Those who oppose gun rights argue that society suffers from violence already, and arming more people will only make the problem worse. However, this argument is misguided. As explained above, deterrence alone helps to reduce violent crime. Furthermore, gun safety classes and permitting requirements go a long way toward ensuring that only mentally sound, educated, and qualified individuals may possess a gun. Waiting periods are mandatory in many states, and serve to reduce the opportunity for would-be shooters to behave impulsively. Guns don't kill people; people kill people.
Finally, recent public shootings provide another argument for the right of average citizens to own and carry guns. While this line of thinking may be counter-intuitive, it makes sense to note that if, for example, teachers or staff at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado had be carrying handguns on that fateful day in 1999, they may have been able to prevent the needless deaths of so many young people. In a world...
In a public place, if a terrorist begins to fire randomly into a crowd, it would be useful for a gun-owning good Samaritan to shoot back and end the incident.
Many arguments exist for the ongoing acceptance of the personal freedoms guaranteed to Americans through the Bill of Rights. Owning handguns is an expression of personal liberty, and helps people defend themselves against a tyrannical
government, a corrupt official, a
criminal, or a mass shooter. This is an essential right for citizens in a
Democratic society, and those who fear irresponsible gun behavior should channel their concern into increasing enforcement of existing laws and permitting requirements.
