Sergio Varela

In Control
On December 14th, 2012, twenty-year-old Adam Lanza committed one of the
most violent displays of mass murder that the United States had ever experienced.
On that December morning, Lanza fatally shot twenty children, six staff members
and himself at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. The events that
transpired at Sandy Hook will forever be cemented as one of the most deadly
displays of mass shootings in Americas history. As a result of this type of gun
violence, national attention is now once again directed towards gun control. The
debate over gun safety and gun owners rights is a reoccurring issue with every
violent incident. Anti-gun control supporters express that any new legislation will
severely restrict them from their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
However, pro-gun control advocates want to enforce stronger laws because they
want to see an end to these senseless shootings and gun related crimes. This point
in American culture has never been more appropriate for legislating bodies to
introduce new initiatives in response to all these violent crimes that have occurred
in spite of certain protest that they will face.
Americas gun control issue has been a focal point of argument since the
enactment of the Second Amendment in the United States Constitution. The Second
Amendment assures all citizens under federal law the right to 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 (Palmer 37). The Second Amendment
was included into the Bill of Rights in response to fears amongst the 13 colonies had
against tyrannical governments. During the late nineteen-hundreds, just after the
Civil War, many Southern states passed Jim Crow laws which included legislations
that prevented newly freed slaves from owning firearms, and as a result enabled the
Ku Klux Klan to freely harass blacks in the South. It was not until 1938 that the U.S.
Government passed the National Firearms Act initiative. Created to combat violence
during the prohibition era, the act served to regulate and tax automatic weaponry
which was commonly used by organized criminals. Prompted by the assassination of
President John F. Kennedy, the Gun Control Act of 1968 was introduced. The law
made the ordering of rifles through the mail illegal; it also prohibited convicted
felons, drugs users, and the mentally ill from owning firearms. Most recently,
President Obama has proposed comprehensive initiatives to current gun laws. His
proposals include further tightening of existing gun laws, mandatory universal
background checks on the sale of all guns, reinstating the assault weapons ban, and
enforcing stronger punishments on gun trafficking. Although, despite major efforts
to ratify American gun policies, these initiatives fail to produce responses from
Congress as with the case of the Assault Weapons Ban from 1994 which was the last
notable federal gun law enacted.

Before exploring the necessity for gun control, it is first necessary to

understand the relevance that the Second Amendment once played in America and
the current one it has today. After which we will be able to see why bans on assault
weapons and similar weapons are within reasonable measure when trying to
combat violent crimes. Lastly, we can explore the possibility for universal
registration on all firearms owned and sold in the United States.
Adopted in 1791, the Second Amendment is commonly known for its famous
right to keep and bear arms clause. However, most frequently ignored in todays
discussion is the inclusion of the right to maintain a well regulated militia. From a
historical standpoint, gun culture in America pre-dates the enactment of the Second
Amendment. New settlers relied heavily on firearms for survival, mainly for
protection and for hunting wildlife. Although nearly all new settlers during the
seventeenth century owned a firearm, salves, Native Americans and Catholic
immigrants were prohibited from owning guns. Although, contrary to the
romanticized versions of gun totting frontier America, Emory University historian
Michael Bellesiles has found that from the American Revolution to around 1850, no
more than a tenth of the population owned guns (Nisbet 114). It was perhaps due
to gun maker Samuel Colt and the influence of the Civil War that Americans felt the
need for self-protection to quell growing anxieties. Modern day Americans see the
right to keep and bear arms as an individual right to own a firearm. However, some
opponents see this as a collective right, when taking into account that the words
about maintaining a well-organized militia are mentioned beforehand. A common
argument is that the word militia is sometimes perceived to mean the whole
people, meaning every citizen has the right to own a gun. However, in Gun Control,
it argues that original colonial militias during the 18th century did not include
everyone. Rather, it states that, it included able-bodied adult males between the
ages of 18 and 45 (Roleff 74.) During the 18th century the militia was a wellorganized state military force, and not just a group of random individuals with
firearms. The often over looked well-organized militia clause is believed to be a
direct result of the colonies distrust in a standing army. The colonist viewed a
civilian state organized militia as an effective counter measure to a power federal
army. This distrust for a standing army stems from the colonists resentment
towards King George IIIs use of troops to enforce obedience to Englands taxes and
laws. In the 21st century, however Americans no longer has a use for civilian run
militias. Instead, the National Guard takes its place by using ordinary civilians
serving as part-time soldiers. Simply based on the broadness and modern day
irrelevance of the language that is used in the Second Amendment, it is time that
congress addresses a more specific modern day interpretation to the law in order to
introduce better, more effective gun control laws with respect to the instituted
amendment.
Moving on, the ban on all automatic and semi-automatic assault weapons is a
gun control initiative that should be fully supported. This is because assault

weapons have been used to commit some of the worst displays of mass murder that
the United States has ever seen. These weapons have no sporting use what so ever
and are a favorite weapon used by organized criminals. Although, most mass
shootings are committed by handguns during the instances that assault weapons
are used the results are far more deadly. In a recent 2013 study done by Mayors
Against Illegal Guns, their research found that when assault weapons were used as
the primary weapon an average of 8.3 deaths occurred, as compared to just 5.4
deaths when using a standard handgun (Plumer). Simply based on the amount of
terror that these firearms can produce this should be enough to warrant a full ban. It
might not put an end to mass shootings but it will cause potential perpetrators more
difficulty when trying to acquire these guns.
The subject of firearm registration has always been a hotly debated topic in
America. Opponents to it often argue that registration of firearms would lead to
individuals Second Amendment right to be infringed upon. Supporters for
registration argue that mandatory registration will help provide efficient information
on the owners of these guns should they ever be used in a crime. Former President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, once famously stated, Show me the man who does not want
his gun registered and I will show you a man who should not have a gun (Carter
67). Gun registration can be approached in a similar way as drivers registering their
vehicles or applying for licenses. Drivers do not express any malicious intent when
acquiring a license but in the event they are in a collision or pulled over for driving
while intoxicated, the officers are able to pull up their information quickly. This will
also work in conjunction when firearms are privately sold, so in the event that that
gun is used in a crime police can trace the weapon back to the original seller further
assisting law enforcement in solving crimes. Despite anxieties that registration
raises amongst anti-gun control advocates, full gun registration would be a major
step in the right direction when trying to deter gun violence.
Since, the beginning, firearms have been rooted into American culture. The
debate on gun control is as controversial a topic as abortion or same sex marriage.
A common argument that anti-gun control advocates express is their fear that the
government will seize their guns in the event that certain gun legislation is passed.
In Can Gun Control Work, Author James B. Jacobs states that proponents often
interpret the right to keep and bear arms as, guarantee[d] protection against
government tyranny (Jacobs 55). Somewhat logical in nature, this argument is
based on irrational paranoia that the United States government could be capable of
turning on American citizens. Many opponents are quick to associate this kind of
scenario with fascists governments of years past that once stripped certain
minorities of their rights to gun ownership that was later followed by unspeakable
genocides. However, as unfathomable that it could seem, in the chance event that
the U.S. government did come for citizens firearms, gun owners would not stand a
chance with their handguns and shotguns when fighting against military grade

weaponry. This argument is used to trigger passionate emotions in gun owners and
really
has no basis in actual evidence.
In conclusion, based on recent incidents involving firearms and the public
outcry that is produced as a result, Modern day America needs more gun control.
Congress needs to define a concrete interpretation of the Second Amendment that
applies to todays world. All assault weapons need to be prohibited in order to keep
them out of criminals hands. Lastly, gun registration should be mandatory in order
to assist law enforcement. Reducing gun related crimes will not happen overnight,
but with these measures it will be a proactive step in the right direction.

Works Cited
Carter L., Gregg. The Gun Control Movement. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1997.
Print.
Jacobs B., James. Can Gun Control Work?. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Print.
Nisbet, Lee, ed. The Gun Control Debate: You Decide. New York: Prometheus Books,
2001. Print.
Palmer E., Kris, ed. Constitutional Amendments: 1789 to the Present. Detroit: GaleGroup,
2000. Print.

Plumber, Brad. Study: The U.S. has had one mass shooting per month since 2009.
Washington
Post.com. Web. 2 Feb 2013.
Roleff L., Tamara, ed. Gun Control. Detroit: Thompson-Gale, 2007. Print.