Abuse of the Second Amendment of the United States The second amendment of the United States Constitution was written in the Bill of Rights, a document assuring the rights of individual citizens of the United States. The United States citizens of the time feared a strong federal government would take away their rights as individuals. So, the Bill of Rights was created to satisfy those citizens and protect their rights. The second amendment protects and individuals right to keep and bear arms. The amendment protects the right of ordinary citizens, not just military personnel. Occasionally, though, the amendment is abused. In “College Dems’ Corner: Gun Control”, Kelli Slater writes about a shooting at Florida State University. The shooter injured three students, but did not kill anyone. After refusing to lower his weapon, the shooter was killed by police. According to Slater, the shooter was mentally ill, suffering from “hallucinations and bouts of paranoia”. The author goes on to state that there should be more intense gun control. She feels that there should at least be a psychiatric evaluation before a person should be allowed to purchase a gun. …show more content…
Though every man has a right to bear and keep arms, the shooter used this right to attempt a killing spree. Luckily, no one was killed but himself. The second amendment is also represented when Slater writes about how there should be stronger gun control. While some would say that stricter gun control, or having mandatory tests before being able to purchase a gun, is a violation of the second amendment, Slater does not see it that way. She believes that, as long as a person is mentally stable, they should have the ability to carry