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Harry Brennan
8 December 2017
In today’s heated political climate, discussing the issue of gun ownership conjures up a
huge spectrum of emotions. Many individuals believe there should be no regulation of firearms,
while others argue that guns should not even be available for purchase in the United States. In
this whirlwind of opinions, one theory remains true: the unalienable right to self-defense is a
cornerstone of this country, and should be upheld at all costs. Despite many differing views held
on gun ownership across the nation, it is factually evident that more gun control equals higher
murder rates, the Constitution and the Supreme Court guarantee the individual right to bear arms,
and perhaps most importantly, mental health is the most pressing issue behind gun violence, not
Although the opposition likes to spread the idea that increased ownership of weapons
drastically raises the homicide rate, the exact opposite appears to be true according to
government data (Homicide Mortality). Various studies conducted by both public and private
enterprises come to a similar conclusion: gun violence is higher in states and areas with high
levels of gun regulation. Statistics showcase that states such as Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and
Minnesota with high levels of gun ownership have some of the lowest mortality rates (Kiersz).
Consequently, it also shows that states such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, California, and Missouri
with low gun ownership rates experience higher mortality rates. This essentially proves the need
for lawful gun ownership using only government data. States with laws banning or preventing
concealed carry of firearms showcase similar statistics (Gius). A lack of civilians with guns on
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their person leads to a higher murder rate. This ties in with the theory that “the only thing that
stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” as seen with the recent Texas church
shooting, where two law-abiding gun owners killed a man on a shooting rampage (Ahmed).
States where it is relatively easy to receive a concealed carry permit experience a lowered
mortality rate. Thus, the argument for carrying of weapons is advanced. The correlation between
higher gun ownership and lower crime directly supports the argument for the right to own
firearms.
Perhaps the most solid argument against the case for gun control is the simple fact that
the laws of this country were designed to guarantee the right to own a firearm, even for the
individual. The Second Amendment is crucial to American society. It is one of the first and most
important rights given to citizens of this country, and the right of the people to “keep and bear
arms” provides the most important backing evidence for the right to own a gun (US
Constitution). Although some may argue this unalienable protection given to citizens, one cannot
remove a right just because they do not like it (Sowell). Furthermore, the Supreme Court ruled in
DC v. Heller that the right to own and carry firearms applies to the individual (District of
Columbia). With this ruling, the court set a precedent for dealing with gun regulation laws. It
ruled that the ban on handguns in the District of Columbia was blatantly unconstitutional. This
conclusion provides an important insight into the rights of gun owners in modern society.
According to the highest court in the nation, the right to bear arms certainly applies to
individuals, not just a militia. Ultimately, the Supreme Court and the Constitution provide the
most factual and irrefutable evidence for the right to own firearms.
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A majority of Americans believe that the best way to lower gun violence is to teach about
gun safety and have a better mental health system, instead of simply removing firearms from
rightful owners. 95% of Americans believe that young people, especially small children, should
be taught about gun safety, an action that would prevent gun accidents drastically (Parker).
Instead of pushing to remove firearms, programs for gun safety should be the focus. First-time
gun owners should also be able to take a class on the psychological effects of using a gun in self
defense, especially if this action ends up killing another human being. The argument against guns
in the household would be reduced if understanding about the proper use of these weapons was
common knowledge to all individuals. Furthermore, gun violence is more of a mental health
issue than a firearm issue. The mental health system in America needs to enforce laws and its
restrictions so that people who display warning signs are treated appropriately and do not have a
chance to kill innocent victims (Satel). Although this is not a complete fix for the gun violence
epidemic, it is a good start to reduce such activity and prevent future wrongdoings. If a better
mental health treatment plan was enacted for likely offenders, the nation would see a great
reduction in gun-related crimes. If widespread teaching and learning about gun safety and a
overhauled mental health treatment system became a reality in the United States, more
With such an important and emotional issue, it is necessary to consider the opposition’s
viewpoint that the Second Amendment is dated and guns need regulated. Retired Justice Stevens
of the Supreme Court advocated for revising the Second Amendment. He fought for this cause
for thirty years, citing various viewpoints of his own, including his opinion that this right was
only given to the military. After his retirement from the bench of the Supreme Court, he
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published various works advocating his anti-gun viewpoints. “His undisguised agenda is to make
it easier to regulate the sale and ownership of firearms” (Barrett). However, his logic is flawed
and does not comply with statistics or the law of the land. It may be a viewpoint from a credible
source, but it fails to realize simple truths about guns in this nation. Also, many argue that the
Founding Fathers never imagined the powerful assault rifles that are available today, and that this
is enough to redefine the meaning of the Second Amendment. However, statistics show that
banning assault rifles does not change the murder rate significantly (Gius), thus eliminating the
credibility of this argument. The argument that the Second Amendment should only apply to the
military is common among the political left, but is ultimately not in accordance with the rulings
No matter what one’s viewpoint on firearms happens to be, it is undeniable that the
murder rates increase in states with high levels of gun regulation, the Supreme Court and
Constitution guarantee the right to bear arms, and that mental health is the issue that must be
dealt with instead of trying to make guns the issue. Statistics show that those who live in the
areas with the highest gun ownership experience the least amount of violent crime. The
Constitution and the Supreme Court both bluntly state that an individual right to own firearms
exists in this nation. Most individuals in this country believe that teaching gun safety and
improving mental health treatment is the most appropriate way to reduce gun violence. The right
to bear arms is a fundamental freedom that formed the backbone of this nation and continues to
Works Cited
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Ahmed, Saeed, et al. “'Hero' Exchanged Fire with Gunman, Then Helped Chase Him Down.”
shooting-resident-action/index.html.
Barrett, Paul M. “Gun Control and the Constitution: Should We Amend the Second
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-02-20/gun-control-and-the-constitution-should-
we-amend-the-second-amendment.
Gius, Mark. “An Examination of the Effects of Concealed Weapons Laws and Assault Weapons
Bans on State-Level Murder Rates.” Taylor & Francis, Informa UK Limited, 26 Nov.
2013, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504851.2013.854294.
“Homicide Mortality by State.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease
homicide_mortality/homicide.htm.
Kiersz, Andy, and Brett LoGiurato. “Here's Where You're Most Likely to Own a Gun.” Business
state-2015-7.
Parker, Kim, et al. “America's Complex Relationship With Guns.” Pew Research Center's Social
www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/06/22/americas-complex-relationship-with-guns/.
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Satel, Sally. “The New York Times Company.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17
gun-violence/enforce-mental-health-laws-dont-add-to-them.
Sowell, Thomas. “The Great Gun Control Fallacy.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media,
fallacy-thomas-sowell.