The History of Creation of the 2Nd Amendment
The Second Amendment states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The Amendment remains a very controversial law and is argued heavily. Some say that the amendment is not needed, some say otherwise. The Amendment is very complex with multiple positives and negatives. The Second Amendment has been in context since the Quartering and Townshend Tax and Tariff. It also protects the citizens of the United States. The Second Amendment has an interesting history behind how it was created, protects American citizens and remains very controversial. In 2nd amendment argumentative essay this topic is discussed.
The history of this amendment and how it was created originates from a long line of court cases and controversies, like the Quartering and Townshend Tax and Tariff. The Townshend Act placed taxes and tariffs on imported china, glass, lead, paper, paint and tea. This raised chaos in the colonies. The Quartering Act forced the citizens of the colonies to house and feed British troops. Colonists did not agree with Parliament making these decisions. That is because it directly affected the colonists who were not allowed to elect representatives in Parliament. Due to Parliament placing taxes and forcing colonists to house British troops, the cry of “no taxation without representation” was born. Riots and chaos rang out when British General Thomas Gage disarmed the colonists. This was the start of separation between England and the colonies. In June of 1774 the First Continental Congress was held. In this meeting the Articles of Confederation were adopted but not ratified. This declared independence for the first ever time in United States history. In 1791 the Bill of Rights was created and started the Constitution. The Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights was the right to bear arms.
On November 17, 1871, New York the NRA was created. NRA stands for National Rifle Association. This association voted for no gun control. It was created to promote and encourage rifle shooting for a non-violent and scientific basis. They believe that all guns should be legal and gun control is unnecessary. Over time the NRA has become a political force. It also influenced many decisions in court.
The initial purpose of this amendment was to protect against foregin countries and harmful situations. The National Firearms Act taxed and required registration for automatic weapons and sawed-off shotguns. American citizens fought against this act and presumed it was unconstitutional. In 1939 the Supreme Court case of United States vs. Miller ruled that the act was constitutional. In this case Jack Miller challenged the National Firearms Act.
The Second Amendment protects the citizens of the United States in many ways. This amendment gives citizens the right to own weapons. The weapons protect citizens from opposing threats.
Concealed carry is when a person carries a firearm that is hidden and cannot be seen from surrounding observers. This allows pedestrians to protect themselves and others if there is a threat. Concealed carry requires a license. To acquire this licence you must be age twenty one or over, have a clean record, for example, no misdemeanors, no felonies, or pending arrests.
There are multiple events that had occured that showed self defense with firearms. Mark and Patricia McClosky are a prime example of self defense with firearms. Mark and Patricia were at their St. Louis home when rioters broke down their gate and attempted to break into their home. Mark used an AR-15 and Patricia used a handgun. “While no shots were fired, it scared rioters away from their home.” Stated Benson. This proves that the right to bear arms protects citizens in the United States from danger.
While this amendment comes with many positives and negatives there are many controversies. Issues such as, gun control, who should be able to own guns, different types of weapons and so much more.
It is most likely that firearm problems are caused by mental health problems, however inmost cases, the Second Amendment is blamed. At the scenes of Santa Fe and Columbine High Schools where mass shootings occurred was because of mental health problems. In both cases students were suffering from bullying and depression and they thought the only way to solve this was from shootings. The Second Amendment was blamed for both tragedies.
Background checks is also a major controversy relating to the Second Amendment. Background checks are investigations to see if the person purchasing a firearm is safe and is allowed to purchase a weapon. Some people say that stricter background checks are needed to stop violence related to the Second Amendment. Some say that it is not needed to stop gun violence. Also some people say that the Second Amendment should be removed from the Bill of Rights to prevent gun violence. Some say the opposite. Congress states, “In 1997, the Court overturned part of 1996 gun-control legislation called the Brady Law, but it did so not on Second Amendment grounds but on the basis of state sovereignty:the law required state law-enforcement officials to run background checks on anyone attempting to purchase a gun, and the Court ruled that the federal government could not oblige local officials to do this.”
The Second Amendment gives American citizens the right to purchase and own firearms. Under this law they can not take away weapons that are possessed by a pedestrian or it will be deemed unconstitutional. It also plays a very important role in American value, freedom and culture. Many Americans value the right to bear arms. They do this by hunting to survive. Some families rely on hunting to feed themselves and their family members. Also some might find it interesting to own a firearm and have a connection between personal ownership of weapons. The right to bear arms is also a freedom not unlike the freedom of speech and press. Citizens are allowed to exercise this right when used correctly. The amendment is a huge part of American culture because it has been in history for centuries. Firearms have been used since the earliest days of the United States.
The Second Amendment has an interesting history and how it was created. It has been created through historic times in history including the Quartering and Townshend Act along with many court cases. Many groups and associations were created while the Second Amendment was coming about like the NRA. The NRA fought for little to no gun control and for the ownership of any weapons. The amendment brought protection to American citizens like Mr. and Mrs. McClosky. Concealed carry is a way that American were protected. This when people are allowed to carry weapons that are hidden to observers in the surrounding area. There are many controversies such as background checks, what weapons should and should not be permitted to own and use. Mental health problems that are related to gun violence were blamed on the Second Amendment.
