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Matthew Kennelly

Aughenbaugh

English 12

6 February 2017

The Negative Side of Gun Control

Gun control will cause more problems than anything. According to ProCon.org, 22% of

Americans own one or more guns (Gun Control). The Second Amendment of the United

States Constitution protects those gun owners right to bear arms. Furthermore, it ensures that all

Americans have the ability to protect the United States against enemies. Over the last two

decades, gun control has become a large controversy, partly due to gun crime in many cities and

due to the fact that there has been an increase in school crime and school shootings. However, it

has been proven that banning assault weapons does not significantly affect murder rates at the

state level (Gun Control). Increasing gun control would not deter gun crime. Therefore, the

US government should not change laws to limit gun rights because they will not prevent crime,

will strip citizens of their rights and will eliminate a persons ability to protect his home and self.

The first reason that gun rights should be protected is that it is written in the Constitution

that American citizens are allowed to own guns. They are to protect Americans from the

government. Those rights were instituted to protect from everyday problems that citizens could

run into or protect from from foreign invaders. The Constitution says, the right of the people to

keep and bear arms shall not be infringed(source). Gun control infringes on American citizens

rights to own a gun. The constitution is the United States most important and sacred piece of

literature. To infringe upon those rights would go against the laws set by the forefathers of this

great nation.
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The second reason gun rights should be eliminated is the ban on so called assault

weapons. First, a gun does not kill people; people kill people. People, mostly left-wing

supporters, say that certain guns are deemed as assault weapons but they really are not. Gun

control supporters had argued that the founding fathers could not have envisioned semi-auto

firearms,thing the 2nd amendment protected the right to own a 17th century guns,that notion was

dismissed in court (source). The founding fathers set up the constitution knowing guns would

evolve. The notion that the constitution only let citizens own 17th century guns is quite

ridiculous. If the first amendment protects people from modern forms of speech then why would

it not protect from modern forms of guns. Also, so-called assault weapons are different than

military weapons and cannot be deemed under the same notion.

The third argument to decrease gun control is gun violence. People say that loose gun

control is the reason for all the shootings. The Charleston shooting was not because of loose gun

control; it was a crazy person who was trying to make a statement or go down in history. People

automatically think that gun control is the way to avoid mass shootings. Why take the guns out

of people's hands to defend themselves? A perpetrator would think twice if he or she knew those

under attack were able to defend themselves with a gun. Gun violence cannot be a reason for gun

control because the gun is not the violent one; it is the doing of the person behind the gun. Take a

look at Mexico. Mexico is one of the strictest places on the world when it comes to gun control.

Mexico has one legal gun shop. The gun shop is located on a military base and the only way to

buy a gun there is to go through the military base and a strict background search.Upon passing

that background check, the highest caliber a person can buy is a .38 special. Compared to the

U.S., there are almost 70,000 legal gun shops. Mexico has almost 4,000 more deaths due to guns.
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Mexico has about thirteen guns per every hundred people that live there. Almost ninety percent

of the population in the United States owns a gun (source).

Clearly, based on the facts presented, stricter gun control will not decrease violent crimes

in this country. Citizens must be able to defend themselves and their loved ones from domestic

and foreign invaders.The Constitution ensures the rights of Americans to own guns, no matter

what type. All gun ownership is protected under the Constitution. In order to stop gun violence,

people must be armed and able to defend themselves.

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Works Cited

A Ban on Assault Weapons Would Not Reduce Crime. Guns and Crime. Ed. Nol Merino.

Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Rpt. from Ten Reasons Why States

Should Reject Assault Weapon and Large Magazine Bans. National Rifle Association

Institute for Legislative Action [NRA-ILA] (June 2014). Opposing Viewpoints in Context.

Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

Dolan, Edward. Gun Control A Decision for Americans. New York: Library of Congress

Cataloging, 1982. Print.

Epstein, Richard A. There Is No Easy Solution to Preventing Gun Violence. Guns and Crime.

Ed. Nol Merino. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Rpt. from Will

Banning Guns Prevent Another Aurora? Defining Ideas (24 July 2012). Opposing

Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

Schaus, Michael. There Is a Problem with Politics, Not Guns, in the United States. Gun

Violence. Ed. Nol Merino. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2015. Opposing

Viewpoints. Rpt. from Guns Dont Cause Gang ViolenceDemocrats Do. Townhall 5 May

2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

Should More Gun Control Laws be Enacted in the United States? Pro.Con.org. ProCon.org,

2017.19 Jan. 2017.

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