Next in Line: BRIEF

The subject that this mediation paper will be on is the issue of gun rights and control. The position I will take on this matter will be that of the “gun-rights” side. Narrowing down on this position, I chose my thesis to be that the American public, under certain controls and regulations, should be allowed to take full advantage of their right to keep and bear firearms. For the reasons to back this claim, several things came to mind. These include the legality of bearing arms, the application of using firearms for self-defense, the application of using firearms for recreation, and the presidential candidates’ stances on the issue. The first reason that I am going to grab the reader’s attention with is the legality of the issue. This is going to be the first reason because America believes itself to be a very moral country in which breaking the law or infringing people’s rights is unacceptable. This reason falls into the “special rules or principles” and “tradition” categories for reasons. To support this reason, I can use the Constitution, “the Law of the Land,” and the 2nd Amendment, as well as state laws and Supreme Court cases. Within these last two pieces of evidence there are numerous examples which contain statements dealing with “gun-rights.” Secondly, firearms provide a very effective means of self-defense. To get to the point right away, I am going to start with the Virginia Tech shooting. Since this is a relative recent event, the audience should be fairly convinced. Other examples I will use include a woman being mugged on the street and a house being broken into. I will end the evidence of this reason with different hard facts, such as statistics and such of crime rates. The next reason that will support the thesis will be the fact that firearms can provide a source of recreation for those in possession. Hunting and practice firing, such as at the shooting range, have been a part of this country’s history since the very beginning. “Gun culture” has even become part of our nation’s culture. This is evidenced by several social aspects in our history including the cowboys and Indians stories and war movies. Lastly, the reason that will conclude the paper will be the different stances by the presidential candidates for the 2008 election. I will research the stances from the top three candidates in each of the two major parties.

The Preliminaries: Brief Explanation

The topic of discussion for this mediation assignment is going to be the issue of gun control. This subject has been very controversial in the history of the United States. The controversy has mainly stemmed from the different interpretations of the 2nd Amendment of the constitution. The 2nd Amendment states, “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.” Although there are many interpretations of this, one of two sides on the issue is generally taken. The first is the group consisting of those who interpret the 2nd Amendment as declaring that U.S. citizens have the right to keep and bear firearms. These people are the collectively known as “gun-rights” advocates. The second consists of people who interpret the 2nd Amendment as declaring people have the right to bear arms when and only when in a union of communal defense. In other words, under this amendment there is no protection of “individual” rights to bear arms. Accordingly, these are the “gun-control” advocates. Opposing sides can be taken by these two groups on many issues. These include things such as the previously stated interpretation of the constitutionality of bearing arms, prevention of crime, and the balance between protecting individuals’ rights of self-defense, and the maintenance of public safety.
The side that I will be defending is the “gun-rights” side. In support of individuals being able to keep and bear firearms, I will present first the protection of this right by the Constitution in the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution for the main purpose of protecting individuals from a dominating central government. Thomas Jefferson was an advocator of this belief stating that people should be able to protect themselves from the “tyranny of government.” A direct result of this belief was the Revolutionary War between tyrannical England and the oppressed colonies. Also, the right to bear arms presents benefits to those who possess firearms. First, taking advantage of this liberty provides a person with a means of self-defense. For example, if a woman is attacked by a stranger, having a small pistol in her purse could protect her from being mugged or possibly raped. The possession of a firearm can symbolize power, which if used correctly, can be used for self-defense. Also, the right to possess firearms allows citizens to enjoy the entertainment of hunting and the shooting range. Hunting is a pastime of the United States that dates back to the settlers. It has become a part of the American identity. Firearms themselves have become part of the culture of America, which has come to be known as “Gun Culture.”

English Now Consumes My Life

Well, we just got assigned the LAST project for the class of Enlish 103. I have come to realize after the last several minutes of reading the instructions, that this class is now going to dominate my life. Oh well, LIFE IS GOOD!