An Abused Freedom Essay, Research Paper

An Abused Freedom

The Second Amendment, I believe, has been over-stretched and misrepresented by gun lobbyists such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) for years. They always hide behind the Second Amendment saying that this freedom is what our country was built upon. In a recent article in Newsweek magazine, the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, stated, the real target is the Second Amendment. I don t think it has anything to do with crime or stopping violence. I think the ultimate target is to take away the freedom and take away the Second Amendment. The two notorious loopholes, that all but guarantee an individual the quick purchase of a handgun or semi-automatic rifle, are gun shows and individual sales (the sale from one person to another).

I believe that the public should focus their attack at the National Rifle Association and toward the public gun shows where permit or background checks are non- existence. The only exception to that standard is that an individual must be twenty-one years old to purchase a handgun and eighteen years old to purchase shotguns and rifles (other than large caliber). It is pretty upsetting to know that the only thing required for purchasing a handgun or rifle at a gun show is the buyer s proof of age and the all-mighty American dollar. This leaves the door open to everyone from the mentally ill down to the disgruntled young teen that feels that a gun will solve his or her problems with the local high school bullies. Wayne LaPierre also stated the countries that have bans, you can still get guns. If you ve got cash in your hands, it s just like drugs, the guns are there. It s the honest people who fill out the forms, abide by the paperwork, and have to live with the bans.

Another concern should be focused on individual sales, which is the leading supply line for teens between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. Of course, gun lobbyists

are quick to assure the American people that they support harsh punishment for those individuals who illegally supply teens with guns to commit crimes. However, punishment after the fact does not and cannot justify the crime when you consider that it should not have happened in the first place. I believe there is one way to correct this dilemma – to have the original owners register their guns bi-annually with federal agencies, as well as local authorities. This would be very similar to the registration of one s vehicle.

After considering these loopholes within the second amendment, it is no wonder that the United States homicidal rate is higher than all the other leading nations combined. The only way to decrease that statistic is to come together and fight to impose stricter regulations on gun shows and the individual sale of guns. When the Second Amendment was established, it was intended to protect one s freedom and livelihood. It was not intended to take them away.