Jackson 1 Jordyn Jackson English III Graduation Project Research Paper 11/25/13 Gun Control he second a!end!

ent allo"s all #$% citi&ens the right to 'ear ar!s$ It "as appro(ed in )ece!'er 1*+1 ,li(escience$co!-$ . he a!end!ent says/ 0 "ell regulated !ilitia1 'eing necessary to the security o2 a 2ree state1 the right o2 the people to keep and 'ear ar!s1 shall not 'e in2ringed$3 ,li(escience$co!- %ince it4s appro(al1 #$% citi&ens ha(e 'een arguing o(er the a!end!ent5s !eaning and di22erent interpretation o2 it ,li(escience$co!-$ .6ne side interprets the a!end!ent to !ean it pro(ides 2or collecti(e rights1 "hile the opposing (ie" is that it pro(ides indi(idual rights$ hose "ho

take the collecti(e side think the a!end!ent gi(es each state the right to !aintain and train 2or!al !ilitia units that can pro(ide protection against an oppressi(e 2ederal go(ern!ent3 ,li(escience$co!-$ hey 'elie(e this allo"s 2or only the people in the o22icial !ilitia to carry guns legally and they say that the 2ederal go(ern!ent cannot a'olish state !ilitias$ hose "ith the opposing (ie" point 'elie(e that

the a!end!ent gi(es all #$% citi&ens the right to o"n guns1 2ree o2 2ederal regulations1 to protect the!sel(es "hen they are in the 2ace o2 danger$ he indi(idualists 'elie(e that the a!end!ent4s !ilitia he

clause "as ne(er e(en !eant to li!it all #$% citi&ens their right to 'ear ar!s ,li(escience$co!-$

2ounding 2athers o2 our country !ade the 2* a!end!ents$ I2 the right to 'ear ar!s "as the second a!end!ent that they !ade1 then that !eans it is (ery i!portant$ %o1 it should not 'e change it 'ecause that "ould 'e going against "hat they said and "hat they 2elt "as i!portant$ 7o'ody should go against "hat our 2ounding 2athers thought o2 2or the second a!end!ent$ pro(ides #$% citi&ens the the right to 'ear ar!s ,li(escience$co!-$ 6ne o2 the !any reasons "hy so!e citi&ens "ant gun control to take place is 'ecause they are he second a!end!ent

Jackson 2 a2raid o2 people !urdering other people$ 8urders that happen 'y guns are a depressing and horri2ying reality1 and it is per2ectly understanda'le "hy sta'le1 caring and lo(ing people "ant to stop these !urders 2ro! happening$ reaction is to 'an guns$ his is happening 'ecause o2 the gross nature o2 gun !isuse1 the auto!atic his country does not see! to 'e too success2ul in 'anning things1 any"ay

,gastonga&ette$co!-$ .9e tried to 'an alcohol and it 2ailed$ 9e tried to 'an !arijuana and it is no" legal in so!e states$ %o1 e(en i2 they tried to !ake gun control happen1 !ost likely it "ould not go through considering ho" !ost o2 e(erything else did not 2ully pass$ 6n 0pril +th1 college students in e:as "ere sta''ed 'y a 2ello" student$ %o1 do "e 'an kni(es; 7o1 'ecause citi&ens use kni(es 2or other things than just !urder3 ,gastonga&ette$co!-$ I2 so!eone is in 2a(or o2 gun control1 then they "ant our guns to 'e taken a"ay 2ro! us$ In so!e occasions that could 'e (ery help2ul$ %o!e people 'elie(e1 !ore guns e<ual !ore ho!icides ,list(erse$co!-$ .I2 so!eone co!pares gun o"nership le(els "ith ho!icide rates1 "hat "ould you e:pect to see; =e"er people "illing to start a 2ight "hen e(eryone is ar!ed; 7o correlation at all; 9ell1 not e:actly/ according to decades o2 data analy&ed 'y the >ar(ard %chool o2 Pu'lic >ealth1 guns and ho!icides go together like 7icholas Cage and terri'le !o(ies$ Put si!ply1 i2 your 2ello" citi&ens ha(e easy access to guns1 they5re !ore likely to kill you than i2 they don5t ha(e access$ Interestingly1 this turned out to 'e true not just 2or the t"enty?si: de(eloped countries analy&ed1 'ut on a %tate?to? %tate le(el too$ 62 course1 this doesn5t !ean that you de2initely "on5t get shot in 8assachusetts@just as it5s entirely possi'le that you5ll li(e ninety years in 0ri&ona and ne(er e:perience the slightest harass!ent$ Aut statistically1 the trend holds true3 ,list(erse$co!-$ %o!e people say that !ore guns also e<ual !ore suicides ,list(erse$co!-$ . here5s a "idespread perception that co!!itting suicide is like planning a "edding or so!ethingB you sit do"n1 gi(e it a lot o2 thought1 set a date1 and get on "ith it$ Aut study a2ter study indicates that suicide is not so !uch a rational decision1 'ut so!ething people do on the spur o2 the !o!ent@!eaning that a lack

Jackson 3 o2 access to a death?shooting !urder?stick at that critical !o!ent could 'e the di22erence 'et"een li2e and death3 ,list(erse$co!-$ It !ight sound uncon(incing1 'ut e(idence pro(es that according to a report in the Aoston Glo'e1 %tates "ith high le(els o2 people "ho o"n guns ha(e a suicide rate al!ost t"ice as high as those "ith people "ho don4t o"n guns le(els$ E(en !ore "orrying1 people "ho ha(e co!!itted suicide "ere 2ound to 'e se(enteen ti!es !ore likely to li(e "ith guns at ho!e than not$ 7o"1 you !ight think that gun o"ners or gun o"ning %tates are !ore likely to ha(e !ental health issues1 'ut research pro(es that this is not true$ %o you ha(e a lot o2 people e<ually as !isera'le as people in other states1 'ut any"here 'et"een t"o and ten ti!es !ore likely to end up .going the >e!ing?"ay3 ,list(erse$co!-$ he pu'lic supports only so!e gun control la"s$ =or all the clai!s o2 legislators that they represent the pu'lic1 the truth is that they really don5t ,list(erse$co!-$ .=or e(ery .8r %!ith Goes to 9ashington3 type sticking up 2or the little guy1 there are a'out t"o hundred others doing their 'est to tra!ple hi! into the ground3 ,list(erse$co!-$ 0t least 2i2ty?2our percent o2 #$% citi&ens support strict gun la"s1 "ith that nu!'er rising to ninety?one percent "hen it co!es to co!!on?sense things like re<uired 'ackground checks$ Cou !ay recogni&e this as the sa!e co!!on?sense policy that Congress recently shut do"n in "hat can only 'e assu!ed "as an atte!pt to 'eco!e e(en !ore unpopular$ his

support 2or gun control is !ostly 'ipartisan/ e(en "ith contro(ersial things like reinstating the assault "eapons 'an1 roughly hal2 o2 Repu'licans are in 2a(or1 along "ith a !ajority o2 )e!ocrats and Independents$ In other "ords1 people are !ostly pro?gun control@it5s the politicians "ho are not ,list(erse$co!-$ Research has sho"n that !ost !assacres use legal "eapons$ Aet"een 1+D2 and 2E121 the #% had around si:ty?t"o !ass shootings$ hat5s a surprising nu!'er1 'ut that is not the point$ Instead1

research 'y 8other Jones sho"s that1 o2 si:ty?t"o shootings1 2orty?nine "ere e:ecuted using legal "eapons$ >al2 o2 all !ass shooters used assault "eapons$ his !eans that a 2e" reasona'le

Jackson F restrictions could ha(e sa(ed a lot o2 li(es$ 9hile so!eone really deter!ined to pull o22 a !assacre could do it using a handgun1 shotgun or any gun1 they5d 'e pretty unlikely to kill any"here near as !any people as they "ould "ith1 say1 an 0R?15 assault ri2le$ %o putting controls on the assault ri2le has to 'e a good thing1 it only !akes sense that "ay ,list(erse$co!-$ %o!e people say that 'anning guns can sa(e li(es ,list(erse$co!-$ .#nlike Congress1 the 0ustralian Parlia!ent likes action$ In 1++G1 a !ass shooter killed thirty?2i(e people in Port 0rthur in a !assacre so pointlessly depressing I5! not going to !ention a single other detail$ "o "eeks later1 the

conser(ati(e Pri!e 8inister1 John >o"ard1 launched perhaps the !ost aggressi(e cla!p?do"n on gun o"nership in history$ 0round G5E1EEE auto!atic and se!i?auto!atic "eapons "ere destroyed and a "hole ra2t o2 checks and controls 'rought in$ he end result; he 2irst decade o2 the la" alone sa" a

2i2ty?nine percent drop rate in 0ustralian gun?ho!icides1 "hile non?2irear!?related ho!icides stayed le(el3 ,list(erse$co!-$ In other "ords1 people didn5t s"itch to !achetes or poison so !uch as they stopped killing altogether$ 0s 2or !ass shootings/ "ell1 0ustralia5s gone all the "ay 2ro! ele(en a decade to co!pletely &ero ,list(erse$co!-$ here is no other passage in the Constitution is as greatly de'ated as the second a!end!ent ,list(erse$co!-$ .In 2ull1 this contro(ersial sentence reads/ 0 "ell?regulated !ilitia1 'eing necessary to the security o2 a 2ree state1 the right o2 the people to keep and 'ear ar!s1 shall not 'e in2ringed3 ,list(erse$co!-$ 8ost people 2ocus on the .'ear ar!s3 part1 'ut the real key "ord is .!ilitia$3 he

thing is1 in 1*+11 no one kne" i2 this "hole .#nion3 thing "as going to happen$ 8any o2 the %tates did not trust each other1 and e(eryone did not trust 'ig go(ern!ent$ he possi'ility o2 in(asion "as

2righteningly real1 and the %econd 0!end!ent "as !ade to !ake sure that a citi&en5s !ilitia could de2end the principles o2 the constitution$ 9hat the %econd 0!end!ent didn4t do "as allo" any'ody1 no !atter "ho they are1 the right to "alk into a gun shop and 'uy an assault ri2le "ithout a 'ackground check$ .In 1+3+1 the %upre!e Court e(en ruled that/ . he %econd 0!end!ent !ust 'e interpreted and

Jackson 5 applied "ith the (ie" o2 its purpose o2 rendering e22ecti(e 8ilitia$3 Ay 2EED1 they5d e:tended that to co(er sel2?de2ense in the ho!e1 so!ething else that doesn5t re<uire a high?capacity !aga&ine and the a'ility to kill e(erything "ithin a three 'lock radius$ Aut that5s all they5d e:tended it to/ there5s no constitutional .right3 to carry a concealed "eapon1 no .right3 to use ar!or?piercing 'ullets1 just the right to de2end yoursel2 against intruders$ 0s %tephen Hing 2a!ously said/ .I2 you can5t kill an intruder "ith ten rounds1 you need to go 'ack to the shooting range3 ,list(erse$co!-$ 6n the other hand1 so!e people do not "ant their guns to 'e taken a"ay 2ro! the!$ here are

!any reasons "hy those people 2eel that "ay$ %o!e #$% citi&ens 2eel that they deser(e to 'ear ar!s1 "hether its used 2or hunting1 or as sel2?de2ense$ I2 guns 'eco!e strictly en2orced than those "ho like hunting are punished 2or "anting to take part in a sport$ E(eryone should ha(e the 2reedo! to legally purchase and o"n a gun1 its only see!s 2air that "ay$ En2orcing a nation"ide gun policy (iolates the second a!end!ent rights and "ill cause pro'le!s in and out o2 the go(ern!ent$ Gun control is recogni&ed as the e22ort to restrict or li!it the production1 and o"nership o2 certain guns$ 6(er ti!e1 the issue o2 gun o"nership has 'eco!e a staple o2 contro(ersy and one o2 the !ost greatly contested social issues 2acing #$% citi&ens$ 8ore o2ten than not1 "here one 2alls on gun control depends largely on their political relationship1 their !oral standards and their past e:periences "ith guns$ 0ccording to so!e esti!ates1 appro:i!ately DE !illion ho!es in the #$%$ o"n 223 !illion guns ,opposing(ie"s$co!-$ It5s long 'een suggested that ha(ing a gun allo"s "ould?'e (icti!s to protect the!sel(es against cri!es$ Proponents o2 gun control o2ten point to cri!e statistics as a sign that gun control "ould 'e a positi(e 2or society$ >o"e(er1 people against gun control 2ir!ly 'elie(e that 'y ha(ing a gun1 people could pre(ent !any o2 those cri!es 2ro! happening in the 2irst place$ a!end!ent 2ro! he Aill o2 Rights grants pri(ate citi&ens the right to 'ear ar!s$ he second hus1 people "ho

stand 2ir!ly against gun control insist that no legislation1 technically1 should ha(e the right to take

Jackson G a"ay a citi&en4s guns "ithout 2irst repealing the a!end!ent in <uestion$ >istory appears to support the pro?gun cro"d$ hroughout (arious political regi!es1 the one constant o2 a tyrannical go(ern!ent has ho!as Je22erson once 2a!ously said/ .7o !an

'een the disar!ing o2 citi&ens ,opposing(ie"s$co!-$ shall e(er 'e de'arred the use o2 ar!s$

he strongest reason 2or the people to retain the right to keep

and 'ear ar!s is1 as a last resort1 to protect the!sel(es against the tyranny in go(ern!ent3 ,opposing(ie"s$co!-$ .In %epte!'er1 a shooting occurred at the 9ashington 7a(y Card1 clai!ing 12 li(es and injuring D$ 8ass shootings1 un2ortunately1 see! to ha(e 'eco!e a cyclical1 una(oida'le occurrence una'le o2 !oti(ating a serious response 2ro! the go(ern!ent$ 0s a society1 "e ha(e already resigned oursel(es to the i!plausi'ility o2 gun control$ 02ter the recall last "eek resulted in t"o %enators in support o2 gun control !easures 'eing (oted out o2 o22ice ,due in large part to e:tensi(e 7R0 support o2 their opponents-1 it5s just not "orth the risk 2or politicians$ I2 the !ass !urder o2 2E children couldn5t con(ince Congress to ignore the 7R05s political pressures and address the 2la"s o2 the syste!1 then "e can rest assured that they5ll re!ain relati(ely indi22erent to the death o2 12 adults at a !ilitary site$ he only thing that stops a 'ad guy "ith a gun is a good guy "ith a gun$ catchphrase 'y no"1 'ut there is a !ajor issue "ith this argu!ent$ his is the 7R05s

he .good guy "ith a gun3 is not

necessarily an 6ly!pic !arks!an$ Real li2e is not a choreographed action se<uence in a Ja!es Aond !o(ie$ It is !uch !ore likely that a pu'lic shootout "ill result in !assi(e collateral da!age$ =urther!ore1 "e don5t need untrained (igilantes 'ecause "e already ha(e good guys "ith gunsB they are called trained police o22icers$ Guns don5t kill people1 people kill people$ his argu!ent has the right "ords1 "rong order$ People "ith guns kill people$ 0lthough so!eone could theoretically go on a !urder spree ar!ed "ith a 'ucket o2 stones1 chances are they "ouldn5t kill t"enty people in less than 2i2teen !inutes$ Guns ha(e the uni<uely terri2ying a'ility to 'e e:tre!ely e22icient at killing people$ I2 rocks "ere good "eapons1 I a! sure the 2ederal go(ern!ent "ould enjoy pro(iding the !ilitary "ith

Jackson * the !uch cheaper alternati(e$ 0s you !ay ha(e guessed1 they don5t$ Gun control la"s "ouldn5t "ork since cri!inals "on5t 2ollo" the!$ Considering the de2inition o2 a cri!inal is one "ho does not a'ide la"s1 there is a partial truth to this$ Aut at the sa!e ti!e1 should "e not !ake la"s just 'ecause cri!inals "on5t 2ollo" the!; Gun control argu!ents see! to digress <uickly into apocalyptic predictions o2 a day "hen %upre!e 6(erlord 6'a!a co!es to the door o2 e(ery 0!erican and de!ands his gun and his "i2e$ his o(ershado"s the (alidity o2 points on 'oth sides o2 the de'ate and

!akes reasona'le con(ersation nearly i!possi'le$ In a "orld "here the 7R0 purpose2ully induces paranoia and spreads 2alse narrati(es "ith its i!!ense 2unding and huge lo''ying 2orce1 gun control "ill re!ain an elusi(e and dangerous political o'jecti(e in a Congress held hostage 'y the gun lo''y3 ,nyulocal$co!-$ %o!e people 'elie(e that "e should 'an guns 'ecause there "ould 'e less gun (iolence$ 0ctually1 three o2 the 'iggest causes o2 gun (iolence ha(e nothing to do "ith the 2act that any'ody can get a gun$ 6ne o2 the !ain causes is pop culture in2luence1 like (ideo ga!es1 !o(ies and !usic$ %o!e (ideo ga!es are (ery (iolent "ith 2ighting1 killing and hurting people so that could (ery !uch encourage kids to "ant to do it too since its in the (ideo ga!es$ 0nother !ain cause o2 (iolence is Parole or an early release$ =or e:a!ple1 i2 so!e'ody 2ro! jail gets released to early then they !ight not ha(e learned their lesson yet$ %o there2ore1 they use their guns 2or reasons they should not use it$ 0lso1 a 'ig cause 2or gun (iolence is poor social skills$ I2 people ha(e 'ad social skills then they do not kno" ho" to react "hen in a tough situation$ 9hen that happens1 this is "hen it can turn out to 'e (ery (iolent ,policeone$co!-$ .In 1+DD1 handguns killed * people in Great Aritain1 13 in 0ustralia1 D in Canada1 and D1+15 in the #nited %tates$ Aet"een 1+*3 and 1++21 the nu!'er o2 pri(ately?o"ned 2irear!s in the #% increased *3IB 2ro! 122 !illion to nearly 222 !illion$ hese 2igures are shocking and there doesn4t he reasons 2or gun

see! to 'e a solution$ Gun control is a pro'le! that our country has got to 2ace$

Jackson D (iolence are co!ple: and apparently deep?rooted "ith an a(erage o2 roughly 11112* people killed 'y guns each year3 ,"rite"ork$co!-$ 6ne o2 the !ost distur'ing issues dealing "ith gun control is ju(enile (iolence$ 0 su'stantial percent o2 cri!es co!!itted "ith guns are 'y children or young adults$ 7o one has yet 'een a'le to pinpoint the e:act reason children co!!it such cri!e$ 8any e:perts 2eel that risk 2actors associated "ith ju(enile gun?related cri!e are po(erty1 drugs1 easy access to 2irear!s1 and unsta'le 2a!ily li2e "hich is (ery understanda'le$ 0ll o2 these issues play a huge role in the increase o2 ju(enile cri!e$ 6ut o2 all o2 these issues the !ost i!portant1 is the dedication o2 the 2a!ily$ 8any o2 these children are not 'eing 'rought up in a sta'le en(iron!ent at ho!e$ 9hen a child4s 2a!ily li2e is unsta'le1 negati(e e22ects 2ro! that "ill cause an:iety1 and a sense that it4s his or her o"n 2ault$ =eeling that there is no "ay out1 the child "ill turn to a last resort "ithout thoroughly thinking it out$ his is "hy !ost gun cri!es are associated "ith children$ It is actually a (ery scary

thought to think a'out ,"rite"ork$co!-$ hose "ith the opposing (ie"point 'elie(e the a!end!ent gi(es e(ery citi&en the right to o"n guns1 2ree o2 2ederal regulations in order to protect the!sel(es in the 2ace o2 danger$ he !ajority o2

gun o"ners say that ha(ing a gun !akes the! 2eel a lot sa2er$ =ar !ore today than in 1+++ cite protection rather than hunting or other acti(ities as the !ain reason "hy they o"n guns$ =orty?eight percent o2 gun o"ners say that protection is the !ain reason they ha(e a gun$ it5s just 2or hunting and target shooting$ gun1 ri2le or pistol$ hirty?t"o percent say

"enty?2our percent o2 0!ericans say they personally o"n a

hirteen percent say another person in their household o"ns a gun$ =i2ty?se(en

percent do not ha(e a gun in their household$ Gun o"nership rates di22er 'y gender1 region1 age1 race1 ethnicity and others say guns pro(ide sa2ety1 and enjoy!ent$ %e(enty?nine percent say it !akes the! 2eel sa2er$ %e(enty?eight percent sat that it5s so!ething that they just enjoy ha(ing$ 0ll o2 those reasons "hy people ha(e their guns are co!pletely understanda'le "hich is "hy it "ould 'e unreasona'le to take a"ay the guns o2 #$% citi&ens ,people?press$org-$

Jackson + 9orks Cited J1E 0rgu!ents 2or Gun Control$J Kist(erse$ 2F 7o($ 2E13 Lhttp///list(erse$co!/2E13/EF/21/1Eargu!ents?2or?gun?control/M$

J11 =acts 0'out Guns$J )o %o!ething$ 2F 7o($ 2E13 Lhttp///"""$doso!ething$org/tipsandtools/11 2acts?a'out?gunsM$ JGun control1 so!e co!!on sense and 2nd 0!end!ent rights$J ? Colu!ns$ 25 7o($ 2E13 Lhttp///"""$gastonga&ette$co!/opinion/colu!ns/gun?control?so!e?co!!on?sense?and?2nd? a!end!ent?rights?1$1255FF;pageN1M$

J4Gun2ight/ he Aattle o(er the Right to Aear 0r!s in 0!erica4 'y 0da! 9inkler$JChicagotri'une$co!$ 25 7o($ 2E13 Lhttp///"""$chicagotri'une$co!/entertain!ent/'ooks/ct?'ooks?gun2ight? re(ie"1E1D++GFE$storyM$

J>ere4s a <uestion 2or anti?gun people/$J Gun Control Inde:/ >ard ruth / 9ake #p 0!erica$ 25 7o($ 2E13 Lhttp///"""$the2or'iddenkno"ledge$co!/hardtruth/guncontrol$ht!M$

JPutting =our 0rgu!ents 0gainst Gun Control o he est O 7C# Kocal$J 7C# Kocal Putting =our 0rgu!ents 0gainst Gun Control o he est Co!!ents$ 2F 7o($ 2E13 Lhttp///nyulocal$co!/national/2E13/E+/1+/shooting?holes?in?2our?co!!on?o'jections?to?gun? control/M$ J he %econd 0!end!ent P the Right to Aear 0r!s$J Ki(e%cience$co!$ 2F 7o($ 2E13 Lhttp///"""$li(escience$co!/2GFD5?second?a!end!ent$ht!lM$ J op 1E 8ost #rgent Pro'le!s in the 9orld$J Ae2ore It4s 7e"s$ 2F 7o($ 2E13 Lhttp///'e2oreitsne"s$co!/alternati(e/2E13/E3/top?1E?!ost?urgent?pro'le!s?in?the?"orld? 2GE3*DE$ht!lM$

Jackson 1E

J9hy 6"n a Gun; Protection Is 7o" op Reason$J Pe" Research Center 2or the People and the Press R%%$ 2F 7o($ 2E13 Lhttp///"""$people?press$org/2E13/E3/12/"hy?o"n?a?gun?protection?is? no"?top?reason/M$