Argumentative Essay: Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Gun
Joey Calhoun
T. Johnson
Political Science 10
7 November 2013
Give Me Liberty…or Give Me Guns “A free people ought to be armed.” –George Washington
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. These are just a few of our “certain unalienable rights” that we are entitled to, not only as Americans, but as human beings. When the Founding Fathers set out to create a new country, they were convinced that all men were created equal and that such rights are bequeathed upon us by a higher power, which should never be infringed for “light and transient” reasons. For almost 250 years, our Constitution has served as “The Law of the Land” providing a basis for our laws …show more content…
Which is exactly as the Founding Fathers intended it to be. They figured that as time went on, American traditions and values would change, and they wanted to Constitution to be flexible with the changing times. If this concept is applied to the right to bear arms debate, how can we be sure what the Framers would have wanted? A Supreme Court Justice said that “If we are to acknowledge the historical context and the values of the period when the Second [Amendment was] adopted, then we must accept and apply the full understanding of the citizenry at that time” (Fordham Urban Law Review), which is exactly what the Justices do before they make their final decision, they do as much research as possible in order to help them determine the Founding Fathers’ true …show more content…
There are people arguing both sides, with some saying that being able to own guns only leads to violence and crime, and others saying that owning guns is the only way to protect ourselves. Gun advocate groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Gun-Owners of America are fighting harder than ever to keep our right to arm ourselves, while the exact same thing is happening on the other side, with the opposition working against them. Many political figures ranging from Senators to State Governors are also exploiting the tragic incidents that are unfolding, to make better arguments for whatever cause they are supporting, and to rally more followers. With violent and horrific crimes on the rise, both gun-rights advocates and opposition can now reinforce and back-up their opinions and biases with the horrifying statistics that are becoming realized every day. Tragedies such as the Sandy Hook Massacre and the Aurora Movie Theater shootings are only a couple, recent examples of such events that are making Americans question whether or not we should be allowed to own firearms, and if the Constitution even guarantees us this right, for many insist that the Second Amendment could have been intended for a different time, a different way of life, in other words. With many people favoring the “more gun control” outlook on the issue and looking to the
T. Johnson
Political Science 10
7 November 2013
Give Me Liberty…or Give Me Guns “A free people ought to be armed.” –George Washington
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. These are just a few of our “certain unalienable rights” that we are entitled to, not only as Americans, but as human beings. When the Founding Fathers set out to create a new country, they were convinced that all men were created equal and that such rights are bequeathed upon us by a higher power, which should never be infringed for “light and transient” reasons. For almost 250 years, our Constitution has served as “The Law of the Land” providing a basis for our laws …show more content…
Which is exactly as the Founding Fathers intended it to be. They figured that as time went on, American traditions and values would change, and they wanted to Constitution to be flexible with the changing times. If this concept is applied to the right to bear arms debate, how can we be sure what the Framers would have wanted? A Supreme Court Justice said that “If we are to acknowledge the historical context and the values of the period when the Second [Amendment was] adopted, then we must accept and apply the full understanding of the citizenry at that time” (Fordham Urban Law Review), which is exactly what the Justices do before they make their final decision, they do as much research as possible in order to help them determine the Founding Fathers’ true …show more content…
There are people arguing both sides, with some saying that being able to own guns only leads to violence and crime, and others saying that owning guns is the only way to protect ourselves. Gun advocate groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Gun-Owners of America are fighting harder than ever to keep our right to arm ourselves, while the exact same thing is happening on the other side, with the opposition working against them. Many political figures ranging from Senators to State Governors are also exploiting the tragic incidents that are unfolding, to make better arguments for whatever cause they are supporting, and to rally more followers. With violent and horrific crimes on the rise, both gun-rights advocates and opposition can now reinforce and back-up their opinions and biases with the horrifying statistics that are becoming realized every day. Tragedies such as the Sandy Hook Massacre and the Aurora Movie Theater shootings are only a couple, recent examples of such events that are making Americans question whether or not we should be allowed to own firearms, and if the Constitution even guarantees us this right, for many insist that the Second Amendment could have been intended for a different time, a different way of life, in other words. With many people favoring the “more gun control” outlook on the issue and looking to the