Gun Control. Does It Need Revised?
Gun Control. Does it need revised?
Denise Kirby
March 20, 2013
Gun Control. Does it need revised? Gun control seems to be a major issue for discussion in our society today. These issues have stemmed from all the violence and tragedies that have happened in the past several years. There seems to be two sides of this argument. People are either for stricter gun control laws or against it. I would like to try to find the correct answer as I am a gun owner. I enjoy target shooting, skeet shooting, and hunting. So, gun control. Does it need to be revised? The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution 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.” There have been many debates as to what the original authors intended by the wording of this Amendment. Some people believe the phrase “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms” created individual constitutional rights for United States citizens. Some scholars argue that the phrase “a well regulated Militia” shows they meant only to restrict congress from taking away a states right to self-defense. In 1939 the United States Supreme Court adopted a collective rights approach in the case of United States v. Miller. They determined Congress could regulate a sawed-off shotgun which moved in interstate commerce under the National Firearms Act of 1934 because the evidence did not suggest it “has some reasonable relationship to the preservation of efficiency of a well regulated militia…” The Court further explained that the Second Amendment was to ensure the effectiveness of the military. In 2008 the United States Supreme Court considered this issue again in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. After detailing the history and tradition of the Second Amendment, they proclaimed it established an individual right for United States citizens to possess firearms. They determined that the D.C.
Denise Kirby
March 20, 2013
Gun Control. Does it need revised? Gun control seems to be a major issue for discussion in our society today. These issues have stemmed from all the violence and tragedies that have happened in the past several years. There seems to be two sides of this argument. People are either for stricter gun control laws or against it. I would like to try to find the correct answer as I am a gun owner. I enjoy target shooting, skeet shooting, and hunting. So, gun control. Does it need to be revised? The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution 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.” There have been many debates as to what the original authors intended by the wording of this Amendment. Some people believe the phrase “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms” created individual constitutional rights for United States citizens. Some scholars argue that the phrase “a well regulated Militia” shows they meant only to restrict congress from taking away a states right to self-defense. In 1939 the United States Supreme Court adopted a collective rights approach in the case of United States v. Miller. They determined Congress could regulate a sawed-off shotgun which moved in interstate commerce under the National Firearms Act of 1934 because the evidence did not suggest it “has some reasonable relationship to the preservation of efficiency of a well regulated militia…” The Court further explained that the Second Amendment was to ensure the effectiveness of the military. In 2008 the United States Supreme Court considered this issue again in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. After detailing the history and tradition of the Second Amendment, they proclaimed it established an individual right for United States citizens to possess firearms. They determined that the D.C.
References: The charters of freedom. Retrieved from Charters of Freedom website: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html LaPierre, W. (2013, March 15). What they didn’t tell you today. Retrieved from the National Rifle Association website: http://www.home.nra.org Hanna, J. (2012, December 23). Kansas officials resist calls to rewrite gun laws. The Topeka Capital-Journal.[Topeka]. Retrieved from http://wwwchonline.com/news/2012-12-23/kansas-officials-resist-calls-rewrite-gun-laws Agresti, J & Smith, R. (2013, February 11). Just facts. Retrieved from website: http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp