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Write A 7 Pages Research Paper About Gun Control

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Current Issues around Gun Control

Introduction

The right to bear arms is one of the constitutional rights of citizens of the United States that has

survived several amendments and will most likely continue to do so into the foreseeable future

despite the polarizing nature of the debates on the consequences of the inalienable right of

American. A review of the arguments regarding various issues related to gun control is that the

positions and supporting evidence of either side of the debate are significant enough to sway an

independent opinion. Although the intensity of the debate is usually stronger during federal and

state electioneering periods, a new story on a violent shooting of people by an individual or

group of people always brings the issue to the forefront of public discussion again for a short

while. A possible explanation for the public outcry against gun violence that results in the death

of innocent people and the perceived failure of governments at all levels to fulfill one of their

primary constitutional duties of protecting its citizens against both internal and external threat.

Instances of sad events such as the 2012 gruesome murder of twenty innocent schoolchildren in

Newton, Connecticut, the killing of nine unarmed worshippers at a church in Charleston, South

Carolina, and the fatal shooting of fourteen innocent people at a community center in San

Bernardino, California are strong evidences of the dangerous effects of the American gun

culture. However, the combined figure of over 20,000 federal and state gun control laws that are

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considered ineffective in preventing these incidents is one of the reasons presented by opponents

of new laws to limit the right to bear arms as the wrong solution to the problem. It is clear that

the efforts to prevent gun violence through the various federal and state laws and regulations that

are meant to control the expression of citizens’ constitutional right to bear arms have not yielded

the desired result. Therefore, what measures can be implemented to reduce the incidence of gun-

related violent crimes without infringing on the constitutional rights of the people and create

political and socioeconomic dilemmas?

History of Gun Use in America

According to historical information, a common feature of American lifestyle during the colonial

era was the use of a gun for both hunting of animals and self-protection. Cramer explained that

the spread of the American gun culture began when a large number of the thirteen colonies

enacted gun laws that permitted “heads of households, women inclusive, to own guns.”

Furthermore, the extent of the laws in some colonies was broader than others due to the

peculiarity of the perceived threats that can be prevented by carrying a gun. A classical example

of this type of law is a provision of the 1643 Connecticut Gun Law that mandated “at least one

adult man in every house to carry a gun to church or other public meetings in order to protect

against attacks from Native Americans” (Cramer). In other colonies, the essence of the law to

own a gun was to protect against the violent uprising of slaves, requirements for immigration and

land ownership.

Meanwhile, a review of the historical records of the proceedings of the Constitutional

Convention that ratified the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution only

mentioned the collective rights to bear arm. The failure of this record to be specific on whether

the individual has a right to own a gun has been debated by scholars of American history and the

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Surname 1 Name Professor Course Date Current Issues around Gun Control Introduction The right to bear arms is one of the constitutional rights of citizens of the United States that has survived several amendments and will most likely continue to do so into the foreseeable future despite the polarizing nature of the debates on the consequences of the inalienable right of American. A review of the arguments regarding various issues related to gun control is that the positions and supporting evidence of either side of the debate are significant enough to sway an independent opinion. Although the intensity of the debate is usually stronger during federal and state electioneering periods, a new story on a violent shooting of people by an individual or group of people always brings the issue to the forefront of public discussion again for a short while. A possible explanation for the public outcry against gun violence that results in the death of innocent people and the perceived failure of governments at all levels to fulfill one of their primary constitutional duties of protecting its citizens against both internal and external threat. Instances of sad events such as the 2012 gruesome murder of twenty innocent schoolchildren in Newton, Connecticut, the killing of nine unarmed worshippers at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, and the fatal shooting of fourteen innocent people at a community center in San Bernardino, California are strong evidences of the dangerous effects of ...
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