It’s Our Right!


Do you believe that gun control is taking away our protection and right to bear arms? Gun control has been an issue for a while now. People argue on whether or not everyone or just certain people should have guns. Taking away guns takes away protection since many mass shootings were stopped by an “armed defender” at the scene. It does take away our rights since and the Second Amendment is a right, not a privilege, and the Second Amendment was written to protect our right to bear arms. Other people can say that guns could be in the hands of criminals and dangerously mentally ill people, but you never know who is actually a criminal and who is actually mentally ill. U.S. citizens should be able to bear arms since it’s the Second Amendment’s right and we need to protect ourselves.


Gun control takes away our protection. One reason is in the past years, many mass shootings were stopped since a gun owner was at the scene to stop it. In an article written by Kopel, he mentions a lot of examples of mass shootings that we’ve never heard of since someone armed stopped them. He mentions Pearl High School in Mississippi, Sullivan Central High School in Tennessee, Appalachian School of Law in Virginia, a middle school dance in Edinboro, Pa., Trolley Square Mall in Salt Lake City, Clackamas Mall in Oregon (three days before Sandy Hook), and many more. Therefore, this shows that people weren’t as badly affected as Sandy Hook because there was an “armed defender” who was there to stop it.


Another reason why we should have guns is the Second Amendment is a right, not a privilege. As a U.S. citizen, it should be our right to be able to own a gun. “The Second Amendment is not a privilege that government bestows on the people; the Second Amendment is a right of the people. If in the year 2013 we wish to ensure that, as President Lincoln said at Gettysburg, ‘the government of the People, by the People, and for the People shall not perish from the earth,’ then all who take the solemn oath of office must do their utmost to ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.’” (Randall, “The Bill of Rights and gun control: Rights, not privileges”). President Lincoln said it himself; a president must protect our rights. In addition, not all countries allow their citizens to bear arms so U.S. citizens should be lucky they still have this right.


The last reason why we should be able to bear arms is the Second Amendment was written to protect the right of the citizens to bear arms. “If you diligently check the history, the main reason for the Second Amendment was to ensure that citizens are protected from tyrannical and/or overreaching government. The Second Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights to make sure that citizens are not put under duress to submit to federal rule…the right of citizens to bear arms ensures that the people of the land remain in control without being forced to succumb to compliance at the end of a gun barrel.” (Randall, “The Bill of Rights and gun control: Rights, not privileges”). Therefore, we should still abide by the Second Amendment since it protects our right to have guns. As a result, you are letting the government take your rights get taken away, you’re letting your future generations have their rights taken away, too. Think of your children or grandchildren not having protection or the same rights as their ancestors.


The opposing side would say that guns should be kept out of the hands of criminals and dangerously mentally ill people. According to Dr. E. J. Erier, “The shooters in Arizona, Colorado, and Newtown were mentally ill persons who, by all accounts, should have been incarcerated. Even the Los Angeles Times admits that ‘there is a connection between mental illness and mass murder.” (Erier). These people were included in mass shootings and they were mentally ill. They were able to get a hold of these guns.
However, how can you prove someone is mentally ill? How can you keep guns out of the hands of criminals? Rarely do criminals obey laws. The Sandy Hook shooter himself stole the gun he used in the shooting from his mother. He doesn’t even have to go through a check since he doesn’t own the gun; he stole it. As you can see, this shows that you can’t keep guns away from mentally ill people or criminals because they will always find a way to get a hold of them. Gun control does not work so we shouldn’t have a law about it.
Overall, gun control is taking away our protection and it takes away our rights since it goes against the Second Amendment. You can’t stop criminals or mentally ill people from getting a hold of guns since you never know who’s actually mentally ill and a criminal will always find their way to get a gun. Don’t let your protection and rights be taken away!