Just Want to Look at One, Single Article About a Movie, so Here I Am
Joel Friederich
English 102
REVISION OF: Essay 3, April 10, 2013
The Scoop of the Second Amendment: A Beginner’s Guide
To many average people, the thought of breaking down legislation, such as the Bill of Rights, and identifying different amendments within the document, sounds pretty dull. However, the Bill of Rights gives every American his or her freedoms and limitations, while listing specific prohibitions on governmental power. That being said, it is important to know exactly what your rights are, especially when the subject comes to gun control. What is the Bill of Rights and how does it actively pertain to daily lives in the 21st century? Written in 1776 and later added to the Constitution in 1791, the Bill of Rights consists of ten amendments that, while still our nation’s general “rulebook,” are subject to judicial review, which is the process of the courts interpreting the meaning of the amendments. Each amendment protects individual citizens of the United States from their government. Within the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment states, “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.” The Second Amendment has been challenged due to a question surrounding whether or not it was initially written as a collective or an individual right. The Second Amendment tags “militia” as the only reason for a right to bear arms; does this mean the main reason for allowing gun ownership should be political defense? The amendment talks about the right to keep and bear arms so that a militia will remain maintained. I question why the Second Amendment is a collective right, guaranteed to the state, rather than an individual right guaranteed to citizens for self-defense and personal uses.
The Second Amendment itself is hard to understand, due to the complicated wordiness. The Bill of Rights Institute, located in Arlington, Virginia, created a non-profit
English 102
REVISION OF: Essay 3, April 10, 2013
The Scoop of the Second Amendment: A Beginner’s Guide
To many average people, the thought of breaking down legislation, such as the Bill of Rights, and identifying different amendments within the document, sounds pretty dull. However, the Bill of Rights gives every American his or her freedoms and limitations, while listing specific prohibitions on governmental power. That being said, it is important to know exactly what your rights are, especially when the subject comes to gun control. What is the Bill of Rights and how does it actively pertain to daily lives in the 21st century? Written in 1776 and later added to the Constitution in 1791, the Bill of Rights consists of ten amendments that, while still our nation’s general “rulebook,” are subject to judicial review, which is the process of the courts interpreting the meaning of the amendments. Each amendment protects individual citizens of the United States from their government. Within the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment states, “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.” The Second Amendment has been challenged due to a question surrounding whether or not it was initially written as a collective or an individual right. The Second Amendment tags “militia” as the only reason for a right to bear arms; does this mean the main reason for allowing gun ownership should be political defense? The amendment talks about the right to keep and bear arms so that a militia will remain maintained. I question why the Second Amendment is a collective right, guaranteed to the state, rather than an individual right guaranteed to citizens for self-defense and personal uses.
The Second Amendment itself is hard to understand, due to the complicated wordiness. The Bill of Rights Institute, located in Arlington, Virginia, created a non-profit
Cited: Bill of Rights Institute. 2010. Web. 2 April 2013. Roots, Roger I “The Second Amendment.” University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. 2010. Web. 31 March 2013. “The Meaning of the Words in the Second Amendment.” GunCite. 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 2 April 2013. English 102 Essay 3, March 31, 2013