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Principles of English Composition II (ENGL 1213)
University of Oklahoma
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ENGL 1213
Professor Nabhan 21 February 2023 Word Count: 1842 The Second Amendment Controversy The Second Amendment is one of the United States most deeply rooted controversial topics in history. From being embedded in the Bill of Rights in 1791 to now, many people have an opinion and a ton of different interpretations of what this amendment actually means. Many believe that gun ownership should be banned due to the increase in mass shootings, school shootings, and other events in recent years, while others believe owning a gun is a key part to ensure their own safety. While both of these are valid arguments, the decision is ultimately up to the federal government who can pass laws banning or allowing American citizens to own a gun. There has been a shift in the debate over the years from whether you should be able to own a firearm to whether the government has enough control in order to restrict weapons from the public eye (Wanlass). This is where some Americans including Sue Klebold and Mark Olivia, as well as those involved in the NRA and Gun Owners of America organizations create the argument that the Second Amendment was created in order to not only allow Americans to own a gun in order to protect themselves physically, but also protect themselves from the government. Before the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791, nobody knew what kind of controversy the Second Amendment would hold almost 150 years later. This amendment stated, “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” (Gray). Essentially the Founding Fathers wanted the people to have an individual right to purchase and own a gun for not only theirs but their
families safety and protection. This was the intended purpose for the Amendment, but now has many different interpretations to many different groups of people. The debate began in 1934 when the St. Valentine’s Massacre happened and forced the National Firearms Act to be passed in an effort to diminish crimes like these (Gray). This was a tax that attempted to slow the movement of firearms into and within the United States. The first big court case that stirred the country was United States v. Miller, which happened just five years after the passing of the NFA. They ruled that Congress had the power to regulate purchases of short barrel shotguns between states. Throughout the next several years many other bills were passed like the Firearm Owners Protection Act in 1986, which limited national inspections to once a year to protect gun owners or the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act that required background checks in order to purchase a gun due to James Brady, the White House press secretary being disabled after the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. Fast forward to 2023, where gun control is still at the heat of the political scene and more mass shootings are occurring that are making people believe America needs stricter gun laws (Fisher). There are many Americans who believe with the increase in shootings guns should be taken away and others believe guns should be allowed in order to give the people the opportunity to protect themselves. Through all the controversy and changing of laws throughout the years, there are many different stances that can be seen from individuals and different organizations. Throughout the years many organizations have formed and individuals have come forward to speak out on their experiences with being a gun owner. One organization in particular is the National Rifle Association or the NRA. The NRA is not only one of the biggest political forces fighting for the rights that the Second Amendment entails, but also the prime center for education on how to properly use firearms (National Rifle Association). Not only does the NRA
laws within the government, but with people like Mark Olivia who is a highly respected and well educated individual, it becomes harder to persuade middle ground and people on the fence to support less restrictive gun laws. Mark Olivia writes in his article that he believes instead of the Brady Campaign being about the troops it's actually about control (Olivia). Fighting against the NRA, Olivia attempts to persuade not only middle ground people, but also convert people who side with less restriction in order to boost the chances that gun laws will be passed within Congress. With both the NRA and Mark Olivia having different opinions on how to reach public safety, they both still work together to strive to create the best America that it can be. Many people in America have felt the effects of the loose gun laws and are still feeling them. Sue Klebold, for example, is the mother of Dylan Klebold, who was one of the shooters in the Columbine High School Massacre. She was saddened to believe that over the years of thinking her son was mentally okay, she quickly learned he was far from it and her son was not who she thought he was (Klebold). During this incident she not only lost her son because he ended up killing himself, but she also endured physical and mental challenges throughout the healing process as well as a great deal of hate and backlash from the communities. One of the challenges this incident caused was a “religious warfare” within Klebold’s head, consuming her with this guilt and feeling like she didn’t raise her son to have morals (Lokting). Although she spent countless times trying to instill morals within her son by trying something until it didn’t and then moving on to the next idea, she entered this cycle leading her to believe her son was okay when he really wasn’t. She believes that guns need stricter laws to decrease the number of underaged buyers getting their hands on them. On the other hand there is an organization that believes these Constitutional rights cannot be taken away and restricting guns goes completely against our Second Amendment rights to bear arms. The Gun Owners of America organization
firmly believes in no compromise and that all forms of gun control are not only unconstitutional but also ineffective (Gun Owners of America). This main statement along with values surrounded by freedom drive their campaign to uphold the Second Amendment and has worked with federal legislatures for years. Although some people have personally been affected by gun laws and feel restrictions are necessary for the general safety of the public, there are still some out there holding onto hope that the government will be on their side and stick to the words of the Constitution. With many in support of the Second Amendment and all it entails for United States citizens, the Gun Owners of America have advocated for legislation to be passed in favor of loosening gun restrictions here in America. With the Gun Owners of America having direct affiliation with state and federal governments it gives them this foot in the door to help lobby the bills they want passed in order to loosen gun laws. Although people a part of the Gun Owners of America organization are there to speak out for less restrictive gun laws, there are also people out there who try to advocate for more restrictive gun laws and training before becoming a gun owner due to the trauma they have endured from personal experience with the misuse of guns. People like Susan Klebold talk about her personal experience to not only educate others on the dangers of misusing a gun, but also spark people's emotional connections to the issue in order to push past those with opposing views on gun restrictions. Due to Gun Owners of America having this foot in the door with local and state governments, and Sue Klebold pulling on people’s heart strings with her personal experience story, they both believe they are doing their part in making America safer, but in their own ways. With the controversy that surrounds the Second Amendment and whether gun control needs to be stricter or not, there is clearly no definite right or wrong opinion within the many this
Works Cited Fisher, Max. “Gun Control, Explained.” The New York Times, 26 Jan. 2023, nytimes/explain/2023/gun-control. Gray, Sarah. “Here’s a Timeline of the Major Gun Control Laws in America.” Time, 22 Feb. 2018, time/5169210/us-gun-control-laws-history-timeline/. Gun Owners of America. “FAQ | GOA.” Gun Owners of America, gunowners/faq/. Klebold, Sue. “My Son Was a Columbine Shooter. This Is My Story.” Www.ted, 2 Feb. 2017, ted/talks/sue_klebold_my_son_was_a_columbine_shooter_this_is_my_story/tr anscript./transcript. Lokting, Britta. “Susan Klebold Doesn’t Believe God Is Watching over Her Family Anymore.” The Forward, 20 Apr. 2019, forward/culture/422806/susan-klebold- doesnt-believe-god-is-watching-over-her-family-anymore/. National Rifle Association. “About the NRA.” NRA, National Rifle Association, 2000, home.nra/about-the-nra/. NRA Foundation. “NRA Foundation.” Nrafoundation, 2018, nrafoundation/about-us/. Oliva, Mark. “Brady’s Latest Effort Is Not about the Troops, It’s about Control.” Townhall, 27 July 2020, townhall/columnists/markoliva/2020/07/27/gun- control-invokes-for-the-troops-still-cant-aim-true-n2573185. Schumaker, Erin. “Why More than 90 Percent of Gun Owners Don’t Join the NRA.” HuffPost, 9 May 2018, huffpost/entry/why-many-gun-owners-dont-join-the-
nra_n_5ad8a110e4b03c426dabf372#:~:text=Among%20the%20non-NRA%20gun %20owners%20who%20participated%20in. Townhall. “Mark Oliva.” Townhall, townhall/columnists/markoliva/. Wanlass, Nathan. “The “Scope” of the Argument: Why the Second Amendment Matters.” The Daily Universe, 9 Nov. 2020, universe.byu/2020/11/09/the-scope-of-the- argument-why-the-second-amendment-matters/.
Project 1 Final Draft - n/a
Course: Principles of English Composition II (ENGL 1213)
University: University of Oklahoma
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