Revised: September 2015

The Second Amendment, Firearms, and Gun Control

by Brandon H

Section I. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states, “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.” But what does this amendment mean? Let’s break it down into three

parts.

“A well regulated militia” - Many gun control advocates argue that the second amendment

only applies to those serving in the armed forces. However, this view is incorrect and does not

line up with the views of the Founding Fathers. George Mason, the “Father of the Bill of Rights”

once stated, “...who are the militia, if they be not the people of this country...? I ask, who are

the militia? They consist of now of the whole people…” According to George Mason, who

helped draft the amendment, the second amendment applies to all citizens of the United

States. Richard Henry Lee, one of the statesmen who called for the Declaration of

Independence wrote, “A militia when properly formed are in fact the people themselves . . .

and include all men capable of bearing arms. . . To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole

body of people always possess arms…” Richard H. Lee also agreed with George Mason. He

added that all men capable of possessing arms (Meaning those who were not criminals,

mentally ill, etc.) should possess them in order to preserve freedom. This leads me to my next

point.

“being necessary to the security of a free state” - The main purpose of the second amendment

is to preserve a government run by the people and to deter/overthrow tyranny. Thomas

Jefferson, the principal writer of the Declaration of Independence and the third US president

said, “God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion.... And what country

can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people

preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.... The tree of liberty must be refreshed

from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” This quote clearly states that the

people should take up arms so that they can preserve their liberty. Without an armed citizenry,

the government would be free to do as they please. If the government were to pass legislation

that removed all of our rights, what are we supposed to do? March to the capital unarmed

against the tyranny? Many people, after hearing this say that this is not relevant today.

However, the threat of tyranny right now is no less than it was in 1700, 1800, or 1900. Hitler

took power through the democratic process of the Weimar Republic. Look at what he did. He

killed millions of innocent men, women and children in concentration camps. What did the

soldiers who followed him say? They said that they were just following orders. Even after this,

some people may say that society has learned its lesson; this will never be repeated. However,

a social experiment at a Palo Alto, CA school said otherwise.

Read the News Story:

Palo Alto Centennial

Publication Date: Wednesday, April 13, 1994

A dangerous experiment

by Susan Jackson

When Ron Jones started teaching at Cubberley High School in the fall of 1968, it was considered the most innovative of Palo

Alto's high schools. That's why the 26-year-old graduate student in the Stanford Teacher Education Program wanted to teach

there. His methods were experimental and his goal was to bring social studies to life. And because it was the '60s, Jones was

caught up in a whirlwind of student activism the likes of which Palo Alto had never seen before.

But what gained Jones an international reputation was an experiment in which students, the school's principal and other

members of the community flirted with aspects of Nazism for a week.

Jones formulated the idea during a discussion on Nazi Germany when a student insisted "it couldn't happen here."

To find out, Jones turned his class into an efficient youth organization, which he called the Third Wave. Some students were

informers, and some were told they couldn't go certain places on campus. He insisted on rigid posture and that questions be

answered formally and quickly.

The experiment, initially scheduled for one day, stretched into five. "It was strange how quickly the students took to a uniform

code of behavior. I began to wonder just how far they could be pushed," Jones wrote in "No Substitute for Madness," a book

that chronicled the experiment.

To his surprise, Jones found that students recited facts more accurately in this authoritarian environment and that he had no

discipline problems. One previously lost soul suddenly had a role in the school--he became Jones' bodyguard.

But soon the experiment began spinning out of control.

At a Friday assembly, five days into the experiment, Jones announced, "We can bring (the nation) a new sense of order,

community, pride, and action. Everything rests on you and your willingness to take a stand," he told students.

As one, the students shouted, "Strength through discipline!"

After a long silence, Jones began to speak. "There is no such thing as a national youth movement called the Third Wave. You

have been used. Manipulated. Shoved by your own desires into the place you now find yourselves."

He showed a movie of Hitler at the Nuremberg rally. The students and teachers saw that they had only too readily adopted

many of the behaviors they were witnessing on the screen. They realized the possibility that it could happen here.

"I wouldn't do it again," Jones said in 1991. "I put students at risk." Jones' "bodyguard" broke down in tears after the rally, as

did many other students. And while the students were learning more facts, "they gave up their freedom" during the

experiment, he said.

The Third Wave didn't become public knowledge for years. Jones eventually wrote about it, long after he had left teaching, in

"No Substitute for Madness," one of his 30 books. A movie and a play were made about the experiment.

“the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” What does this mean

for us? It states that as citizens of the United States, we have the right to possess and carry

weapons. Technically, this includes all weapons that a citizen is able to operate. This includes:

so called “assault weapons”, “high capacity magazines” and ammunition. Now, this does not

mean that the Second Amendment is unlimited. Obviously, only people who have no history of

criminal activity or mental illnesses and have the physical/mental ability to operate the

weapons, should be able to possess these weapons. The amendment also allows for people to

bear arms. This means that citizens should be able to carry their firearms in public. (e.g.

Concealed Carry). With all of that said, some people believe that the second amendment was

written assuming that the main firearm would be the musket, which could only fire one round

at a time. First of all, this is the same thing as saying your first amendment right only allows you

to express free speech by writing with a quill and ink. Also, multiple weapons capable of firing

multiple rounds were in development/in service before the constitution was drafted. The

puckle gun had a revolver like cylinder which rotated upon firing each round. This allowed

multiple rounds to be fired within a short amount of time. Also, Thomas Jefferson owned a

Girandoni Air Rifle, which is classified as a modern-day “assault weapon” due to its

characteristics: It had a high capacity magazine, it could fire 22 aimed shots in 60 seconds, and

it was a military style weapon (Used by the Austrian Army from 1780 to 1815)(Note: The second

amendment, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was passed in 1791)

Other than the Second Amendment, the Founding Fathers had many things to say about gun

legislation:

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms. . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor

determined to commit crimes. . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for

the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man

may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.”

-Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US President (Originally written by a 18th Century criminologist named,

Cesare Beccaria)

"Are we at last brought to such an humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be

trusted with arms for our own defense? Where is the difference between having our arms

under our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the

management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose

hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?"

-Patrick Henry, (“Give me liberty, or give me death”)

Section II. Firearms

Merriam-Webster defines a firearm as: “a weapon from which a shot is discharged by

gunpowder”. This means weapons such as rifles, pistols, shotguns, etc.

In 2013, the firearms industry generated $37.7 Billion in economic activity. It is responsible for

the creation of 250,000 jobs in the US. (National Shooting Sports Foundation, 2013)

Firearms are possessed by approximately 100 million out of 300 million US citizens. (Firearms

and Violence: A Critical Review, 2005)

In 1997, 80% of all criminals obtained their firearms either through illegal street dealing or

through family/friends. (Department of Justice, 2001)

In a 2005 Gallup poll, 67% of gun owners claimed to own a firearm for self defense; 66% for

target/recreational shooting; and 58% for hunting. (Gallup Poll, 2005)

Gun Ownership is on the rise: “NICS background checks [Background check used for firearm

purchases] soared from 11.2 to 21.1 million between 2007 and 2013. The sale of guns

accelerated further over the last two years -- averaging 14 million during 2008 to 2011 and over

20 million during 2012 and 2013.” (Crime Prevention Research Center, 2014)

Violent Crime has been on a decreasing trend. In fact, the violent crime rate is at the lowest

level since 1978. The rate has fallen each year since at least 1994. (Time Magazine with

References to the FBI, 2014)

In 2007, there were 613 accidental firearms deaths in the US. This consisted of 0.5% of all

accidental deaths in the US. (Center for Disease Control, 2007)

In 2007, there were 15,698 emergency room visits due to firearm accidents. This consisted of

0.05% of all emergency room visits related to accidents. (Center for Disease Control, 2007)

In 2008, there were roughly 16,000 murders in the United States. 67% of these murders were

committed with a firearm. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2008)

In 2008, there were 5,340,000 violent crimes committed in the United States. Only 8% of these

crimes were committed by an assailant with a firearm. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2008)

Excluding all law enforcement, military or security work, firearms are used approximately 1

million times each year for self defense. In most cases, Firearms were either brandished or

warning shots were fired, resulting in the assailant fleeing. (Journal of Quantitative Criminology,

2000)

Civilians use firearms 500,000 times each year to scare away or disable home invaders. (Center

for Disease Control, 1994)

“almost all national survey estimates indicate that defensive gun uses by victims are at least as

common as offensive uses by criminals, with estimates of annual uses ranging from about

500,000 to more than 3 million per year.” (Center for Disease Control, 2013)

In the City/County of Denver, the average police response time is 14.3 minutes. Think about

what a criminal would be able to do within that timeframe. (Office of the Auditor, Audit

Services Division, City and County of Denver, 2014)

In the United States, the average police response time is 10 minutes. The best response time is

4 minutes and the worst response time is over 1 hour. (American Police Beat/US Department of

Justice)

From 1976 to 2008, Washington D.C. had a law prohibiting civilians from possessing handguns.

During these years, the murder rate in Washington D.C. increased 73%. (Federal Bureau of

Investigation, 2010)

In 1920, 1968, and 1997, Britain passed numerous gun control laws that resulted in mandatory

firearms confiscation. After the 1968 gun control law, the murder rate in England and Wales

increased 52%. After the Firearms confiscation in 1997, the murder rate increased 15%. (House

of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts, 1999)

In 1987, Florida passed a law that guaranteed a citizen’s right to carry a firearm concealed (Over

21, No Criminal Background, No Mental Illnesses). In 2010, approximately 5.4% of the state’s

population had a concealed carry permit. After the law took effect, Florida’s murder rate

decreased 36% while the overall US murder rate decreased 15%. (Federal Bureau of

Investigation, 2010)

In 1996, Texas passed a law that guaranteed a citizen’s right to carry a firearm concealed. (Over

21, No Criminal/Mental Health Background, Pass a Handgun Proficiency Test) In 2009,

Approximately 2.4% of the state’s population possessed a concealed carry permit. After the law

took effect, the murder rate in Texas decreased 30% while the overall US murder rate

decreased 28%. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2010)

In 2001, Michigan passed a similar law to Texas. After the law took effect, Michigan’s murder

rate decreased 4% while the US murder rate decreased 2%. (Federal Bureau of Investigation,

2010)

Less than 2% of all crime involving firearms are committed with a rifle. (Congressional Research

Service Report, 2012)

Results of a Law Enforcement Survey by Police One:

-95% of officers stated that a federal ban on high capacity magazines would not decrease crime

-91% of officers stated that a federal ban on certain semi-automatic firearms would either not

affect or increase violent crime rates

-85% of officers stated that the Obama administration’s approach to gun legislation will not

make people safer

-70% of officers were confident that their chiefs/sheriffs would not enforce unconstitutional

gun laws

-61% of officers would not enforce unconstitutional gun laws, 20% were unsure

-65% of officers stated that increased mental health care, armed guards, and concealed carriers

would help prevent large scale mass shootings

-90% of officers stated that casualties would be reduced significantly if armed citizens were

present at mass shooting events

-80% of officers support arming teachers who voluntarily wish to undergo firearms training and

carry their firearms at school

-81% of officers stated that gun buyback programs do not reduce gun violence

-60% of officers believe that increased punishment for illegal gun sales could have a positive

impact on reducing gun violence

-56% of officers stated that training should be required for firearms purchases

Major Gun Control Laws that are Ineffective:

Ban on High Capacity Magazines/Assault Weapons in order to prevent mass shootings

-95% of officers stated that a federal ban on high capacity magazines would not

decrease crime

-91% of officers stated that a federal ban on certain semi-automatic firearms would

either not affect or increase violent crime rates

-Even if all firearms were banned, mass killings would still occur:

-In 2012, in Central China, a man stabbed 23 people, including 22 children at a

school

-In 2014, in Pennsylvania, a student stabbed 22 people at a school

-In 2010, in Eastern China, a man stabbed 13 children at a school

-The shooter in the Virginia Tech Shooting used low capacity magazines. (10/15 Rounds)

He just brought more of them.

-8% of all assailants in violent crime were armed with a firearm

-2% of violent crimes involving firearms were committed with assault weapons

-From a 2004 Department of Justice report on the effects of the Assault Weapons/High

Capacity Magazine ban of 1994-2004:

“But a more casual assessment shows that gun crimes since the ban have been

no less likely to cause death or injury than those before the ban, contrary to

what we might expect if crimes with AWs and LCMs had both declined. For

instance, the percentage of violent gun crimes resulting in death has been very

stable since 1990 according to national statistics on crimes reported to police

(see Figure 9-1 in section 9.1).110 In fact, the percentage of gun crimes resulting

in death during 2001 and 2002 (2.94%) was slightly higher than that during

1992 and 1993 (2.9%).”

-From an article on high capacity magazines:

”Consider that one of the Columbine shooters used a Hi-Point 995 carbine rifle,

which uses 10 round magazines. He just carried 13 of them. Similarly, the

Virginia Tech shooter used handguns and 17 magazines – mostly of 10-round

(but also some 15-round). Two of the highest profile mass shootings in recent

history and shooters used 10-round magazines; they just brought a lot of them.

These magazines would not have been affected at all by the proposed ban.”

”Magazine changes can be very, very rapid, taking just seconds. The Columbine

shooters had all the time in the world to reload and reload. They shot in the

cafeteria, they entered the library, the went back to the cafeteria, then they

went back to the library, and finally the science area. The shooting started at

11:19am and they continued their carnage until they committed suicide at

approximately 12:08pm - or nearly an hour.

-From a 2013 letter by the County Sheriffs of Colorado

“Law enforcement officers carry high capacity magazines because there are

times when 10 rounds might not be enough to end the threat. County Sheriffs

of Colorado believe the same should hold true for civilians who wish to defend

themselves, especially if attacked by multiple assailants.”

“When seconds matter, County Sheriffs of Colorado do not want to deny a

law-abiding citizen the ability to defend himself and his family based on an

arbitrary limit on how many bullets should be in one magazine clip.”

-80% of criminals obtain firearms illegally; they will be able to acquire high capacity

magazines illegally also.

-Civilians can effectively use assault weapons for multiple purposes:

-Civil Unrest/Disasters/WROL (Without Rule of Law) Scenarios

-During the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, emergency services, including law

enforcement were unable to respond to widespread looting, murder,

robbery, etc.

-However, in Korea Town, a Korean business owner armed himself with a

rifle in order to prevent looters from harming him and destroying his

store.

-Along with other armed citizens, they fired shots into the air, scaring

away any attackers.

-Defense Against Multiple Attackers

-The low recoil of the assault rifle allows for the armed citizen to

effectively control his shots, allowing him to target multiple attackers.

-The high powered rounds fired by the assault rifle also allow for the

citizen to disable attackers with few rounds.

-The characteristics of the 5.56mm round (Most common round used in

assault rifles) allow for it to effectively disable an attacker without

piercing through the walls behind him. This makes it extremely viable for

home defense, where children may be present in another room.

-The high magazine capacity allows for the armed citizen to take on

multiple attackers without reloading. If the capacity was limited, the

attacker may possess a magazine of higher capacity, giving him the

advantage.

-Last Line of Defense Against Tyranny

-In Federalist Paper #46, one of the Founding Fathers, James Madison,

stated that it was doubtful that a small standing army would be able to

conquer an armed American citizenry. He also argued that in order to

repel a standing army, citizens must arm themselves with the weapons of

a common soldier. Today, a common soldier carries an assault rifle with

high capacity magazines.

-There are multiple examples of democracies turning into totalitarian,

tyrannical governments:

-1925: Italy turns from a Parliamentary Democracy to a

Dictatorship under Mussolini

-1933: Germany turns from a Parliamentary Democracy to a

Dictatorship under Hitler

-1939: Spain turns from a Republic to a Dictatorship under Franco

Above image shows an American Internment Camp (Formed During WWII, Held All American

Citizens of Japanese Ancestry for “Public Safety”)

Gun Free Zones in order to prevent mass shootings

-90% of officers stated that casualties would be reduced significantly if armed citizens

were present at mass shooting events

-80% of officers support arming teachers who voluntarily wish to undergo firearms

training and carry their firearms at school

-Why would criminals not carry their weapons because of a sign? Gun Free Zones would

disarm law-abiding citizens, not the criminals

-Criminals target places where they know nobody will be armed in order to reduce their

risk

-Amanda Collins was a concealed carry permit holder in Nevada. However, she studied

at the University of Nevada which was a “Gun Free School Zone”. She was not carrying

her firearm when she was raped, with a firearm pointed at her head, less than 300 yards

from the campus police office. Her attacker, James Biela went on and murdered Brianna

Dennison, a 19 year old.

Bans on Concealed Carry

-Multiple statistics prove that good guys carrying guns decrease crime rates.

-Criminals do not follow the law and will carry their firearms anyway.

-Again, a ban on concealed carry would only disarm law-abiding citizens, not criminals

-The average police response time in the US is 10 minutes. When seconds count, the

police officers are minutes away.

-From a 2014 Report on Concealed Carry by the Crime Prevention Research Center:

“To put this in perspective, during the eight years from 1999 to 2007, the

number of permits increased by about 240,000 per year. During the next four

years that figure surged to 844,000 net new permits per year. And from the end

of 2011 to 2014 the yearly increase had soared to 1,390,000 net new permits

per year.”

“The total number of permit holders presented in our report somewhat

underestimate the true number of people who can legally carry concealed

handguns.

-Permits are not required to carry a concealed handgun in five states and

99.4 percent of Montana.

-Data is not readily available for all states.

-For some states the data is one or two years old and this misses the

huge recent growth we have seen in the number of permits.”

“Between 2007 and the preliminary estimates for 2013, murder rates have fallen

from 5.6 to 4.4 per 100,000 - a 22 percent drop in the murder rate at the same

time that the percentage of the adult population with permits soared by 130

percent. Overall violent crime also fell by the same percentage, 22 percent, over

that period of time.”

Banning/Excessive Taxing on Ammunition

-Again, it would only prevent law-abiding citizens from defending themselves

-Criminals will acquire ammunition via illegal methods

-Firearms are only used in 8% of all violent crime. Even if ammunition was banned and

firearms were not used, criminals would use other weapons such as knives or hammers

Firearm Registration

-Criminals will not register illegal firearms

-Allows for a future government to confiscate firearms

-In 1931, before Hitler came to power, the Weimar Republic ordered people to register

their firearms

-After Hitler came to power democratically, he used the gun registry to confiscate all

firearms owned by the Jews and others who were deemed not “politically reliable”.

Part III. My Proposed Gun Laws

Goal: Prevent criminals/mentally ill from acquiring firearms through a legal avenue; Decrease

violent crime rates; Increase firearm safety; Protect the Second Amendment

Eligibility:

-Must be 18 Years Old

-Must not have been convicted of a felony (Prove via National Database of Criminals)

-Must not be currently diagnosed with a mental illness that impedes the ability to

think/act logically (Prove via Medical Records and the Judgement of the Firearms

Dealer)

Background Checks:

-Should be required for all firearms sales and transfers

-Background Checks should check for criminal history and mental illness

-Background Checks should be instant

Firearm Safety:

-It is the responsibility of the owner to use common sense when using, storing, and/or

carrying a firearm

-It is the responsibility of the owner to provide education for household members on

firearm safety, use, etc.

-If an individual is injured or killed due to the negligence of the firearm owner, the

firearm owner shall be held accountable and charged with the appropriate crime

Carry in Public:

-Any person qualified to purchase a firearm is allowed to carry a firearm in public

-Open Carry is not legal on private property without the owner’s consent

-Concealed Carry is legal everywhere

-Intoxicating substances (e.g. alcohol) shall not be consumed when carrying a firearm

“Assault Weapons”, “High Capacity Magazines”, and Ammunition:

-All firearms, including assault weapons shall not be prohibited

-Magazines including so called “high capacity magazines” shall not be prohibited

-All Types of Ammunition shall not be prohibited

-Note: ALL rifle ammunition is capable of defeating Level IIIA Body Armor used by

law enforcement officers

-All other firearms accessories shall not be prohibited

Other:

-No State or Local entity shall pass gun control legislation more restrictive than stated

here

-Suspected criminals may be held at gunpoint until law enforcement arrives

-The defender must give the suspected criminal a verbal warning

-Lethal force shall only be used if there is a threat of severe bodily harm against any

person

-In cases of self defense, the defender shall not be convicted of a crime

-Firearms shall never be confiscated unless the owner has committed a crime

-Firearms and Firearm Owners shall never be registered

-No firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories shall be unreasonably taxed

-Firearms and Ammunition shall be sold/transferred at a licensed firearm dealer

-Firearm dealers must be eligible to possess a firearm

-All Federal Gun Control Laws should be repealed and replaced with this one

-WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) and Explosives should still be controlled by the

Federal Government

-Laws regarding weapons not listed in this law should be defined by each individual

state

Sources:

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/gun-quotations-founding-fathers

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news_features/centennial/1960SC.php

http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007671

http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/firearms.htm

http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-girandoni-air-rifle/

http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firearm

http://www.policeone.com/Gun-Legislation-Law-Enforcement/articles/6183787-PoliceOnes-Gu

n-Control-Survey-11-key-lessons-from-officers-perspectives/

http://www.assaultweapon.info/

http://www.nrawomen.tv/refuse-to-be-a-victim/video/amanda-collins-a-survivor-s-story/list/r

efuse-to-be-a-victim-feature

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/365103/how-nazis-used-gun-control-stephen-p-halbro

ok

http://mises.org/library/gun-control-nazi-germany

http://mic.com/articles/24263/gun-control-facts-why-a-high-capacity-magazine-ban-would-not

-prevent-mass-shootings

http://www.gallup.com/poll/20098/gun-ownership-use-america.aspx

http://mic.com/articles/24263/gun-control-facts-why-a-high-capacity-magazine-ban-would-not

-prevent-mass-shootings

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/cdc-study-use-firearms-self-defense-important-crime-d

eterrent

http://time.com/3577026/crime-rates-drop-1970s/

http://www.self-defense-mind-body-spirit.com/average-police-response-time.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/world/asia/man-stabs-22-children-in-china.html?_r=3&

http://news.yahoo.com/least-six-stabbed-pennsylvania-high-school-reports-124150702.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/23/china.school.attack/

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