Refuting the Argument against the Second Amendment

The lately infamous Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The final four words of the amendment have become the slogan for almost any pro-gun group, using them to boast their freedom and defend their individual liberty from recently popular anti-gun or gun control activist groups, such as the Brady Campaign or the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. And it’s the duty of the American people to defend each and every one of their constitutional rights and liberties from anyone who seeks to strip them from us. Now, let’s break down the argument of the left, and build a case for our constitutional right.

Gun Control Laws will prevent crime and violence. By far the most used claim against the Second Amendment, that outlawing guns or passing stricter legislation will cut crime rates and stop gun violence. However, the last time I checked, criminals and murderers don’t follow the law. If congress passed a bill calling for the confiscation of every firearm across the United States, only law abiding citizens would turn them in, not criminals. Take Mexico for example, a country with some of the strictest gun control laws in the world and only one gun store in the country, yet almost 55% of homicides occur with a gun. Laws will not stop a determined criminal from causing harm or getting what he or she wants.

American Citizens don’t need guns because the Police have guns. Another tactic to guilt Americans out of their basic liberties, that police should be the only ones with the guns. While police do serve the purpose of protecting citizens and preventing crime, they cannot do everything. If a robber breaks into your house in the pitch black of night, would you rather dial 911, hide in the closet, and hope that the police arrive soon and you survive the night, or dial 911 and be prepared to defend yourself and your family whether the police arrive sooner or later? The answer is clear to me, as every second counts and police are often minutes away.

Only uncivilized dumb rednecks want guns! When name-calling and baseless accusations become the center of your opponents’ argument, you’ve won.

American citizens have the right to bear arms. This right is most importantly a check on the government. The men who forged this nation from the fires of liberty did so by escaping a tyranny, and they knew that the American people must have the ability to rise up against their government if it oversteps its bounds. Your rights are not secured by the Constitution or the good Lord above, but by the fear that you will stand up to a government that attempts to take them away.

However, I am not denying the fact that our country has a crime problem and that something needs to change. I am just stating that banning guns or adding more paperwork to the registration process will not stop the trend of violence across our nation. We must instead come together as a nation and push forward education and safety to prevent violence in our country and its communities.