Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Not their right to control your arms?

By Joseph D'Alessandro

The "right to bear arms" amendment has been a part of our constitution for as long as the United States seceded from Great Britain. It gives most states the right to allow people to have weapons and purchase them with minimal background checks and resistance. Recently, because of many tragedies like the Connecticut school shooting and Colorado movie theater massacre, many are questioning the amendment and calling for stricter gun laws. Such a concern has been raised in fact that many bill proposals calling for these strict gun laws have been introduced by Barack Obama and his staff. Many citizens specifically in southern conservative states, are outraged at these bill proposals as they claim that it is violating their sacred amendment and therefore unconstitutional. Both arguments make good points as gun control is no easy issue to resolve.

In the online article, "In Louisiana a conservative backlash against gun control", written by John Whitesides, it explains both sides of the hotly debated argument. One point of view can be seen in Baton Rouge Louisiana where a sales craze is leaving gun store racks empty as people scurry to purchase weapons that will possibly be illegal in the near future. In this widely known conservative providence, a series of bills aimed at protecting gun owners' rights have been introduced as a counter punch to Obama's push in Washington. Many rallies have been organized to support these gun friendly bills, and a sea of hands is evident when a congressman asks how many people are worried about their gun rights. "This has been a rallying cry for people to draw a line in the sand and say, "We are not going to allow this to happen to our guns", said state representative Jeff Thompson who has launched a campaign called "Save Louisiana", to try and fend off state and federal gun control proposals. Many believe that the new proposals are violating their rights and that the government shouldn't have the right or power to "disarm" its citizens. This thought process is especially evident in conservatives who believe in small government and often reference back to the constitution as being unchangeable.One thing remains certain, American states who believe in unrestricted gun rights aren't giving up as they fight to preserve their, "constitutional rights".

On the other side of the argument, many citizens all over the U.S agree with Obama's point of view about gun violence. A big spark in the debate was ignited after the notorious Connecticut massacre that left several people dead. Soon after, citizens cried for more strict policies on background checks of guns and claimed it was too easy to obtain these weapons. Most Americans do agree that something must be done. They are not calling for a complete ban on weapons, just automatic assault guns with large clips claiming that it is unnecessary to own such a dangerous weapon. An argument is raised that killers can obtain these weapons legally with little to no hassle. The truth is, statistics show that most killers do obtain their weapons legally as can be seen in the article, "Twelve facts about guns and shooting in the U.S", by Ezra Klein. However, other graphs show that whether or not a state has weapon policies, there will be homicides. California for example has some of the highest gun deaths in the nation due to its high population, yet has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. The issue is debatable by both sides, and no compromise seems to reachable anytime soon.




Overall, the general public does support these new gun proposal policies that Obama is trying to pass. However, the question is raised by many if the government has the constitutional right to approve of potential gun laws. For many it simply isn't constitutional, for others it doesn't matter because time's have changed and killings continue to occur. The issue is very debatable as both sides make legitimate points. Whatever the outcome is, it will not come easy and a tension will brew.


Sources
Whitesides, John. "In Louisiana, a Conservative Backlash against Gun Control." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 06 Mar. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.
Klein, Ezra. "Twelve Facts about Guns and Mass Shooting in the United States."Washington Post. N.p., 14 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.




















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