The Ethical Debate of Gun Control Introduction The debate of gun control presents an ethical dilemma in deciding which rights afforded by the US Constitution are more important. The ethical debate places the rights afforded in the Second Amendment to bear arms against the rights afforded in the First Amendment to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The ethical predicament has roots in societal views of violence and how it is observed by both sides of the debate. History of the Debate Gun control in the United States refers to any action taken by the federal, state, or local governments to regulate through legislation, the sale, purchase, safety, and use of firearms by individuals. Many high profile shootings, such as the 1999 shooting …show more content…
The Second Amendment says, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Gun rights has become the subject of intense political, social, and cultural battles for much of the last century. The pro-gun right side has asserted that the right to arms was absolute, and that any gun control laws infringed that right (Kopel, 2013). This right has been supported by the Supreme Court who has reinforced what has become the American consensus that the Second Amendment allows the right to keep and bear arms, especially for self-defense, and that it is a fundamental individual …show more content…
Ethical arguments for gun rights center on the right of security, civic duty, and constitutional right of the people. Those in favor of gun control focus on the human toll, loss of life, and the distortion of what the Second Amendment’s original intent. Hope for change and improvement in this issue is a long shot at best due to each side becoming more entrenched within their belief system. Framing the violence in America as a mental health issue distracts from the fact that we do indeed have a gun problem in America. The guns in of themselves do not present the issue, it is the access, supply, and the operation of these weapons that bring this issue to the forefront every time one watches the news or reads a newspaper. We have traded the respect for life over clinging to our guns out of the fear of losing them. If we once again learn to appreciate the value of life, society will then decide to do whatever is right to protect life, as this right should supersede any other right afforded to us by our