Gun control
Over the past decade, nearly 500,000 people have died from gun related incidents in the United States alone. According to CDC, Data and Statistics WISQARS, everyday, more than 200 Americans go to the emergency room due to gunshot wounds. Therefore, Congress must enact more laws to limit access to firearms, particularly combat weapons, in order to prevent unnecessary deaths. Taking a look at countries with restrictive gun control laws, there are a fewer number of homicides. Secondly, the Second Amendment of the US Constitution does not protect the right of a civilian to own a gun. As a final point, statistics show that the presence of a gun makes a conflict become more violent. Countries with limits on gun ownership have
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However, it is important to understand the context of when the Second Amendment was written. In 1791, the Founding Fathers wrote this amendment in response to the Quartering Act, which allowed British soldiers to stay in any citizen’s house with or without their consent. Many British soldiers abused this right and often took more than what was necessary, causing spite and deep hatred. This cycle led to further tension and fighting, and could also result in threats and violence. The Second Amendment became a source of individual power and rights, giving citizens the right to bear arms for their own protection against any kind of government power or entity. Furthermore, it is important to consider how times have changed and how guns are being used today. Guns are more often used in violent circumstances than in self-defense and are correlated with murder and crime. As shown previously, the US suffers higher gun homicide rates than any other first world country. Although guns were needed during the Revolution for self-defense against abusive soldiers, there rarely are situations today where guns are required for self-defense. Therefore, Congress must legislate more laws to restrict ownership of firearms to prevent