Gun Rights In America
Throughout history, guns have been employed as a weapon of both offense and defense. A movement that advocates for the banning of these weapons has been ongoing for a number of years in America. Fortunately, the United States Constitution's Second Amendment has blunted the drive to outlaw firearms. The Second Amendment guarantees Americans the right to keep and bear arms and has been interpreted by the United States Supreme Court as meaning individuals may own and carry weapons on their person. There are many different categories of gun possession laws, sometimes referred to as carry laws. These include concealed carry, open carry, and no carry. Concealed carry laws have three subsections: unrestricted, shall-issue, and may issue. Unrestricted carry, sometimes called constitutional carry, means that no license is required to carry a concealed gun. Shall-issue means that a series of requirements must be met by the applicant. If these qualifications are realized, the state must issue the gun permit. May issue carry laws are the same as shall-issue, except licensing is at the state’s discretion, independent of qualification status. In present day America, the government should do no more to restrict gun ownership and may be wise to liberalize gun possession. The absence of guns produces a dangerous environment, as most mass shootings occur in gun-free zones. In addition, the presence of a gun is well documented to protect against in-progress crimes. Lastly, as gun ownership rates and carry licences issued increase, attempted and perpetrated violent crime rates actually decrease.
The main objection to gun rights is the belief that unrestricted gun access will result in more violent crime. For example, if anyone could purchase a gun, a mentally unstable individual could buy a weapon and commit mass murder. Alternatively, anyone could access a gun and use it for revenge or suicide. However, this argument in favor of eliminating legal gun...