Students Discuss the Right to Bear Arms

Do Citizens Need to Bear Arms and the Right to Do So?

 Do citizens need the right to bear arms? This is a very controversial, heavily debated question. There are many arguments from both sides of the argument but three reasons why citizens don’t need to have firearms are there’s not really any point in people having guns, guns can kill people very easily with just the pull of a trigger and there’s no reason for citizens to have that sort of power, and finally, it’s easy for anyone to access a gun and that’s why things such as shootings occur.

 There is no point in the average citizen needing to own a gun. Some of the main arguments are self-defense, and the fact that you have the right to own them. Although it is true that firearms are a good form of self defense, they do not need to be able to instantly end someone’s life. Usually guns are used in bad dangerous ways rather than protecting someone. Americans use their guns to open fire on one another at backyard barbecues, to stalk and intimidate ex-spouses and lovers, to rob and assault, and to kill themselves(“How to Persuade Americans to Give Up Their Guns”). If they warded somebody off without killing them, that would be just as well. Another argument is that we have the right to own guns due to the second amendment which is that we have the right to bear arms. Although this is true, this amendment was made when things like shootings were not a thing. Now people can just go out and kill anyone they like. There is no real threat or anything for there to be a need to own a gun. The dangers do not outweigh the benefits.

  The second thing is that guns are extremely powerful, dangerous weapons. They can instantly kill somebody, and if it’s a more advanced gun, it can kill many people in the blink of an eye and to quote law professor Franklin Zimrig, the likelihood of death increased sharply with the caliber of the shooter’s firearm, as would be expected if the intrinsic power and lethality of the weapon mattered(“Guns Do Kill People”). Even if it’s an accident, guns can easily kill somebody and there is no need for them to be so powerful and dangerous. There is no need for an average citizen to have such powerful weapons. Most people don’t have the mentality to own such things.

 Finally, guns are too easily accessible. It is really easy to get a permit to buy one, and once you have the permit, you can just go around the block to the gun store and pick up any kind you want. For example, Emily Frazier, who’s husband shot himself with a gun that he bought at the gas station, said there’s a gas station maybe a five-minute drive away from us, and the gas station sells guns (“The Hidden Toll”).  Another thing is that now kids are shooting up schools because they have easy access to their parent’s guns. Another thing is that most college students are at the age where they can get a gun permit so they can easily get guns too. Guns should be made so that only law enforcement should be able to carry them because there is no need for citizens to own them.

  One reason we should have guns is because we go hunting. We need guns to take down animals such as pigs and rams. That may be so, but a solution to that could be the government or DLNR renting guns out to hunters for the duration of their trip with a time limit. This way people can still hunt and no one owns the guns. Guns should be banned or much more heavily controlled because there is no solid reason for people to own guns, they are way too accessible, and too dangerous for normal people to have control over.

Gen Nagaya, Gr. 9

Should Citizens Have the Right to Own a Gun?

Do you think citizens should own a gun?  Do you have a gun?  Some of the reasons why citizens should own a gun are to hunt, self defense, the knowledge of how to use one in competition shooting, and for defense of our country.  These are a few reasons why we should have a right to own a gun.

One reason to own a gun is to hunt.  Owning a gun to hunt is important because that is one way that people gather food.  People hunt to survive and to live off the land.  “He taught me to never shoot anything I didn’t intend to kill, and to not kill anything I didn’t intend to eat,” says James Haggerman.  From my own experience, I was taught how to handle, shoot, and hunt in order to help provide food for my family.  It also saved money on food too for the one hundred pounds of roasts, teriyaki steaks, and ground meat for mom’s lasagna . When a person is properly taught how to handle and shoot a gun, there is much responsibility that goes with it.

A second reason to own a gun is for self defense. The use of a gun in an animal attack or for a situation where lives are  at stake, like in a home invasion. The police can be called but many things can happen if the police are far away and not be able to get to the place for many minutes.  The second amendment says, “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.” 

A third reason to own a gun is to know how to use one and how to respect it if you use one for hunting or self defense.  Shooting sports are good ways to learn and also teach good handling. Knowing how to use and respect firearms is important because safety and good operation are both very important. There are also courses to learn safety and good gun maintenance. I learned how to use a firearm  safely and to always respect the good handling during hunting safety and mentoring in Pennsylvania. I was with a hunting mentor but did not carry the gun at first. I was taught about safety and the situations that could be unsafe by this person.

Yes,  guns are dangerous, but they can also be used for reasons that are good. They can also be used for bad things too. Guns are tools that can be used for good things or bad things. The person that uses the gun is who  decides how the gun is used. Our founding fathers said that our constitution will not be able to rule over people who do not have a moral compass. Many of the founding fathers were masons and the compass is a symbol of morality. Guns help us survive if we use them right and know how to use them for good. We should have a good compass to help us know how to use a gun for the proper purpose.

Austin Mizuba, Gr. 9