Gun Control

There are many issues a presidential candidate must debate to win the office in the 2008 election. One controversial issue is that of gun control. Taking a stand requires one to be aware of their rights under the Second Amendment. The meaning of the Second Amendment is one of the most misunderstood and disputed among the Bill of Rights. The United States Constitution's Bill of Rights declares a well-regulated militia as being necessary to the security of a free state and prohibits the infringement of the right of the people to keep and bear arms.


The wording of the Second Amendment is confusing. Americans have argued for decades whether it protects a state's right to form a militia or provides individuals with the right to own a weapon. The big question is whether the two hundred year old law regarding weapons has a role in today's violent society. Should the government be allowed to regulate these dangerous devices?


The population against gun control is in agreement with their American forefathers that they have the right to protect their life, liberty, and property. This group believes that the main purpose of the Second Amendment is not just being able to have a weapon to hunt with or keep in their home. It is more than just being able to protect themselves from common criminals. They see the Second Amendment as a means of preventing tyranny, which is the oppressive or unjust severe rule of government. They interpret the amendment as not just protecting militias but the rights of all free men to own guns.


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