Gun Control

Gun Control

In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since its birth. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, to hunt for food and to engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control takes on a proportion of extreme magnitude. Weighing the rights and liberties of the individual against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the freedom to use and keep arms, rely on the fact that the provision for such rights is enshrined in their constitution. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified. As citizens of the “Land of the Free” possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity. Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and gun related crimes in an effort to increase the control of firearms sales and regulations.
Owning a gun never mattered to me or even crossed my mind as I was growing up. I always believed that nothing bad could ever happen to me not being gang affiliated at all just an average Joe Schmo, I must have not seen all the bad in the world. I was blind and naive did not see things happening around me but as I grew up I became wiser and began to see the dangers, crime, the issues in our world. When I was thirteen years old, things changed for me to the point of no return making a promise to myself that I would never let such thing happen to me ever again, I was brutally beaten by three older guys at thirteen years old. I was walking home from school as this older guy approached me asking me for my school/lunch money, I told him no and began to walk away from him, as I was walking away he reach out and grab me he said to me “ok now I am not asking you I am telling you to hand over all of your money!!” He reached into my pockets in search of the money, as he was doing that I felt this huge adrenaline rush taking over my body.
I did everything I could at that point to push him off and get way a fist was thrown from him and I responded back with a fist as well. Not knowing that this guy was not rolling alone but with two other guys. The two other individuals rushed to his aid, barraging me with punches and kicks leaving me bloody and severely beaten. From that day forward I told myself that I did not want to be in such a situation again. I asked my parents to put me in mixed martial arts classes as well as boxing classes. Despite such preparation I had and the confidence in myself that I could defend myself for a future assault nothing could have protected me from what was about to happen to me down the road.
I clearly remember that day as if it was just yesterday; I was in after school sports in high school, I was in the football team. The week before we had played against our rival high school that night I played like a beast giving it my all in the field intercepting the ball twice scoring both times. Things were normal at school; we were being looked at as heroes for beating them. One day after football practice I was getting all my belongings getting ready to head home, and I spot some guys from the rival football team. They approached me said “You’re the guys who intercepted the ball?” I replied back “Yes that was me, who wants to know?” Right as I answered I saw the first punch being thrown; with the skills and moves I was able to pick up from my training I was able to dodge it, throw and land some punches of my own. As the other guy saw that I was beating up his friend he jumped in as well; at that point it was two against one. I was out numbered but I was still able to manage myself. The second guy who had jumped in pulled out a weapon, it was a switch blade. I clearly felt the cold blade penetrating my warm body; immediately my body went into shock going numb not feeling anything. The two punks ran like cowards; I was lucky enough to have had a cell phone with me at the time I called 911 and I was rushed away.
Next time it may not be a blade that is used against me, it might be a gun pointed at me and used against me. In a situation like that, you are at their mercy; I believe that as Americans we have every right to exercise our right to carry a gun. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, so why am I being denied that right, making things complicated for me to obtain a gun permit? I believe that the sale of firearms should be regulated to a certain extend but not to the point that it’s making it impossible for me to obtain a firearm permit. Doing such thing is just so unorthodox of our American constitution the Second Amendment.