Since the founding of America, one of the most deeply guarded and held beliefs is that of gun ownership and the right to bear arms.

​

It has been in American society so early, that it has been included into the Constitution under the Second Amendment. However, in today’s society, the idea of the right to bear arms has come under much scrutiny due to the actions of those involved in the recent shootings. In today’s society guns have gone an extensive evolution in the past half century.

​

Because of this evolution we now have fully automatic weapons and attachments, which are fully legal. This changes a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic one like those used in the Las Vegas shooting.

​

Although the guns used in the days of the Revolution now pale in comparison to the guns of today, the idea of the right to own weapons is never more important. It has been a good idea to have background checks and other tests to determine those who are more prone to violence, but we should not however roll over and allow the government to take away one of our most basic rights as a people.

​

This is because if we allow even a small freedom to be taken away, no matter how reasonable it may seem we are opening up a Pandora’s Box that could lead to our very way of life as Americans ending. When we allow a government to take away a right of the people, we are opening a door for other rights to be taken away as well.  

​

People also argue that without their right to own guns they would not be able to protect themselves from dangers that they might face while even within the premise of their own homes. These threats might range from home invader in a suburban home all the way to an apex predator breaking into the home of a family in the wilderness.

​

When we start to consider these factors, the argument starts to become less selfish about just being able to buy a material object, but more about the duty of the head of the family to protect the inhabitant of their home.  

​

It is because of these reasons of self-protection from both threats of intimate natures and also public threats that there should be little to no bans on guns. However there should still be background checks on the types of weapons that we can buy.