SHOULD 2ND AMND GRANT ASSAULT WEAP.
BY: GRACE KEVIN-ALIGAH
I BELIEVE THE 2ND AMENDMENT DOES NOT GRANT THAT RIGHT
The United States is a country known for the laws they guarantee to their citizens, one of them being the 2nd amendment, which gives us the right to bear arms. But with mass shootings/ planned attacks seemingly becoming a daily occurrence, it is time to reevaluate what the second amendment means, & I believe it doesn't give the right to own assault weaponry.
ASSAULT WEAPONS ARE TOO LETHAL FOR CITIZENS TO POSSESS
- Assault weapon is a term used to describe semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magazine, a pistol grip, and sometimes other features such as a flash suppressor or barrel shroud.
- The AR-15 rifle (considered an assault weapon) is the most popular rifle sold today, due to its molecularity, accuracy, light weight and low recoil.
- It can fire between 45-60 rounds per minute and it fire one round each time you pull the trigger then it reloads. This is a small compared to automatic weapons between 1000 rounds per minute.
- According to a study done in 2011 68% of murders, 41% of robbery, and 21% of aggravated assaults were committed with handguns, but only 2% used assault weapons.
- But attacks that occurred the following year, like the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and The Aurora Movie Theater Shooting
EXAMPLES
AURORA MOVIE THEATER SHOOTING
THE SHOOTER, JAMES HOLMES, WALKED INTO A MIDNIGHT SCREENING OF "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES" AND OPENED FIRE USING AN AR-15 (ASSAULT WEAPON).
SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SHOOTING
THE SHOOTER ADAM LANZA, GRABBED A AR-15 RIFLE AMONG OTHER GUNS, DROVE TO SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY AND KILLED 20 PEOPLE, MANY OF THEM 6 AND 7 YEAR OLDS.
2012 OAK CREEK SHOOTING
THE GUNMAN, WADE MICHEAL PAGE, WHO HAD TIES TO A WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUP, WALKED INTO THE SIKH TEMPLE OF WISCONSIN AND KILLED 6 PEOPLE USING A 9MM SEMIAUTOMATIC PISTOL.
BACKGROUND CHECKS AREN'T STRONG ENOUGH
- It is safe to say the United States has a clear connection between mass shootings, and metal health problems.
- But the issue remains, how were people with apparent mental health issues, prior arrest history, and people on the FBI watch list, able to purchase guns.
- Another reason i believe citizens should not be able to own assault weaponry is because the background checks aren't tight enough to were the wrong people wont be able to access them.
- In shootings such as the Aurora movie theater shooting, where the AR-15 was used, James Holmes had a history of mental issues but was still able to purchase a gun.
- The Charleston shooter, Dylan Roof, should not have been able to purchase a gun according to the FBI. Roof, who had a prior arrest history, was able to purchase a gun and killed nine people at a church in Charleston
- That being said no matter how strong our background checks are people will still find ways to illegally purchase assault weapons, but these cases prove that simple measures to tighten our background checks will make a significant difference and save lives
GRANTING CIVILIANS THE RIGHT TO OWN ASSAULT WEAPONS WILL LEAD TO PEOPLE ABUSING THE RIGHT
- 2nd amendment grants the right to- 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.
- The way I interpret this amendment is that I grants citizens the right to do any thing NECESSARY to protect themselves
- Pistols/ Handguns are appropriate and NECESSARY in protecting citizens and assault weapons are excessive.
YouTube Shooting The 223 AR 15
THATS IT!
I hope I have persuaded you to come to the realization that the 2nd Amendment does not grant the right for citizens to own assault weaponry because assault weaponry is too dangerous, our background checks aren't as strong as they could be, and even our police men don't have access to them, so why should civilians?
BIBLOGRAPHY
- "The truth about assault weapons." The Truth About Assault Weapons. N.p, n.d. Web. 08 Dec, 2015.
- "Gun Violence." National Institute of Justice. N.p, n.d. Web. 09 Dec, 2015
- "Oak creek community marks two years since Sikh temple shooting NBC News." NBC NEWS. N.p, n.d. Web. 11 Dec, 2015
- "FBI: Dylann Roof should not have been able to but gun- CNNPolitics.com." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 11 Dec, 2015.
- "YouTube shooting The 223 AR 15." YouTube. YouTube , n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2015