Gresock 1

Gresock Jared

Mrs Billot

Period 2

11 November 2016

Gun Control

Gun Control takes away our rights. It is our Second Amendment Right as an American

citizen. Guns were a big part of our history for the first settlers here, it was as necessary as

food, clothing, and shelter. Armed citizen soldiers won Americas freedom from English rule

more than two centuries ago. Partly because of this long standing tradition, attempts to restrict a

citizens right to own a gun evoke strong emotions. People have a right to own and carry

firearms to protect themselves and get food.

The right to keep and bear arms and other freedoms in the Bill of Rights were viewed as

common law rights (Dolan). Early colonists in America used guns to gain freedom from the

British. They were an important part of their survival and daily lives. Guns provided food and

protection for their families. The Game Act of 1671, tried to control the peasants by imposing

gun regulations based on their wealth. When the Bill of Rights was enacted it gave everyone

the right to bear arms, whether rich or poor.

Over the years there has been more and more restrictions and laws passed in regard to

guns. The Gun Control Act of 1968 had two major sections. It required anyone dealing in

firearms or ammunition whether locally or across state lines to be federally licensed under tough

new standards and to keep records of all commercial gun sales.(Alters) However, these laws

do not forbid people from ordering the parts to make a gun. This allows a person to order all the

parts to make a gun and build it at home with no record of it existing. This is called a ghost gun.
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With people making ghost guns, it would be hard for them to restrict some guns. Ghost

guns would be one of the hardest things to control if they try to restrict them because there is no

record of them so they dont even know who have them. They could be people ordering

replacement parts.

Guns are an individuals right given to them by the second amendment and guns are

vital for self protection. Guns allows people to protect themselves. This is not just from other

people, but from animals too. Many of my family members carry a gun with them when they go

bow hunting or when they are just walking in the woods. You never know what type of dangers

you may encounter in these situations.

Some people think that No freeman who is not in the military service shall be allowed to

carry firearms, or any kind of weapon, with the special permission of his employer, in writing,

and approved by the mayor or president of the board of police. (Halbrook). This is what some

people believed the law should be. But, these were the people that were keeping them safe

and fighting for their country. The right to bear arms was necessary for the security of a free

state and to keep the people safe. Colonists were even required to have a working firearm in

case they were called for duty. The Right to Bear Arms was enacted so if the government ever

got too strong, the citizens would have the means to take over and gain back control.

Other countries have different gun laws and some even prohibit citizens from owning

guns. England and Japan control gun ownership and as a result have kept murder rates low.

To some people this seems obvious that we should impose these same regulations to have

lower murder rates. But, I believe that this would not work in the United States because of our

long standing tradition of owning guns. People need to feel that they have rights and decisions

in regards to protecting themselves and providing for their families. These are basic needs that

need to be met by all people.

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Some people like to say that guns kill people, but a gun cant kill someone by itself it

takes a person to pull the trigger. Some people don't understand that it takes a person to

operate the gun and take another human's life. These people just want to blame it on the

weapons and not on the person who committed the crime or murder. In the case of children

getting their hands on guns and harming themselves or others, parents are responsible. These

parents need to enact better safety in their homes and educate their children on gun safety.

There is no easy way to enforce gun control laws. Many gun control measures are

overboard. Many of these restrictions would take away our rights as an American citizen. If they

banned guns all it would do is take guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens and would

leave criminals with guns. If a criminal is already breaking the law they're not going to care

about a new law. They are just going to keep breaking the law. Criminals will always find a way

to get a hold of weapons illegally.

Guns are a big part of American culture. Hunting is a good example of this. Many

Americans enjoy different sports that utilize guns. For example, hunting is a very popular sport

in Pennsylvania and many other rural areas. This is a tradition that is usually handed down

from generation to generation. There are even hunter safety courses that are required for all

youth. With hunting youth are taught how to properly and safely carry and use a gun. They

also learn about different types of guns that are used for hunting different game and seasons.

The modern debate over gun control erupted after a series of high-profile

assassinations during the 1960s, including the assassinations of President John F Kennedy

(1917 - 1963), the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968), and Senator Robert F.

Kennedy (1925 - 1968). In the decades that followed, the debate gained new urgency as

gun-related violence continued to increase. (Alters) These public figures were obviously well

known and therefore this brought the violence to everyones attention. I believe these
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assassinations would have still happened even with tighter gun control. These assassinations

brought more fear of weapons to the people. Criminals always find a way to carry out their

illegal acts.

If Americans are allowed to own guns, the criminals will know that there is the possibility

that they will encounter resistance. If gun ownership was to be limited than there would need to

be a massive increase in the police force to protect the citizens. Many guns are bought second

hand and are not documented properly so there is no record of ownership. In recent years

there have been many shooters that were intent on suicide or being gunned down in the end.

Many of these criminals have a history of mental illness. We need to shift the blame from the

guns to the society that does not treat people with mental illness.

Gun control is always a big topic with politicians.The National Rifle Association, also

known as the NRA, is a lobbyist for gun rights. During every election this topic is usually

brought to the peoples attention. You are either for or against gun control. The Democrats are

for more gun control and stricter regulations on guns. They believe this will decrease the gun

related violence in the United States and make America a safer country. The Republicans

believe in the right to bear arms. While some restrictions on purchasing weapons should be in

place, it should not be banned altogether.

The right to bear arms has been an important part of the American culture since the first

colonists. They would not have survived without guns to protect them and provide food for their

families. Having weapons available also kept the government in check and kept them from

getting too strong and powerful. The country is for the people and having the ability to defend

their individual rights was done through gun ownership. High profile assassinations are not a

reason to restrict the rights of law abiding American citizens. It is not reasonable to increase the

police force to be able to protect the American people. America is a strong and intelligent
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nation. Citizens have the right to make their own choices, including the ownership of guns.

This is a tradition in my own family that I intend to pass down.

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Works Cited

Alters, Sandra. Firearm Laws, Regulations,and Ordinances.Gun Control: Restricting Rights or

Protecting People?, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, 2011. GALE|EJ191930103

Alters, Sandra.The History of the Right to Bear Arms.Restricting Rights or Protecting People?,

2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,GALE|EJ191930101.

Dolan, Edward. Gun Control: A Declision for Americans,edited by Franklin Watts, 1982.

Epstein, Richard. There is No Easy Solution to Preventing Gun Violence. Guns and Crime,

Greenhaven Press, 2015, GALE|EJ3010015271. Opposing viewpoints in context. 26

Oct. 2016.

Halbrook, Stephens. That Every Man Be Armed The Evolution of a Constitutional Right.

Libertytree Press, 1984.