The Second Amendment and the Right to Bear Arms

English Essay – Persuasive nd
The 2 Amendment states that American citizens have the right to bear arms (own a gun).
This issue is topical due to the recent school shootings such as Sandy Hook Elementary in
December 2012. However it must be argued that there are good and bad arguments about nd nd the 2 Amendment. Ultimately that the 2 Amendment should have tighter gun laws in
America because of tragic incidents like the Sandy Hook Elementary school where many young children and teachers lost their lives and the many other horrific shooting America has seen over the years. nd
The 2 Amendment has many positive points to it such as allowing the citizens to bear arms which can make them feel safer in their home or in public if needed as long as the firearm is nd concealed. The 2 Amendment could also lower break­ins as the household may have a firearm which could potentially put the thief off of breaking­in to the house as they are at even more risk of being caught. It also gives house owners the chance to fend off the thieves from their house to protect family. The owner of the firearm will also be less prone to crimes as there is a significant decreased possibility in which people with negative intentions will attack someone else who has any kind of weapon to use in defending his or her self. In its defence the Amendment also has more advantages in that it decreases the number of crimes. Armed citizens are found to be very helpful in reducing crime incidences. This is because according to John Lott, PhD; gun laws assisted reduce homicides by approximately
8.5%, rape by 5%, and aggravated assaults by 7% as well as break­ins by 3%. However as good as that sounds, firearms also cause many crimes and are used in many crimes this is why the laws on firearms should be stricter, such as not allowing as powerful firearms on the streets or even in homes as they are lethal weapons in the wrong hands. nd
However the 2 Amendment also has its down sides, such as the recent mass shooting at schools and colleges around America. Ultimately it seems that citizens carrying a firearm are more at risk of being shot, based on the study conducted by Charles Branas PhD, those persons that are carrying a weapon defending themselves are 4.5 times more at risk to be shot in an assault compared to crime victims that are not carrying a firearm. It means that a firearm may not be the most efficient and reliable type of self­protection but it is also believed that most people with weapons are not trained adequately to use them.
The use of firearms can lead to an increase in the number of crimes. However in contrast with that claim the 2nd amendment can help by reducing the frequency of crimes. There is a study that shows that using concealed weapons will only make the number of violence and crimes increase. Additionally it can also be difficult to identify the criminals from the armed citizens. There is a high possibility that policemen may experience difficulties identifying the criminals and distinguish them from those normal and responsible citizens with legal firearms. There is also a chance that a rmed citizens will encourage criminals to carry firearms too. The criminals will bring weapons to threaten armed people which will discourage them from defying the
Dylan Bell

Word Count: 697

criminals. Also if an intoxicated person under the influence of drugs is carrying a firearm, the possible results could be devastating as the drugs or alcohol they are intoxicated with could make influence them to make the wrong decisions and could devastate a lot of their connections. In conclusion gun laws should be tightened for the safety of the citizens of the USA. As of the points I made in this essay that show us the positive and negative side of this Amendment.
There has also been multiple school shootings that have devastated many families and children. The majority of the citizens of the USA are also wanting the laws on firearms to become stricter as well as the current Government at the moment.

Dylan Bell

Word Count: 697