Topic Statement
The topic of the future research is the right to the Second Amendment, i.e. guaranteeing the right to keep and bear guns to all Americans. It was developed by the Founding Fathers when they adopted the Bill of Rights in 1791. Since then, the Second Amendment has become the subject of sharp debates and numerous conflicts in the American society. That said, the paper is planned as an attempt to persuade the reader that every American should be allowed to own and carry guns. The objective of the research is to investigate how the interpretation of the provision changed over time and what is its influence on peace and order in the American society and to establish the connection between allowing owning and carrying weapons and crime rate.
Topic Controversy
There are several aspects of controversy when speaking of interpreting the Second Amendment. First of all, it guarantees the right to keep and bear guns to the people. However, this little sentence does not clarify, who ‘the people’ are and how to determine whom to grant this right to. So, this provision entails the polarization of perspectives on the problem and the existence of different organizations and parties supporting one side or another.
For example, there are anti-gun control activists, who believe that the right to keep and bear arms is the natural one and should not be violated. They claim that the state should guarantee the execution of the Second Amendment in order to ensure the safety of homes and lives. On the other hand, there are numerous gun control activists. The representatives of these movements claim that the state is the only authority having the right to control weapons and determine the groups of people, who will be granted access to guns. Their primary argument is the fact that allowing ordinary people to keep and carry guns openly jeopardizes peace and order in the American society as well as leads to the growth of crime rates.
Moreover, the text of the Second Amendment mentions Militia. It is another source of controversy because it is unclear whether only Militia has the right to control and use weapons or this right is granted to all people as mentioned further in the amendment. It means that there is one more provision dividing the American society into two groups – those opposing the right to keep and bear weapons and those believing that it is the natural right of every individual.
People advocating the authority of the state to identify, who has the right to keep and bear arms, and the monopolistic function of Militia, believe that the provisions of the Second Amendment have filed as history and are not relevant in the modern society anymore. They claim that people living in a civilized world do not need weapons to solve problems. Furthermore, they stress that keeping guns at home is dangerous, especially when growing up kids, who might find a gun. Those belonging to the second group, supporters, believe that keeping weapons at home cannot have a negative influence on the family’s welfare. Instead, it guarantees safety and security of a family unit.
Tentative Thesis Statement
The interpretation of the Second Amendment guaranteeing the right to keep and bear arms outside of one’s home is one of the most controversial provisions of the American Constitution. Even though the times have changed as well as the perspectives on the text of the Amendment, the Constitution of the United States has not, pointing to the fact that the right to the Second Amendment should not be infringed.