Unnecessary Purpose Of Gun Ownership
The U.S. has been married to the concept of gun ownership rights since 1791, trapped in the delusion of the Constitutional statement that “a well-regulated Militia [is] necessary [for] the security of a free State,” even in the 21st century.
American gun culture has continued to increase as more guns exist in the US than citizens. From The Washington Post, there were 393 million guns and 326 million people present in 2017.
Guns are one of the deadliest and most easily obtained legal weapons in America. Firearms leave little form of protection, defenses, or hope of survival when one is targeted with a gun.
Yet, the government, the National Rifle Association (NRA), and some Americans choose to keep them in free circulation. For them, the idea of gun control has become more fearful than the deaths caused by a firearm.
The NRA tweeted, “Dr. King applied for a concealed carry permit in a ‘May issue’ state and was denied. We will never stop fighting for every law-abiding citizen’s right to self-defense” in ‘honor’ of his death on Jan. 21.
This seems to imply Martin Luther King Jr., who was killed by a firearm, would still be alive if he had a gun, completely disregarding his non-violent beliefs.
His assassin, James Earl Ray, was an escaped convict who bought a rifle and scope in a mission to propel his racist agenda.
Despite the process of background checks, some Americans who passed the screening or have no noticeable problems when screened, can commit crimes because of personal vendettas, hate, political tensions, or developed psychological disorders.
The true value and meaning of the Second Amendment’s role in the 21st century United States should be rethought.
Why have Americans defined and protected the right to gun ownership in the Constitution, but voting, an act that determines the future of the country, is still trapped in a right versus privilege debate?
Additionally, the Fourth Amendment, which grants a right to privacy, has legal exceptions to protect lives for greater good. The safety of the majority outweighs the need of one. However, there is unwarranted protection for Second Amendment that can allow people who shouldn’t own guns to have them.
Mass shootings, defined by the Gun Violence Archive, are when “at least four or more people [are] shot and/or killed in a single event at the same general time and location.”
With mass shootings like Thousand Oaks, Sandy Hook Elementary, the Pittsburg Synagogue, Parkland, Las Vegas, and the recent SunTrust Bank shooting on Jan. 23, multiple men, women, children, and teenagers are killed within seconds.
As Americans, is it morally sound or acceptable to value an object over a life?
