Right To Bear Arms Pros And Cons

It has often been seen throughout history that when the United States government impedes on the rights of civilians, people tend to feel as though they are being stripped of their basic rights to life, liberty, and property. These basic rights are inalienable by law, according to the Declaration of Independence, and the government must tread lightly when making decisions in correspondence to them. In recent years laws and bills have been passed by legislation in regards to gun control with the intent of making the U.S. a safer place for all citizens who reside within its borders. However, the right to bear arms is protected by the second amendment and is highly favored by many American citizens making it a highly controversial topic. In the
The Brady Handgun Prevention Acts, enacted November 30, 1993, made it unavoidable for anyone seeking to purchase a firearm without first passing a background check headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The acts also made it illegal to conceal a handgun without proper licensing as well as put restrictions on who can buy certain firearms. A continuation of the acts also made it so that an individual must be 21 years of age to own a handgun legally and 18 years old to own a rifle or shotgun. The F.B.I. also keeps records of all gun purchases made in the U.S. and retains all information about the individuals who purchase them. The most critical act created in regards to gun control was the Federal Assault Weapons Ban passed on September 13, 1994. This act made it illegal for civilians to own military grade weapons in the U.S. which is critical in order to ensure that these firearms do not find their way into the hands of those seeking to cause havoc. There are a number of specifications that weapons must meet in order to classify it as too lethal for public ownership or not. The weapon must first meet a specific magazine size and bullet caliber. Statistically, the AR-15 is the most popular assault rifle available to citizens of the U.S. numbering in at four million owners. This rifle fires a .223 caliber round and is now sold to the general public with a magazine that does not exceed fifteen rounds. A caliber of this magnitude is acceptable in America because it is said to have a lesser chance to create mass casualties in a shootout. Smaller ammunition cartridges has proven effective for this as well. The action made to lower magazine cartridge sizes was an effective law passed by congress. Less ammunition limits the ability for mass shootings and in a sense it also helps decrease the chances of