The Second Amendment Of The United States Constitution

Gun control is an ineffective means of reducing both violent, and firearm related crime. Limiting the ability for law abiding citizens to responsibly own arms only reduces their ability to provide to provide security to themselves and their family. It is not the duty of the federal government to dictate what a citizen chooses to legally defend themselves with. The second amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified on the 15 of December, 1791 and was drafted by future president James Madison. The text of the second amendment reads â€Å"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.† There has been much debate in our country regarding†¦show more content†¦Currently in the United states there are over 18,000 firearm laws in place. The first federally mandated firearm law was the National Firearm Act of 1934. This firearm act, which is still in place today, required a Federal Firearms License to be obtained by anyone in the business of buying, selling, and manufacturing firearms. The National Firearms Act also required all NFA firearms to be registered with the Secretary of the Treasury. NFA firearms at the creation of the NFA included rifles and shotguns with a barrel length under 18 inches, machine guns, and firear m silencers. To purchase any of these firearms a $200.00 tax was imposed on every transaction with one of these firearms in an effort to prevent criminals from purchasing such firearms as they were said to have been popular with the gangsters of that era. The Bureau of Alcohol tobacco and Firearms defines a machine gun as a firearm with select fire capabilities. Select fire means that the firearm has both full and semi automatic fire capabilities. Semi automatic means that for every one pull of the trigger, one bullet will be fired. Fully automatic means that for as long as the trigger is pulled, the firearms will continue to fire. On May 19th 1986, the Firearm Owners Protection Act prevented the sale and transfer of machine guns produced after May 1986. This provision excluded machine guns registered before May 1986 and machine guns sold to government agencies. With onlyShow MoreRelatedThe Second Amendment Of United States Constitution1350 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The second amendment of United States constitution said â€Å"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†. This amendment was embraced on December 15, 1791, taking in consideration that American citizens have a natural right to self-defense and they can help to accomplish the following purposes: Permitting the people to organize a militia system Contributing in law enforcement DeterringRead MoreComparison Between the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution991 Words   |  4 PagesConfederation. Shortly after that, a new document was formed to what we know as the Constitution of the United States. These documents were similar but more different at the same time with each other, and each granted specific powers to the national government. By throwing off the British monarchy it left the states without a central government. The states needed a new government and fast, which paved way for the first constitution, the Articles of Confederation. 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Concerned that the Constitution neglected to clearly state the basic civil rights of the citizens of the United States, Anti- Federalists opposed the Articles of Confederations, which gave state governments more authority (â€Å"Bill of Rights, n.dRead MoreHow America Should Perceive The Second Amendment Essay1139 Words   |  5 Pagespeople debating how America should perceive the second amendment. Many view the second amendment as outdated, irrelevant, or possibly dangerous in today’s society. Others believe the founding fathers’ beliefs and reasons for including the right to bear arms are often misinterpreted resulting in a fight to protect its place in the Bill of Rights. The pushers for more gun laws and the NRA are in unending debate on whether or not the second amendment continu es to be relevant today. In order to understandRead MoreDrawing Influence From Levinson ( 1989 )1060 Words   |  5 Pagesonce again, I would like to argue that there is not or should not be an understanding that the Second Amendment is of greater importance and a higher degree of static understanding than other aspects of the Constitution. Levinson critiques this condition of the American population as follows; â€Å"If one does accept the plausibility of any of the arguments on behalf of a strong reading of the Second Amendment, but, nevertheless, rejects them in the name of social prudence and the present-day consequencesRead MoreCivil Liberties And Civil Rights1318 Words   |  6 Pagesfor them. The United States has gone from being ruled by a king to a lose constitution to finally a constitution that has lasted many years. This constitution has gone through many changes in order to protect the rights of U.S. citizens. Moreover, these changes have occurred by much insistence and court cases from the people. Out of these changes, civil rights and civil liberties have erupted in order to protect the lives of citizens even more. Who we are as citizens of the United States can be characterized