Gun Laws

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear Arms should not be infringed”(Nisbet 12). This simple sentence of the Second Amendment has brought many different ideas into America about firearm laws. Our founding fathers wrote this in the Bill of Rights under the Constitution. This Second Amendment allows for citizens of the United States to bear, obtain, or own, firearms such as handguns and/or long guns, at least that is what most Americans believe. Gun laws are scrutinized, then passed or rejected; this has been happening for decades. When it comes to firearms, America has some of the most lenient policies that lead to many violent crimes, fatalities, and misconceptions of firearms. The “Gun Control Debate” dates back to 500AD when the first “firearm” was invented. Around 500 AD, the Chinese invented gunpowder that was used for medicine, weapons, and even entertainment such as fireworks. The Chinese-fire-lance was said to be the first gun invented, and was only to be used by the Imperial Army; no citizens were allowed to own these. If someone was caught with the fire-lance, they were sentenced to death (Rangwala n.p.). Small sized cannons were later invented with Leonardo Da Vinci’s Automatic ignition device (Control n.p.). Before the 1900s there were very little rules dealing with guns. The National Rifle Association, or NRA, was officially organized in 1871 to improve the marksmanship of American citizens in preparation for war. This gave people another reason to own guns because some Americans feared being invaded during the wars. After the Civil War, one law stated that colored people were not allowed to possess firearms. Once Black Codes were demolished, blacks were allowed to own firearms (Control n.p.). Until 1968 handguns, shotguns, rifles, and ammunition were all sold over-the-counter, mail order catalogs, and magazines and later that year The Gun Control Act was