Guns. Firearms. Weapons. To many, these words summon many different feelings, thoughts, and ideas. Some people may have visions of war that they may have seen in a movie. Some might think of yesterday’s headline in the newspaper. For some, the very words might bring personal painful memories of crime. Firearms have become a regular staple in the diet of American culture. The topic’s often heated debate seems to shake this country down to its very core. Every day in this country, people use guns in the commission of heinous crimes against others. At the same time, guns are used every day to save innocent lives. Many people believe that guns are the cause of the rampant crime in our country, and that crime would decrease if guns were banned or kept out of the hands of the public. Others believe that by having even more guns in our country, criminals would think twice before committing a crime because more citizens would be armed. The fact is that people in this country are going to have firearms legally or illegally. People will commit crimes with guns and people will prevent crimes with guns. The only feasible way to help prevent the misuse of firearms is by making the punishment for doing so severe enough to persuade people not to do it.
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. (guncite, 2007)
Many people translate the writings of the U.S. Constitution in different ways. According to Guncite, 2007, “The original intent and purpose of the Second Amendment was to preserve and guarantee, not grant, the pre-existing right of individuals to keep and bear arms. Although the amendment emphasizes the need for a militia, membership in any militia, let alone a well-regulated one, was not intended to serve as a prerequisite for exercising the right to keep arms.”. Although the constitution tells...