Jeremiah Briseno Ms. Heather Walker College Prep English Feb 24, 2023 Argumentative Essay: Gun Control The issue of gun control has been a highly controversial topic in the United States. The debate centers around whether or not the government should regulate the ownership and use of firearms. Gun control advocates argue that strict regulations can reduce the number of gun-related crimes and deaths, while opponents of gun control argue that such regulations infringe on the Second Amendment right to bear arms. One of the main arguments against gun control is that it violates the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, which guarantees the right to bear arms. This right was intended to protect the individual's right to defend themselves against tyranny, as well as the ability to participate in the common defense of the nation. In a 2008 Supreme Court decision, District of Columbia v. Heller, the court held that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to own a firearm for self-defense within their home. This decision affirmed that the Second Amendment is an individual right, and not just a collective right to maintain a militia. (District of …show more content…
However, a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that gun ownership has little to no effect on violent crime rates. The study found that the effect of gun ownership on crime rates is not statistically significant, meaning that there is no evidence to suggest that gun ownership leads to higher crime rates. (Donohue & Levitt, 2019) In addition, gun control measures such as background checks and waiting periods have been shown to have little effect on reducing gun-related crime. A study by the National Institute of Justice found that background checks and waiting periods had no significant effect on reducing violent crime or suicide rates. (National Institute of Justice,