Introduction:

The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms in a well regulated militia to stand against tyranny and inequality. This amendment has come under a lot of backlash as the amount of firearm violence has appeared to rise, and this has led the nation to be divided into two groups that are either anti gun that want most firearms to be banned and the polar opposite of they think that the gun laws need to be more relaxed. Personally I am very pro 2A to the point I think that almost all gun laws are against the second amendment. I am certified gun safe by a police gun handling program led by retired officers. My family and I have several firearms and other projectile weapons, we use them mainly for sport shooting and hunting.

The Facts:

The amount of murders involving guns from 2005 to 2020 were at 68%, while the amount of assaults that were committed were only 21% gun related. The amount of gun related deaths has steadily fell from 1999 which peaked at 11,547. 60% to 74% of gun crimes were related to gangs and drug related altercations. (https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/gun-violence-america)

Pros of being for the Second Amendment:

Being pro 2A is a very common thing in the southern states, this often just means that you think the gun laws are a little strict but you can live with them or you think that they are too strict and infringe on your rights. Most people that are pro 2A are towards the side of hunters, sports shooters, and firearms enthusiasts. They often argue to the point of firearms just being ostracized in the media and only shown in a negative light. This is often followed by the point that knives are involved in a significantly larger amount of crimes. They also argue that automatic firearms have strict laws and removing guns from the hands of proper owners would only cause more issues.

Cons of being 2A:

There is a negative connotation that stigmatizes firearms, they are often attributed to gun violence and being in crime rings. This is often false, even though there are guns in the hands of criminals they are often stolen guns. The anti 2A community often argues that it is too easy to purchase a firearm if you're a bad person and that nobody should be allowed to own an automatic weapon or the accessories for one. This is more common towards the northern parts of the states. The anti 2A community often tries to get the government to hold raids and gun buybacks/confiscations to remove the firearms from the hands of people.

My solution for both sides:

Personally this topic affects me alot, I was raised around firearms and shot a variety from Ak47's to .22lr revolvers, leading me to being accustomed to firearm safety. I personally took a course on firearms when I was 9 years old, this led me to being comfortable around guns and knowing how to handle them properly in most situations. So I have proposed that instead of strengthening the restrictions on buying capabilities of firearms/accessories we spread funding into proper handling and teaching on how to use and maintain them. We could also extend the waiting period and background checks done during the process of buying firearms/accessories. This would help both parties get what they want as it makes it less likely for bad people to get firearms, as well as teaching people how to be comfortable and use them safely.

The effect of my proposed changes:

These proposed changes would affect the community fundamentally, they would introduce more legitimacy of people who handle firearms as well as how good people get firearms rather than bad people. The imposed restriction and increase of background checks would increase the length of time before you can receive your firearm as well as removing them from common everyday stores such as walmart. These changes would greatly reduce the risk of people buying firearms when they are unstable or mentally deranged. The increase in firearms safety would lead people to be more confident when around firearms and their ability to handle them in the most dire situation, whether it is self defense or hunting. These imposed restrictions in total would make people be more conscious about buying and handling firearms as well as forcing criminals into being able to obtain a lower supply of them. I proposed these changes to several people in my community, and they responded similarly. “I think stricter/tighter restrictions on buying firearms and more thorough background checks would be good,” Michele Kercheval, GT coordinator for Pocahontas Public Schools said when prompted with what do you think about the proposed changes to waiting times and background checks. She added, “I agree that all firearm owners/purchasers should have to go through firearm training.” Randy Nichols, a welder said,'' I think that increasing the waiting time is unnecessary as there is already a 2 weeks waiting period, but I agree with the mandatory weapons training programs.” “I think that extending the waiting period and background checks is a smart idea, especially on any automatic firearms,” Caleb, a student at Pocahontas Junior School, said when prompted, “I also think that we need to have a lot of people do firearm training as that seems like a great idea.” “Having a more thorough background check could be very beneficial. The NICS, National Instant Criminal Background Check has numerous flaws and unfit individuals fall through the cracks daily… A creation of a required gun safety course would be in the best interest to the community. People need to know how to properly use, care, and store their weapons,” said Coach Jamie Ward, a former police officer.