Gun Control and Second Amendment Research Paper

Gun Control and Second Amendment - Research Paper Example Instead, the paper shall give a brief history of the origins of this debate then it shall look at the extremely confusing word use on the preamble in the Second Amendment where it will highlight the strong argument points for both sides: pro-gun control and anti-gun control. However, this does not mean that the paper has taken a neutral stance because after all fact have been laid bare the main purpose of this paper is to explain why having guns in the hand of the civilian population, as good intentioned as it may be, provides a real source of danger especially to the American adolescent population at home and at school. The debate on whether or not Americans should privately own guns and the Second Amendment goes back several years though we could argue that it gained heat after the assassination of President J. F. Kennedy in 1963. After evidence from the assassination of President JFK the public became aware of the relative uncontrolled state of sale and possession of firearms in the United States. Below we provide a brief outline of possible key dates in this debate. In 1871, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is established in New York. The NRA remains as the strongest lobby group in the United States as it actively promotes the right for Americans to own firearms privately. It was founded as the American Rifle Association with the purpose of improving civilian marksmanship in preparation for war. In 1968, the Gun Control Act is enacted. This Act is used to regulate the sale of handguns, gun-dealer licensing and gun-importation. Indeed, before1968, guns were sold to any adult regardless of mental capacity or criminal record. In 1972, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is established. The ATF’s mission was to enforce the Federal firearms laws, to control the sale of firearms and to prevent illegal use of firearms. Today its mandate has expanded to include protecting American communities from arson, bombings and acts of