Primer: The Second Amendment

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

The Second Amendment of the United States, specifically the second half, has spurred lengthy conversation about its intention and scope. Upon the technological advancements that have made firearms more deadly, many have called for stricter gun regulations, or in some cases the entire amendment to be repealed. However, many gun owners argue that owning guns is not inherently bad and entirely removing the amendment would cause even more severe problems.

Anti-second amendment advocates argue that the 2A was written in 1787, when the most prominent guns were muskets, which could not shoot very far, nor very fast. Although multi-shot weapons existed in the 18th century, they were relatively rare and mostly used by the British against the colonies. Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health published a report in 2022, stating nearly 50,000 people died by gun violence, which was the 2nd highest number in U.S. history. Firearms were the leading cause of death amongst children 1-17 years old that year, with the majority of the incidents being suicides or homicides. In 2022, over 27,000 people died by firearm suicide, which was the highest number ever recorded. Additionally, gun violence disproportionately affects marginalized groups, specifically black people.

However, 2A advocates argue that repealing the second amendment would leave guns only in the hands of criminals, who refuse to give them up. Some say there is already an illegal market for firearms, and those with intent to kill will find ways to own guns regardless of a repeal. Also licensed carriers have been able to deter or stop criminals multiple times, and a 1996 study showed that women specifically were less at risk of serious injury from an attack if they resisted with a gun. Finally, 80% of mass shooters at k-12 schools obtained their weapons unlawfully by stealing from a family member, making the case for stricter storage regulations, as opposed to a complete removal of the amendment.

Come join our debate this Monday at 7pm in Scott Hall!

"Gun Show" by M&R Glasgow is licensed under CC BY 2.0.