Gun Rights

Gun Rights

It is a fact that in the United States of America’s Bill of Rights, it clearly states that men and women have the right to keep and bear arms. Views about guns have changed over America’s history, and nowadays many people would like to have all our gun rights taken away. I see this as wrong, as do many other Americans. Many people think of guns as weapons for killing, and should not be available to the citizen, but that is incorrect, and unconstitutional.

Many in the United States think that if gun rights are taken away, and the ordinary citizen can’t keep them, then violence and crime will decrease.  Some people may think that guns are a cause of violence, and that if guns are not available to the public, then lawbreakers/individuals who are threats to others and themselves could not obtain these potential weapons. But banning gun rights will not change matters. People such as these can obtain guns or other weapons illegally. And as Melissa Melton said, ‘Laws punish criminals, they do not prevent crime’. Since the ban on handguns in the United Kingdom in 1997, homicide rates have increased by 15%. So as one can see, guns are not a cause of crime. They are used in crimes, but it is the one wielding that tool, that firearm, that is the threat, the cause of crime. Punishing law abiding citizens for someone else's wrongdoing is incorrect and unnecessary.

Guns are tools for self defense, hunting, and target shooting. They are dangerous when not handled properly, or in the hands of the wrong person. But like other tools, we must learn how to use them properly, and for the right purposes. Compare a gun to a knife. Knives are dangerous tools, and they can be dangerous if not used correctly. It is equally so with firearms.

Guns are a protection against crime. Numerous people say there are ‘other’ forms of protection that one may use in a threatening situation. But when there’s an intruder breaking into your house, and the intruder has a weapon, perhaps a gun, consider these things, can you call the police while the intruder is breaking in? Can you overpower him/her without a firearm? How long will it take for the police to come?

Each year, firearms are used around over 80 times more to protect a life than to take one in the United States. And in the United Kingdom, where guns are illegal, there are an estimated 2,034 violent crimes per 100,000 people, while in the United States, where guns are legal, there are an estimated 466 violent crimes per 100,000 people. In fact, the United Kingdom, which has banned all gun rights, is one of the European countries with the highest crime rates.

Guns are part of our country’s heritage, part of our history, part of our culture. When we rebelled against Britain and other European nations  long ago in the 17th century, if we hadn’t had any firearms, we would have been defenseless, and would have most definitely lost the revolutionary war. Firearms enable the country, the citizens, to have a measure of power, and independence from the government, as well as to come together in the defense of the nation if necessary. There must be a balance of power. The government is a servant of the people. And both must have power. “The balance of power is the scale of peace,” quoted one of our founding fathers, Thomas Paine.

I think it would also be wrong to take away the ordinary citizens right to keep and bear firearms because: it is included in the Bill of Rights, the same document that says that we the people have the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, and the freedom of religion. And in the Bill of Rights, the right to keep and bear arms is the second right listed, so clearly our founding fathers considered it of importance.

Yes, it is true that guns have, and will be used in crimes, but it is the person using that gun for ill that is the problem, not the guns. And citizens need firearms to be prepared to defend themselves and others against these threats. Persons who commit crimes could be doing the same with another tool/object, such as a knife, or a baseball bat. And it would be quite ridiculous to ban either of those things, and I think it would also be ridiculous and wrong to take away a right our founding fathers agreed upon and wrote in our Bill of Rights.