A634.8.3.RB_MaceRoyce
In Chapter 12, LaFollette (2007) discusses gun control. Do citizens have a right to bear arms? Answer the question in your reflection blog. State your opinion and follow up your position with supporting documentation. Next, present the opposing side to your stance. Use external sources to enhance your claims.
Interestingly enough, LaFollette (2007) made some interesting points that I have never thought of as a supporter of the Second Amendment. Is it morally right to own guns? What type of guns should be considered legal? Do the ends justify the means when it comes to gun ownership? These questions got me to thinking about whether or not citizens have the full right to bear arms in the United States of America.
While LaFollette (2007) makes some valid points on the morality of owning firearms, his argument forgets a vital point made by the second amendment. The constitutional right to bear arms is less about morality and more about tyranny which we have found to be ethically wrong. I understand LaFollette's arguments for gun control from a moral perspective, but much like his arguments about punishment and world hunger... It is likely that these issues will not be solved overnight. In addition, owning guns is not about what is morally right because in reality, guns are the great equalizer in moral and ethical issues.
For example, if the United States was a society free of guns, would we have been able to make a difference in WWII? If guns had been controlled during the Civil War, would the Union had won the war more easily? Even with gun control of the Southern States during the Civil War, would illegal dealings of firearms been stopped? Guns are a part of everyday culture and have been for a very long time. In my humble opinion, their existence is meant to make peace, not war — as backwards as that sounds to many.
In the hands of moral and ethically sound men, guns are the ethical instrument that the world needs more than it realizes. The Founding Fathers put the Second Amendment in the Constitution not as a moral right, but as a necessary right based on the lessons of tyranny. The protection against tyranny far outweighs the need for gun control as it pertains to the homicide or suicide rate. As sad as this reality is, guns have to be addressed in a responsible and carefully thought-out manner. As technology changes, so too will gun laws. The constant debate about assault rifles will likely be a talking point for years to come, but ultimately, guns are protection from a greater evil than domestic suicide or accidental deaths; it is about the protections of all citizens against enemies foreign and/or domestic.
Lastly, I recognize the need for certain measures of gun control: background checks, safety measures such as gun handling courses, and certain limitations on more powerful weapons such as armor piercing rounds. However, the U.S. Citizen who recognizes history and what the Second Amendment originally intends can sleep well at night knowing that they have the ability to defend not only their family, but their fellow citizen and the land that they inhabit. In conclusion, there is one very interesting fact for the pro-gun argument and is directly tied to our democracy: Pew Research Center (2016) has found that public opinion has reversed on gun rights since 1993, i.e. support for gun control has steadily declined while gun support has steadily risen. This fact cannot be ignored as we move forward on the issue of gun rights in the United States.
Resources
LaFollette, H. (2007). The practice of ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Pew Research Center. (2016). Public views about guns. Retrieved from
http://www.people-press.org/2016/08/26/public-views-about-guns/#total
Interestingly enough, LaFollette (2007) made some interesting points that I have never thought of as a supporter of the Second Amendment. Is it morally right to own guns? What type of guns should be considered legal? Do the ends justify the means when it comes to gun ownership? These questions got me to thinking about whether or not citizens have the full right to bear arms in the United States of America.
While LaFollette (2007) makes some valid points on the morality of owning firearms, his argument forgets a vital point made by the second amendment. The constitutional right to bear arms is less about morality and more about tyranny which we have found to be ethically wrong. I understand LaFollette's arguments for gun control from a moral perspective, but much like his arguments about punishment and world hunger... It is likely that these issues will not be solved overnight. In addition, owning guns is not about what is morally right because in reality, guns are the great equalizer in moral and ethical issues.
For example, if the United States was a society free of guns, would we have been able to make a difference in WWII? If guns had been controlled during the Civil War, would the Union had won the war more easily? Even with gun control of the Southern States during the Civil War, would illegal dealings of firearms been stopped? Guns are a part of everyday culture and have been for a very long time. In my humble opinion, their existence is meant to make peace, not war — as backwards as that sounds to many.
In the hands of moral and ethically sound men, guns are the ethical instrument that the world needs more than it realizes. The Founding Fathers put the Second Amendment in the Constitution not as a moral right, but as a necessary right based on the lessons of tyranny. The protection against tyranny far outweighs the need for gun control as it pertains to the homicide or suicide rate. As sad as this reality is, guns have to be addressed in a responsible and carefully thought-out manner. As technology changes, so too will gun laws. The constant debate about assault rifles will likely be a talking point for years to come, but ultimately, guns are protection from a greater evil than domestic suicide or accidental deaths; it is about the protections of all citizens against enemies foreign and/or domestic.
Lastly, I recognize the need for certain measures of gun control: background checks, safety measures such as gun handling courses, and certain limitations on more powerful weapons such as armor piercing rounds. However, the U.S. Citizen who recognizes history and what the Second Amendment originally intends can sleep well at night knowing that they have the ability to defend not only their family, but their fellow citizen and the land that they inhabit. In conclusion, there is one very interesting fact for the pro-gun argument and is directly tied to our democracy: Pew Research Center (2016) has found that public opinion has reversed on gun rights since 1993, i.e. support for gun control has steadily declined while gun support has steadily risen. This fact cannot be ignored as we move forward on the issue of gun rights in the United States.
Resources
LaFollette, H. (2007). The practice of ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Pew Research Center. (2016). Public views about guns. Retrieved from
http://www.people-press.org/2016/08/26/public-views-about-guns/#total
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