapons was an essential component of a free society; and rightly so. Although I have recognized that Americans can own weapons this does not mean that our legislators cannot issue reasonable regulations regarding guns in order to ensure the public safety. Reexamining what laws we have on the books, and what laws we do not have, should be part of our national dialogue due to the recent shootings we have been experiencing. Unfortunately, over the past couple of years we have been confronted in this country with a steady stream of very deadly shootings. The most tragic shooting that we have had in recent memory was the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. An event of such horrific magnitude has shaken up our national conscience and has sparked a national conversation on the issue of guns and gun safety. Could we do a better job in any way, shape or form regarding how guns are being used in this country? Can we change the law in any way to reflect our values as a society? These are indeed very tough questions that no one person has an answer to; although I am willing to bet we can try and improve gun safety in this great country of ours.

There are some people who will tell you that whenever the government issues gun regulations you are chipping away at the second amendment. Whenever I hear that argument I am reminded that no right or amendment in our country is absolute. Lets take for instance our 1st amendment right to free speech. Every citizen within our shores has the ability to speak their mind freely but there are obvious limitations to protect public safety. You cannot scream fire in a crowded theater, you cannot scream bomb in an airport; these examples should not be viewed as a limitation of your rights but rather as common sense regulations on basic public safety issues. Although a person has a right to free speech saying these phrases in these certain areas could undermine public safety and could inflict much more harm than good. We have always recognized that although individual rights are vastly important we have made sure to point out that no right or amendment is absolute. There can and always have been reasonable limitations to ensure public safety. Even more importantly when we examine the issue of guns we already recognize reasonable limitations in the law in certain places. We have designated as a society certain places where guns simply have no place. Among these places are what we call gun free zones: schools, churches and government buildings being chief among these. We have recognized as a society that it is not prudent to allow citizens to carry firearms in these places because of various reasons. We have made reasonable regulations regarding firearms because we know it is the correct thing to do. This is not government tyranny or the curtailing of rights but instead recognition that no amendment or right can absolute.