Michael Delgado

U.S. Government

Ms. Freestone

B5

Gun Control in the Constitution

While there are a number of issues regarding the clarity and structure of the U.S.

constitution, one that is seemingly evident in today’s society is that of gun control and one’s

right to bear arms. The second amendment specifically says, “​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.” ... The ​Constitution​ Party upholds the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms.

The constitution was signed in the year 1787, at a time when the colonies were looking to

separate themselves from the monarchy that was Britain. The right of their citizens to bear arms

was far more necessary for protection then than it is now. The United States is no longer under

the occupation of another power; we’re now an established and very powerful country. The

second amendment was written up at a time when individuals didn’t go on shooting rampages

with the intent to kill their fellow citizens. It was written during a time when the amount of time

it took to kill a group of people was limited due to the available technology. Times have

drastically changed, and it’s time that we as a society adapt to these changes to make our country

a better and safer place to live.

The mass shooting in Thousand Oaks was the most recent of what seems to be an infinite

number of mass killings by guns in this country. It was in fact the three hundred and seventh

mass shooting in 2018 alone. There were a total of three hundred and seventeen in the year 2017.
One mass shooting should be enough for a change to be made in this country, but for there to

have been over six hundred in the past two years is simply unacceptable. Far too many

individuals take what the second amendment says far too seriously in a time where some of the

old rules have become obsolete and require some revamping. The specifics of it are what make it

so difficult for members of congress to do anything about the law, for it’s said that the rights for

citizens to bear arms shall not be infringed upon, and it’s clear that there are enough people who

refuse to open their minds and look past that. People fail to understand that gun control doesn’t

mean that everyone’s guns will be stripped from them and taken away forever; it means that

there will be better regulation on one’s ability to get their hands on one than there currently is. It

means that background checks will be required all across the country, and that military grade

assault rifles won’t be available to the average person, for they’re not necessary for an ordinary

individual to have.

The first amendment states that, “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are

created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among

these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The second amendment allows individuals to

get their hands on something that infringes on the rights of others to live their lives. It seems that

there have been plenty of opportunities for those in power to make a change, and do something

about the nature of laws such as the right to bear arms. After six hundred mass shootings in the

past two years, something needs to be done to keep this outcome from happening time and time

again. We can’t make progress as a country if we aren’t willing to make our own changes while

there is change all around us. Adaptation is required for any society to move forward and better

their lives. It’s how evolution came to be, and it’s why we’re as advanced as we are today.
However, it’s simple things such as making a change to the laws we abide by that will save the

lives of many.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t things about the constitution that are admirable and

extremely beneficial for our country, but it also doesn’t mean there isn’t anything wrong with it.

Even if the amendment was altered to say that these rights will not be infringed upon unless

necessary due to unexpected situations or issues that may arise as time goes on. It doesn’t need to

be changed completely, but it needs to be looked over so that these things stop happening. Every

country has its flaws, but it’s how we respond to them and fix them that defines who we are and

how we’ll live.