The Right to Bear Arms

Paper Summary:

The paper argues for the right to bear arms and contends that it is possible to preserve this right while minimizing the danger of uncontrolled access to guns. The paper maintains that the government has a duty to see that guns do not fall into the hands of people who would use guns in an irresponsible manner, such as convicted felons, mentally ill people, illegal aliens and people under restraining orders for domestic violence. The paper discusses the history of how people have seen guns in relation to citizenship, the creation of the Second Amendment and recent regulations that have been passed in regard to gun ownership. The paper asserts that the social problems that underlie homicide rates need to be addressed if we want to reduce the incidence of murder.

Outline:
Guns and Citizenship
Gun Control
The Second Amendment
Homicide, Suicide and Gun Accidents
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Gun control became an issue for Americans in the 1960s when President Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated, all with guns. People began to demand that the government do something to stop the spread of guns and murder (Ruhl, Rizer, & Wier, 2003/2004). Since then, although a large segment of the population is in favor of more laws to regulate gun ownership, gun control is a hotly debated topic and more emotional than any other constitutional issue. After 9/11, for example, the sale of guns rose dramatically, as though people thought they could protect themselves against terrorism (an airplane flying into a building or disease germs planted in the water) by owning a gun (Kaminer, 2002). Currently, the number of guns in the United States is between 192 and 200 million (Ruhl, Rizer, & Wier, 2003/2004), and the country seems to be polarized on the issue."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cornell, S. & DeDino, N. (2004). A well-regulated right: The early American origins of gun control. Fordham Law Review, 73 (2), 487-528.
• Henretta, J. A. (2004). Collective responsibilities, private arms, and state regulations: Toward the original understanding. Fordham Law Review, 73 (2), 529-537.
• Kaminer, W. (2002). Gun shy. American Prospect, 13 (2), 28-29.
• Lafollette, H. (2001). Controlling guns. Criminal Justice Ethics, 20 (1), 34-39.
• Ruhl, M., Rizer, A. L. and Wier, M. J. (2003/2004). Gun control: Targeting rationality in a loaded debate. Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, 13 (2), 13-83.

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