The Importance of Gun Rights

A man practicing shooting at a range, The Federalist

    Imagine you are in a store shopping with your family when all of a sudden, a masked shooter comes in and starts to shoot at random people in the store. You and your family immediately hide behind a food shelf hoping the shooter doesn't come your way. With fear in your eyes, you watch body after body drop until finally, another armed citizen in the store shoots the suspect in the arm. Other people then come and tackle the suspect, holding him until police arrive. 

What if nobody else in the store was armed? How many more lives would've been lost? Nobody knew this event was going to take place. Although mass shootings have become more and more common, you would have never expected yourself to be caught in the middle of one.

Mass shootings seem to occur more and more even though lawmakers try to create more gun ownership laws. Criminals have already proven that laws won't stop them from obtaining guns through any means necessary. Therefore, it seems as though the only way to stop them is to retort with the same firepower. It seems as though the punishments might not be severe enough for criminals. 

A main question that people speculate is, "If you happen to find yourself in trouble with a criminal, would you rather be with someone who's armed or unarmed?" Most people would agree to being with someone who's armed because it is the safest measure. If more people become open to arming themselves, then criminal activity would decrease because they would be more likely to die themselves. Should disaster strike, preparedness will make all the difference in the world.

American culture has become increasingly more violent and unpredictable, but state lawmakers have been desperately trying to ensure public safety to their citizens. One article in The Los Angeles Times explains that we can't change people's will to cause violence and chaos, but we can be prepared to defend ourselves against them. They also explain how lawmakers have been trying to ban large round magazines and ammunition as they aren't necessary. Assault rifles and "weapons of war" styled guns are also being debated to be banned in the US as many shooting suspects use these dangerous weapons to cause mass casualties.

The Second Amendment also protects the rights of gun owners. Law abiding citizens use guns for various reasons. Some will keep concealed weapons in case of the need for self-defense. Many farmers and people especially from Southern states may keep shotguns and rifles to hunt and fend off large animals that may pose a threat to them, their family, or their possessions. Robert Farago wrote an article for The Truth About Guns explaining why he owns one himself. He writes, "'I have an obligation to protect my family.'" He doesn't see his gun ownership as a choice but rather a responsibility that enables him to protect his family in the best way possible. 

Many people suggest that we should just rely on the police, but the truth is they won't always be there to help. Sarit Weisburg, an assistant professor at Tel Aviv University, conducted a 2021 study with the Dallas Police Department issued on MIT Press Direct, where she found that since the protests, police activity has decreased. "I find that a 10% decrease in police presence at that location results in a 7% increase in crime." With this in mind, citizens need to be aware that relying on the authorities is still the preferred way to handle crime, but in the case that they aren't there, you need to make sure you are armed and protected as well.

Police officer shooting pistol, imgflip.com

    One of the arguments against gun control is that a good guy with a firearm can stop a bad guy with one. The idea of gun control isn't to strip every one of their rights to possess a gun. It is, however, designed to make sure people who aren't supposed to have a gun never are in possession of one. While some people have shouted to ban all guns, it's very unlikely that that kind of circumstance would ever happen. The Second Amendment has been around for a while and many people have made their case as to why it's needed.

Another issue surrounding gun possession is that many people who legally buy them don't really have the necessary experience with them in order to obtain one in their own possession. One ConnectUS article explains how a man accidentally killed his friend when showing off his gun to him. That man then proceeded to kill himself because of his guilt. Many instances like this happen and lawmakers have been wondering how they can prevent them. Researchers have suggested that additional measures and precautions should be taken when people are purchasing guns. They should have to complete some basic training exercises in order to be fully trusted with a gun. We may very well see these ideas being taken into action in the next few years.

Citizens should take advantage of the Second Amendment especially nowadays as the world seems to become more chaotic and dangerous. We can't always depend on the police to come to our rescue immediately and therefore have to take up the responsibility to defend ourselves and those around us. Gun rights are important and should be protected because they can determine your chances of life and death.