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Harry Brennan

8 December 2017

Protecting the Second Amendment

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

the weapons themselves.

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

individuals would adopt a pro-gun viewpoint.

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

of the Supreme Court of the United States.

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

be one of the most important rights included in the Constitution.

Works Cited
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Ahmed, Saeed, et al. “'Hero' Exchanged Fire with Gunman, Then Helped Chase Him Down.”

CNN, Cable News Network, 7 Nov. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/11/05/us/texas-church-

shooting-resident-action/index.html.

Barrett, Paul M. “Gun Control and the Constitution: Should We Amend the Second

Amendment?” Bloomberg Businessweek, Bloomberg L.P., 20 Feb. 2014,

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-02-20/gun-control-and-the-constitution-should-

we-amend-the-second-amendment.

District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U. S. 570 (2008).

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

Control and Prevention, 3 Jan. 2017, www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/

homicide_mortality/homicide.htm.

Kiersz, Andy, and Brett LoGiurato. “Here's Where You're Most Likely to Own a Gun.” Business

Insider, Business Insider, 3 July 2015, www.businessinsider.com/gun-ownership-by-

state-2015-7.

Parker, Kim, et al. “America's Complex Relationship With Guns.” Pew Research Center's Social

& Demographic Trends Project, Pew Research Center, 22 June 2017,

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

Jan. 2013, www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/01/17/can-mental-health-care-reduce-

gun-violence/enforce-mental-health-laws-dont-add-to-them.

Sowell, Thomas. “The Great Gun Control Fallacy.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media,

18 Dec. 2012, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/18/great-gun-control-

fallacy-thomas-sowell.

U.S. Constitution. Amend. II.