A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed (U.S Constitution, Article 1, Amendment II, Section 1) This sentence describes the need for us to keep our rights in a nutshell. This right of self defense carries sentimental value within the public along with a sense a security, knowing that we have the option of self defense. Many people have protected themselves from unnecessary violence each year using firearms. It should the people’s choice, not the government’s whether or not to take away an important part of the constitution.Taking away the right to bear arms is an unwise decision that will do more harm than good.

The Sandy Hook shooting is a prime example. Twenty six lives were lost that day, twenty of them being children. That entire situation could have been averted if someone was carrying a gun. “Roughly 16,272 murders were committed in the United States during 2008. Of these, about 10,886 or 67% were committed with firearms”, (James D. Agresti and Reid K. Smith). If these people were armed, they would have been able to try and defend themselves, undoubtedly changing the outcome of at least one of these incidents.

This gun ban will hurt the public more than the criminals.”A 1994 survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Americans use guns to frighten away intruders who are breaking into their homes about 498,000 times per year.”(James D. Agresti and Reid K. Smith). What would have happened to theses gun bearing citizens if they were not able to carry firearms. The criminal would not have been scared off, and it may have gotten out of hand.

Also, gun control has already been tried, and did not sit well with the public. When Australia banned handguns, people lost priceless collections of firearms. Generations after generations of heirlooms and family relics were taken from their family and destroyed. This destroyed traditions ,ways of life and left the public heart broken. Seeing this reaction from such a small continent , imagine what havoc would happen in America (especially with the NRA aggressively protecting gun rights) if the government robbed us of our rights.

Among all these reasons, I find that the best reason for stopping gun control progression is because the public doesn't want it. “Over the past 20 years, support for control has collapsed in the United States” (David Frum). The public has realized that they want to keep their rights, so the window of opportunity for change is closing fast. Knowing this, the government should stop trying to enforce on the citizens of America rules they no longer feel necessary. The is a government made “ of the people, by the people, for the people”(2008 Lillian Goodman Law Library); therefore, the want of the public should come first, especially since crime has gone down anyway.

Some people would say that guns are responsible for many deaths each year. However, guns are not murderers; people are. It is a person’s choice to pull the trigger, and end someone’s life. And though there are people out there that choose to kill with guns, those few people shouldn't be the deciding factor between terminating or keeping a right. There are many people that protect themselves with guns every year. Many people would be dead now if not for owning or being with someone who owned a gun. Only America could muster up the audacity to try and take away such an important and founding right. More gun laws is not the answer.

Work Cited


- “The Second Amendment” Cornell University 1992 (http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/second_amendment) (Visited 12/13/13)
-"Gun Control Facts." By James D. Agresti and Reid K. Smith. Just Facts, September 13, 2010. Revised 2/11/13.http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp (Visited 12/12/13)
-“The Gettyburg Address” By Lilian Goldman Law Library Yale Law School 2008 http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp(Visited 12/13/13)