“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.” (U.S. Constitution). The Second Amendment, expressing the right to bear arms is a very controversial topic. Though it is a topic of great controversy, there is a simple solution: stricter gun control. Gun control laws should be more strict because it will decrease the death toll, decrease gun violence, and will prevent criminals from obtaining guns.

Stricter gun laws will greatly decrease gun violence on the street. The number of children that are injured from a gun is very high in the United States. In fact, “Almost one child or teen an hour is injured by a firearm seriously enough to require hospitalization, a new analysis finds. Six percent of the 7,391 hospitalizations analyzed resulted in a death” (Healy). This is outrageous; no child should ever be shot. We may not be able to control the people committing these crimes but we can prevent the crimes from happening. A law preventing criminals from retrieving firearms can help stop these crimes and any deaths that come with them.

Gun control laws help lower the death toll. Some people may argue that having a gun makes you feel safer and is there to protect. But, in an article, Danny Franklin mentions that “In 2000, an ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 51 percent of those surveyed believed having a gun in the house made it a more dangerous place to be, while only 35 percent believed

it made a house safer.” This explains that, majority of people in a survey don’t actually feel safe with a gun in their home. The article goes on to say, “A gun is 12 times more likely to be used on
a household member than on an intruder” (Franklin).  This explains that, the likelihood of a gun actually protecting people in their home is not very high. With stricter gun laws these accidental deaths can be reduced and keep homes safe.

Better gun control will also keep people safe by keeping criminals from obtaining guns. Everyday retrieving a gun gets easier and easier for criminals. A case in 2005 is a clear example. Erik Zettergren was not able to hold a gun because of a criminal record. But as soon as it was legal for him, Erik obtained a gun and shot a friend (Luo). If it had not been made so easy for Erik to commit that crime it wouldn’t have happened. Gun laws prevent these things from happening and stop criminals from misusing a firearm. 

Teen death has plenty to do with firearms as well. Even though in the past ten years injuries from a gun as gone down, the second highest cause of death for teens is still gun violence (Healy). Even though there has been a decrease, gun violence is still there and needs to be stopped. We can take action and stop this from happening with gun laws.

Arguing that gun laws are unconstitutional has been overused. The Constitution was a complex document that can be interpreted in many ways. Some people interpret incorrectly though but if you look at it from an unbiased point of view there can be a general meaning. Michael Waldman put it best when he said, “to be clear, there were plenty of guns in the founding era. Americans felt they had the right to protect themselves, especially in the home, a right passed down from England through common law. But there were plenty of gun
laws too” (Waldman). With that being said, sure guns were used for protection but with that there were laws to help guide and keep firearms use regulated. These laws should be more strict today for our safety as a nation.
Gun control is not to take away anyones rights or liberties, it is simply to keep our people and nation safe. The only way to do this is if everyone cooperates and agrees on this. We can end this debate and just realize that there are sacrifices to keeping everyone safe. Giving up some of your gun rights and following stricter laws will be a sacrifice that everyone should be willing to take.



Works Cited
Franklin, Danny. "What To Do About Guns." Washington Post Company, 4 May 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
Healy, Michelle. "Twenty Young People a Day Hospitalized for Gun Injuries." Gannett News Service, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
Luo, Michael. "Felons Finding It Easy to Regain Gun Rights." N.p., 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
U.S. Constitution. Amend. II.
Waldman, Michael. "Gun Laws and What the Second Amendment Intended." The Seattle Times, 14 July 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.