Gun Laws: Should Guns be Allowed

In the U.S., people have a Constitutional right to bear arms. This right is protected by the Second Amendment, which states that “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.” While the justification for the Second Amendment may seem outdated to some, it is honored and celebrated by others who believe that part of what makes America unique among other countries in the world is that its citizens have never been denied the right to bear arms. Indeed, among all modern nations, the U.S. stands out for its gun laws for a number of reasons. Compared to England, where guns are banned, the U.S. is practically the Wild West, where virtually anyone can get a gun it seems. While that is not exactly true, as there are a number of checks that are in place among the 50 states that require extensive background investigations and that prevent ex-convicts from owning a gun (NRA, 2014), guns are available for purchase for those who meet the necessary legal age criteria and clean background. Still, the questions continue: should guns be allowed? What benefit do they serve in the 21st century? What risk do they pose? This paper will address the subject of gun laws by explaining why in America guns are and should be allowed.

America’s unique history is rooted in violence and force—and the Founding Fathers appreciated that fact when they agreed to protect the rights of the people to be able to stand up for themselves in the face of aggression. True, it was a different world in the 18th century. The threat of being attacked by Indians was still real enough. The lack of an established law enforcement system like the one today was evident. States also had a concern about safety and invasion and war—not just with hostile nations abroad but with hostile neighbors. The central government then was not what it is today. In order for people to defend life, liberty and property they had to have access to arms and they had to have a guarantee from their government that they would be able to bear arms in order to preserve their independence.
Today, Americans are still fiercely independent and concerned about safety. However, the means of protection have changed: today, there are untold numbers of law enforcement agencies and departments, from local police to the Department of Homeland Security. Since 9/11, Americans have been willing to give up more of their constitutional freedoms (such as the right to privacy) in exchange for guarantees of safety. However, supporters of the 2nd Amendment still argue that in cases wherein one is threatened or endangered one still needs to have the ability to defend oneself with a gun, as police might be half an hour away or even two minutes too late. Guns are there to protect oneself and one’s neighbors from harm. There are many cases wherein guns have actually been used to save lives (Hsieh, 2018).
The counter argument is that if guns were totally banned there would not be any need to rely on them for protection. Supporters of this argument point to England where guns are banned and where gun violence is essentially zero. They point to gun violence at American schools, clubs, public places, and use these as examples of why guns should not be allowed—they make it too easy for unstable persons to inflict maximum damage. They argue that if guns were outlawed, there would be no way for such gun violence to occur and no need for people to carry privately. Besides, the law would have enough force to neutralize a situation that required force.
The problem with this argument is that it fails to consider a few important points: first of all, Americans are independent and while some may support depending on the law for assistance by no means do all Americans support such. Many Americans believe that their identity is tied to their ability to defend themselves, their property and the loved ones. They will never support a measure that would deny them this right, and any politician who tried to pass such a measure would be unlikely to have a career in politics for very long.
Another problem with that argument is that people who want to get guns for violence against others usually do so illegally. The background checks that are in place actually work very well. States have laws that require gun dealers to perform these checks so that only trustworthy individuals can own guns. Those people who are not trustworthy but who want guns can still obtain them through the black market or through 3-D printing. America is not England that can easily be monitored. England is a tiny island. The U.S. is a huge mass of land consisting of 50 states. It is the size of Europe—exponentially bigger than England. Banning guns in the U.S. would be like banning guns in all of Europe: it would never work. Guns will get in one way or another and then only the criminals (and law enforcement presumably) would have them. Innocent citizens, however, would have no way to defend themselves if law enforcement was not close at hand.
Still yet another issue is the fact that in spite of this being the 21st century America is still a rough and tumble nation: it is very much like the Wild West in that violence part of American life in many cities and even suburbs. This is part of the American culture. Even the American government embraces a philosophy and culture of violence in terms of its foreign policy. It has been at war in the Middle East since 9/11, and it has a history of regime change that dates back numerous decades. American culture is not something that is going to change overnight and even if the majority of Americans embraced gun laws that restricted sales of guns to people even more than they do now, it is unlikely to make the country any safer. People would still not feel safe living in certain neighborhoods as they could not be sure that gang members would be cut off from guns in the black market. Plus, American society is becoming more and more tense as groups fight over ideas and politics. The rise of Antifa and Black Lives Matter and Proud Boys have all shown that more Americans are willing to fight for what they believe in. Violence is simply part of American life and that is not going to change. Since it is the case, Americans want to know that they can protect themselves from danger, and that is why guns are important to Americans.
Guns are part of America’s pastime and part of American industry. Gun laws can help to ensure that people who have violated federal law or who are mentally unstable do not have legal access to buy guns—but there is and will always be a black market for guns for those who want to obtain them illegally. Considering that safety is important to Americans, the ability to protect oneself, one’s family and one’s property should be important to them as well. This is why the 2nd Amendment was written. The right to bear arms was deemed an essential part of the American experience, because America had essentially been taken by force, and there would likely be others who would come along to take it if Americans themselves were not willing to stand up and protect what they had won. That is the primary reason guns will never and should never be banned in the U.S.
References
Hsieh, P. (2018). Any study of gun violence should include how guns save lives.
References from https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulhsieh/2018/03/20/any-study-of-gun-violence-should-include-how-guns-save-lives/#6ae1ade65edc
NRA. (2014). Gun laws. Retrieved from
https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-gun-laws/
U.S. Constitution Amend. II.