Right to Bear Arms

For almost 300 years, United States citizens have had the right to bear arms, a right protected by the Second Amendment. In other words, law abiding Americans can legally own a gun for whatever purpose they see fit, whether it be hunting or their own protection. Today, many Americans believe that this right is responsible for a majority of violence in our nation. These people feel that if we no longer had the right to own a gun, the overwhelming level of violence may be brought down. There are only a few problems with the idea of taking away this right.

For one, hunting has been a favorite pastime to many Americans for centuries. The outlawing of guns would also result in the outlawing of this enjoyed sport by millions of people. Another reason that the right to bear arms should remain is for people to protect themselves. If owning a gun were suddenly illegal, it would be the responsible gun owners who would no longer be armed. The chances of a gun owner with criminal intentions giving up his gun, solely because it was no longer legal to own, is slim to none. Simply put, the “good guys” would have nothing to protect themselves with from the “bad guys”. Guns have become so prevalent in our nation that it would be near impossible to rid it completely of them.

Of course, without guns, Columbine, Virginia Tech, and even drive-by shootings could not have taken place. But the illegalization of guns would probably not have much of an affect on people who plan to commit violent acts in the first place. For example, drugs are illegal, but