‘No’ To Gun Laws
During a speech Patrick Henry gave he states, “Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the *real* object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?” (n.p). The topic of gun control is one that is always up for debate. Throughout American history there have been numerous public shootings that have taken the lives of innocent people, but that is not the fault of the responsible citizens who follow the rules. The saying “It only takes one apple to ruin a bunch” is perfect for topics such as gun control. Yes, I agree that there needs to be a better way to know information about who owns a gun. But, to make stricter laws for citizens to obtain guns is not going to take guns out of the hands of those who have not gone through the right channels to obtain a gun. If people really wanted to get guns, they are going to get them. Creating a new law will not change the way people go about obtaining a gun illegally.
For decades, this topic has made news headlines and the battle is far from over. There will not be strict enough laws to protect citizens from people who break the rules. The government plays a vital role in this situation, whether they want to admit it or not. It is the job of the government to protect its citizens. With all the random shootings around the country the pressure on the government to fix these problems is at an all-time high. However, creating gun laws is not exactly the answer. In a Vanity Fair article Sammy “The Bull” Gravono states that, “Gun control? It’s the best thing you can do for crooks and gangsters. I want you to have nothing. If I’m a bad guy, I’m always going to have a gun. Safety locks? You will pull the trigger with a lock on, and I’ll pull the trigger. We’ll see who wins” (n.p). Gun laws will not decrease the crime rate; it will just eliminate a weapon used to commit the crime. I believe the government needs to come up with other laws to protect the American citizens instead of trying to limit the people from protecting themselves. Our elected officials need to be for the people and by the people, as stated in our constitution. Officials should come together to come up with a solution that can bring together both sides.
Everyone will not be pleased with the decision, but one has to be made. If nothing is done, then the gun-control topic will be never ending. The people of America need to come together as one and reach out to their law makers. The citizens of this country can become the change they would like to see if we all come together. Our nation was built on coming together and making change happen and I believe this is no different than any other change in our history.
‘Yes’ To Gun Laws
Guns are a special topic in our history. In our constitution, it is written that as American citizens, we have the right to bear arms to protect ourselves. With that being said, the topic of gun laws is one of the most talked about among Americans. The main point of this debate is not every American citizen is breaking the law. There are citizens who actually want what is best for the American people. These citizens feel the right to protect themselves is something no one should be able to take away from them. On the other hand, rules and regulations need to be enforced, so that guns are not put into the hands of the wrong people, and so that guns are not so easily accessible.
In the book That Every Man Be Armed Stephen P. Halbrook says,
“In recent years it has been suggested that the Second Amendment protects the ‘collective’ right of states to maintain militias, while it does not protect the right of ‘the people’ to keep and bear arms. If anyone entertained this notion in the period during which the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were debated and ratified, it remains one of the most closely guarded secrets of the eighteenth century, for no known writing surviving from the period between 1787 and 1791 states such a thesis” (n.p). People who own guns are likely to have them for a few reasons. The first reason is for protection. If you do not feel safe in your own home, you have the right to make sure your household is safe. The second reason is for recreational purposes. Americans have created a sport of hunting and shooting guns and one can see how gun laws can interfere with those practices. Michael Steele states that, “You can have all the gun control laws in the country, but if you don’t enforce them, people are going to find a way to protect themselves. We need to recognize that bad people are doing bad things with these weapons. It’s not the law-abiding citizens, it’s not the person who uses it as a hobby” (n.p).
Guns are here for us to protect ourselves, but at the same time, we have to believe that not everyone has the same page when it comes to what guns should and should not be used for. These are the people that gun laws will affect. If you are a citizen that follows the laws set before us, then there should not be a reason for you to not take an extra step. As a citizen of this nation and despite whether or not I have a gun, I should still feel safe. Knowing that people will have a better gun ownership process would keep citizens without guns at ease.
Works Cited
- Blum, H. (2015, January 30). The Reluctant Don. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1999/09/The-Reluctant-Don
- Halbrook, S. P. (2013). That every man be armed: the evolution of a constitutional right. Albuquerque: Univ. of New Mexico Press.
- Patrick Henry. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2017, from http://www.madisonbrigade.com/p_henry.htm
- Steele, M. (n.d.). Gun Control Quotes. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gun_control.html