The Issue Of Gun Control - 1876 Words

â€Å"From the 1999 school shooting at Columbine that left 13 dead, to the recent shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 26 dead, many people have been shocked by these horrific events and have searched for ways to end them. The answer is simple: more regulations regarding gun control† (Clypian). The stakes are rising in the policy debate on gun control due to the many mass shootings which have occurred throughout the country. While some people believe that more laws regarding gun control will not help because criminals ignore laws, this is incorrect. Gun control is not directed toward innocent gun holders but is intended to take action against the idea of gun violence. Steps should be taken to reduce access to weapons by the†¦show more content†¦However, that citizen should not have the right to own military assault weapons. When it comes to the ban of these types of weapons, pro-gun supporters often refer to the Second Amendment and how it is there to e nsure that we are able to protect our rights and freedoms from any threat. But, there is a misconception that freedom means the limitless ability to possess whatever you want. The Second Amendment does allow the right to bear arms for a militia. After the end of the Revolutionary War, Americans felt a need for self-defense in case of an Indian uprising, and an uprising from any external enemies that might arise. There was also fear that the new government they were creating could turn corrupt and Americans desired the power to defend themselves from it if necessary (Horwitz, Joshua). During the early 1800s, there was conflict between the United States and Great Britain. The Royal Navy often outraged Americans by forcibly removing seamen from U.S. ships and forcing them to serve the British. Americans had anxiety toward the possibility of war because of British violations of maritime rights as well as Britain’s encouragement of Native American resentment against American expansion (History.com). This possibility is the reason that the right to bear arms was given. The same fear of war and the need to arm every average person does not apply today because the methods of war are