By:RyanEhlke

3/15/15
Mr.LewisSeminar

The2ndAmendmentChangesThroughTime

The2ndAmendmentisoneofthemostdebatedthingsintheconstitution.The2nd
Amendmentstates,
AwellregulatedMilitia,beingnecessarytothesecurityofafreestate,
therightofthepeopletokeepandbeararms,shallnotbeinfringed.Sincethecreationof
the2ndAmendmentitsmeaninghasbeeninturmoil.
TheAmericanpeoplefearedthattheirgunsweregoingtobetakenawaybythe
government.
becauseinthecoloniestheywerenotallowedtohavegunsbutthebritish
were.
Inthebeginninggunownershipwasrequiredofacertainpartofthepopulation.It
wasrequiredofwhitemalemen,whopledgedtheirallegiancetotheUnitedStates.This
amendment,likemanyothers,wastohelpwithalleviatingfearsofastrongcentralized
government.PresidentGeorgeWashingtondidnotwantastandingarmyforthe
government.Hethoughtthatastandingarmywouldgivetoomuchpowertothe
government.Backthenthe2nd
amendmentwascontroversialandthroughouthistoryithas
maintainedthatway.As
JusticeJosephStorysaid,
"Andyet,thoughthistruthwouldseemso
clear,andtheimportanceofawellregulatedmilitiawouldseemsoundeniable,itcannotbe
disguised,thatamongtheAmericanpeoplethereisagrowingindifferencetoanysystemof

militiadiscipline,andastrongdisposition,fromasenseofitsburthens,toberidofall
regulations.Howitispracticabletokeepthepeopledulyarmedwithoutsomeorganization,itis
difficulttosee.Thereiscertainlynosmalldanger,thatindifferencemayleadtodisgust,and
disgusttocontemptandthusgraduallyunderminealltheprotectionintendedbythisclauseof
ournationalbillofrights.
TheAmericanpeopleshouldnothavegunswithoutamilitia
becausetheywilleventuallyabusethatrightandthenitmayendbadly.Withoutamilitiathere
isnoregulationalso,noregulationmeansanybodycandowhattheywantwithitwithoutthe
governmentknowing.So,owninggunscanbeverydangerousifleftunchecked.

Howevercertainpeopleowninggunswasamorepressingissuethenwhenorhow
weuseit.In1866ThecivilWarActsaidthatblackpeoplehadthesamerightsaswhite
people.Withthisthewhitesouthernerswereveryscaredoftheblackpeopleanddidnot
wantthemtohaveweaponsbecausetheywerescaredofrevenge.Thencamethe14th
amendmentwherewithoutlawthegovernmentcannottakeawayyourgunswithout
makingthemillegalfirst.
Nostatecandepriveacitizenoflife,liberty,orproperty
withoutdueprocessoflaw
.Theninthe1920stheymakesomethingcalledtheUniform
FirearmsAct.Thefederalgovernmentthenenactedinthe1920sbecauseofalarge
increaseinorganizedcrime.Theywouldnotallowpeopletohaveaconcealedweapon
withoutapermit.Gundealersalsohadtoreportallgunsalestothegovernment.So,the
righttoowngunswillnotbetakenawaybuthowyoucanpurchasethemcanbelimited.

ThentheNationalFirearmsActtakeseffect.Itsgoalistoalsoregulateguns.It
imposesataxonallgangstergunssold.Thosearegunsusuallysoldtogangslikesawed
offshotguns.ThentheGunControlActof1968,cameinresponsetotheassassinationof
JFK.Itbannedallmailorderriflesbecausethosewerewhatwasusedintheassassination.
Thenin2008guncontrolstartedtoswingtheotherway.Thesupremecourtdecidedthat
individualshavearighttokeepguns.Theydecidedthatcompletelybanninggunswas
illegalandunconstitutional.Gunscouldberegulatedbutnotbannedcompletely.The
supremecourtatonetimeoranothersaidthatowninggunsandbeinginamilitiaare
unconnectedsoyoudonotneedtobeinamilitiatoownagun.Theyalsoruledatoneside
thatyoucanlimitthenumberandtypeofgunsapopulationcanownlikesawedoff
shotgunsormailorderrifles.Youcannottakeallthegunsawayfromanareayoucanonly
takeitfromeachpersonthroughthedueprocessoflaw.Theyalsosaidthatselfdefenceis
abasicrightthatshouldnotbetakenaway.Thegovernmentcanlimityourgunrightsbut
cannotcompletelytakeitaway.Thereasonwhyisbecauseofselfdefencewhichisabasic
humanright.

Backthen,theywantedtonotletpeoplehavegunstohurtothers.Nowpeoplewant
themforprotectionagainstanyonewhotriestohurtthem.Todaygunlawsaremorefor
individualrights.Theysaybeinginamilitiaandowninggunsareunconnected.Wehavea
standingarmyandgunsforalmosteverybodyandonceyouregisterandbuyittheydont

keeptrackofitunlessyousellitback.Thisisnearlytheoppositeofwhatthefounding
fatherswanted.Theywantednostandingarmywhatsoeverandnoteverypersonthatcan
beinamilitiatoprotectthecountrythemselves.Thegunlawshavechangedverymuchin
history.
Whentheamendmentwascreated,everybodywhocouldhaveagunwassupposed
tohaveone.Then,itmovestoeverymancanownonebuttheydonothaveto.The14th
amendmentmadeitsotheycannottakeawaythegunsfrompeoplewithoutthelaw.Then
thependulumswungintheotherdirection.Theywouldnotletyoucarryconcealed
weaponswithoutapermit,taxedsomeandmadethemreportallsalesofthem.Regulated
themsomemorebecauseoftheassassinationofPresidentJFK.Thennotlettingthemban
gunscompletelyinWashingtonitswungbacktheotherwayslightly.
Thependulumofthe2ndamendmentisalwaysmovingandinthefutureitwill
mostlikelycontinue.Itisoneofthemostcontroversialamendments.Guncontrolmaybea
goodthingorabadthingdependingonhowthepopulationandthegovernmentdecideto
usethem.

"GunControlLawsViolatetheSecondAmendmentandMayLeadtoHigherCrime
Rates."
Http://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/
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"StanfordProgressive."
TheStanfordProgressive
.Web.4Feb.2015.
<http://web.stanford.edu/group/progressive/cgibin/?p=559>.

"TheSecondAmendmentGoestoCourt."Web.4Feb.2015.
<https://origins.osu.edu/print/836>.

"TheSecondAmendmentUnderFire:TheUsesofHistoryandthePoliticsofGun
Control."
TheSecondAmendmentUnderFire:TheUsesofHistoryandthePoliticsofGun
Control
.Web.4Feb.2015.<http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5200>.

Winkler,Adam."TheSecretHistoryofGuns."
TheAtlantic
.AtlanticMediaCompany,
24July2011.Web.4Feb.2015.
<
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/09/thesecrethistoryofguns/308608/
>.