Pros And Cons Of More Gun Control Laws

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More gun laws will lead to more gun crime rates. As the famous saying goes, “If guns are outlawed; only outlaws will have guns.” The United States has about 88.8 guns per 100 people, which is about 270,000,000 total. This is the highest per capita and total number in the world (ProCon “Background of the Issue” 1). Guns were very common and dated back to Colonial America. Even though guns were common, restrictions were as well. Some of these laws included banning indentured servants and slaves from owning guns, exempting a variety of professions from owning guns, such as doctors, schoolmasters, and lawyers, and banning the sale of guns to Native Americans. The Second Amendment was ratified on December 15, 1791 and is one of the main variables in the gun control debate. Proponents of more gun control feel the Second Amendment is a collective right. However, the opponents of more gun control feel the Second Amendment is an individual right. …show more content…

Collective rights are rights held by a group rather than its members. Up until 2008, the US Supreme Court upheld the Second Amendment as a collective right. Stating that the states may form militias and regulate guns. The US Supreme Court also stated that the right could be limited. They have no doubt, based on text and history, that the Second Amendment is an individual right, but know the right is not unlimited (ProCon 1). For example, the Second Amendment does not protect the right of any citizen to carry in any sort of confrontation. This is due to the threat of the other person’s