The Second Amendment to the Constitution states
that, “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,” and the
definition of gun control is; government regulation of
possession and use of firearms by private
citizens(Levinson, 5).
Gun control only takes guns
away from law-abiding citizens and it does nothing to
stop criminals from buying illegal guns, who are
unlikely to obey the law and register their guns(NRA
238).
I feel that the term gun control is improperly
used. The government is using it as a way to take our
right to bear arms.
Why would anyone want to own a gun? Piece of mind
is the main reason I have a gun. I feel a lot safer
at home knowing that I am close to my best line of
defense. Guns provide a source of psychological
reassurance even among citizens who are not especially
concerned about the fear of crime of being
victimized(“Firearms” 64).
In a survey given about
guns, “self-defense was the primary reason given by
one out of every five gun owners for
firearms”(“Firearms” 61).
“The right of self-defense
The Term Paper on Bear Arms Defense Gun Firearms
... poses no barrier to radical gun control, even total prohibition of private firearms. The second is that ordinary citizens with firearms are unlikely to defend ... others indicate between two and three million cases of self-defense per year. Overwhelmingly these incidents involve not firing the weapon ...
and the right to use firearms for defense of self and
family are the cornerstone of individual rights
enumerated in the US Constitution(“Self-Defense” 26).”
Why does the government make it harder to protect
ourselves? Police cannot always protect everyone.
There are only about 500,000 police officers
throughout the country, which figures to around only
125,000 police officers are on duty at any given time
to protect the whole country(Lee 9).
Only seventeen
percent of Americans give the police a great deal of
confidence in protecting them, while forty-six percent
said they do not give them very much
confidence(“Carrying” 32).
“Other than a bodyguard or
a law enforcement officer at one’s side twenty-four
hours a day, the most effective deterrent to criminal
attack is the criminal’s fear that the prospective
victim is armed and prepared to defend him or her
self”(“Carrying” 33).
Courts have ruled that there is
no constitutional right to be protected by the state
against being murdered by criminals or madmen, which
means that police have no duty to protect the
individual citizen(Tahmassebi 66).
After hearing
this, I trust the police even less.
What is the likelihood of being successfully
attacked when you are armed? Criminals fear armed
citizens(“Self-Defense” 22).
Victims who used guns for protection were less
likely either to be attacked or injured than
victims who responded in any other way,
including those who didn’t resist at all; and
victims no resisted robbers with a gun were
less likely to lose their property. When
victims use guns to resist crimes, the crimes
usually are disrupted and the victims are not
injured(“Self-Defense”, 24).
A good example of firearm deterrence comes from a rape
experiment done in Orlando. Orlando offered a
training course to women on hand-gun self defense,
which was taken by 6,000 women(“Firearms” 64).
A year
after the program began, the rape rate in Orlando
dropped almost ninety percent(“Firearms” 64).
The Essay on Rehabilitating Our Criminals Protecting Society
REHABILITATING OUR CRIMINALS America releases 600, 000 prisoners each year, but does little to prepare them for work or to improve their unlawful habits. However-not surprisingly-within three years, many of the ex-convicts are re-arrested (Irwin 38). People who have already spent time in prison or jail move back to some of America's poorest neighborhoods to terrorize neighbors who can ill afford ...
The
police force went on strike in Albuquerque, New
Mexico; during this time, the crime rate decreased
because frightened citizens armed themselves and
protected their homes and businesses(“Firearms” 69).
Criminals “had no stomach at all for facing indignant
citizens protecting their own property with the same
force the criminals used to steal it(“Firearms” 69).
Handgun ownership averts thousands of victim injuries
and deaths that would not have been avoidable given
the tactical advantages that criminals have over
unarmed citizens(Lee 7).
Who would you rather have protecting you? In
Chicago in a typical year, more criminals are shot by
store owners and other armed citizens than by the
entire police force(“Firearms” 69).
In April 1984
three terrorists attacked a cafe in Jerusalem with
automatic weapons, intending to kill everyone in
sight; they were able to claim only one victim before
they were shot by a handgun-armed Israelis(Lee 3).
In 1980, between 1,500-3,000 felons were
legally killed by armed civilians in
self-defense or for related-legally justified
reasons; and additional 8,700-16,600 criminals
were legally wounded under the same
circumstances. If these figures are accurate,
then civilians kill and injure far more felons
annually than do police officers, i.e.,
criminals have more to fear from armed victims
than from the police(“Firearms” 63).
Everyone knows that police officers are trained to ask
questions first and shoot later, but I personally feel
that if I was in a questionable situation I would
probably shoot first. That is most likely how many
other citizens feel and that is probably why that
figure is so high.
Why doesn’t the Constitution protect us from gun
control laws? 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”(Levinson 5).
Infringed
means to violate or trespass. The Constitution has
The Term Paper on Gun Control 13
... Handgun Control, Inc. is the nation's largest citizens' gun control lobbying organization. HCI, based in Washington, D.C., works to enact stronger federal, state, and local gun control laws, ... am firmly committed to keeping guns out of criminals hands and keeping criminals off the street. Ultimately, the only gun control that will really work ...
never been described as a marvel of clarity, and the
Second Amendment is probably the most unclear
amendment in the bill of rights(Levinson 5).
It is
not easy to understand why the Second Amendment, or
the notion of liberty, should be viewed as creating a
right to own and carry a weapon that contributes so
directly to the shock of murders in our
society(Levinson 7).
“It is hard for me to see how
one can argue that circumstances have so changed as to
make mass disarmament constitutionally
unproblematic(Levinson 9).
What have gun control laws done for citizens? No
study of the effectiveness of gun laws has shown any
positive effect, yet some studies have shown a
negative effect(NRA 238).
The obvious effect of gun
bans is to deny law abiding citizens access to
firearms for their defense(Tahmassebi 65).
The black
market is open to anyone with money without
discrimination of age, race, gender, or background.
Criminals do not bother to with obeying the law, for a
criminal by definition is someone who disobeys
laws(NRA 240).
Gun control laws do not even pertain
to criminals, unless they try to work through the
legal system. The only people who are affected by gun
control laws are law-abiding citizens who are trying
to protect themselves.
What does it take to carry a concealed handgun?
To legally carry a concealed handgun, in most states,
a license must be obtained. To get a concealed and
carry license one must take a concealed handgun
course. Once the course has been taken, you have to
apply for the license from Austin, where they conduct
a extensive background check to see if you have any
criminal record. Many people have invested lots of
money in handguns and handgun classes, then have been
rejected when applying for their license. In 1996,
1321 license applicants were denied the right to carry
a concealed handgun in Texas(“Texas Concealed Handgun
License Statistics” 1).
Why does it have to be so hard for the good guy to
The Essay on The Myth of Gun Control in Crime Prevention
America has a long tradition of gun ownership and for many Americans it is a fundamental part of life. The right to keep and bear arms is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution. However, in recent years, there were many controversial discussions about the Second Amendment because there were a high number of gun-related deaths, wounding, accidents, and suicides in the US. School ...
get a gun? Why does the government insist on making
the criminal go through the legal system so that it
slows it down for the good guys? There are many
questions to ask, but there are not enough answer to
give out. Our Founding Fathers gave the citizens of
the United states the right to bear arms, and our new
government is slowly trying to take it away. The
fight to ban gun control is going to be a difficult
one. “The longer gun control advocates distract the
nation from this task by embracing that single siren
song, the longer it will take and the more difficult
the job will be”(NRA 242).
So practice your right to
protect your country and vote against gun control any
time you can.
Works Cited
“Carrying Concealed Firearms Who Will Protect The
People?” 29-35.
“Firearms, Self-Defense and Deterrence.” 1-11.
Lee, Robert W. “Gun Control Would Not Reduce Crime.”
1-5.
Levinson, Sanford. “The Second Amendment and Gun
Control: An Overview.” 1-9.
NRA. “Gun Control Would Not Reduce Violence.” 238-242.
“Self-Defense The Right and The Deterrent.” 22-28.
Tahmassebi, Stefan B. “Gun Control Would Not Reduce
Crime Against the Poor and Minorities.” 59-66.
Texas Concealed Handgun License Statistics As of
December, 27 1996. 1. Internet.
www.ghg.net/mav/stat.html.
Outline
I. The Second Amendment to the Constitution states
that, “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,” and the
definition of gun control is; government regulation of
possession and use of firearms by private citizens.
II. Reasons to Own a Gun
A. Self-Defense
B. Peace of Mind
III. Government Protection
A. Police
B. Courts
IV. Being Attacked
A. Criminals Fear Armed Citizens
B. Orlando Rape Experiment
C. Albuquerque Police Strike
V. Protection
A. Citizens
The Term Paper on Gun Control 15
... Americans would elect in a government that would see the gun control policy changed into a law. ... of American citizens from gun shots. This term paper discusses the issue of the gun control policy. The ... surprising to note that even the gun control activists no longer put much effort in the campaign ... lives and money. Some States like Chicago have strict rules about gun controls. The law makers should ...
B. Police
VI. Constitution
A. Second Amendment
B. Gun Control Bills
VII. Guns and Citizens
A. Effectiveness of Gun Control
B. Black Market
VIII. Carrying a Concealed Handgun
A. Classes
B. Licenses
IX. “The longer gun control advocates distract the
nation from this task by embracing that single siren
song, the longer it will take and the more difficult
the job will be”(NRA 242).
So practice your right to
protect your country and vote against gun control any
time you can.
