Considering the recent school shootings that have swept the nation, as well as marking the one-year anniversary of the Las Vegas shooting, it becomes necessary to examine why government action on gun control is critical and why it is not possible to reach a conservative solution.
The conservatives, or supporters of the National Rifle Association (NRA)[1], advocate against a change in the law because they do not want their guns to be taken away. This problem of mass shootings, however, cannot go away unless action is taken. These issues have become a bigger threat to United States citizens than any foreign threat the government currently concerns itself with.
It seems the dominant argument among those on the other side, we will call them the liberals, is to repeal the Second Amendment[2]. While that does advance the solution, removing the Second Amendment cannot happen because removing an amendment from the Bill of Rights, or even changing it for that matter, is viewed as an infringement on the unalienable rights of the people.
Also, to fully understand the position the Constitution has on gun rights, it’s necessary to take a closer look at the Second Amendment. It may be the shortest of the amendments in the Bill of Rights, but the wording is crucial to full understanding.
• What does it say?
The full text of the Second Amendment is, “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.”
When people refer to this amendment, it’s become a habit to jump right into the second half starting with, “the right of the people …” This,
