Second Amendment Facts  Proposed on Sept. 25, 1789  Ratified on Dec. 15, 1791  Actual words in the 2 nd 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.”  When created, many state constitutions required men to own a gun and supplies needed to operate that firearm

The Debate  The wording of the amendment is what caused the debate from the beginning  Gun control advocates state that it is meant for state militias  Firearm enthusiasts argue that it gives everyone a right to own and operate a gun

The Current Debate  With the rising cases of gun violence should there be stricter rules on purchasing firearms  Parker v. District of Columbia addressed the issue of handgun. Should handguns be prohibited but guns/riffles be allowed ruling would say prohibiting the ownership of handguns was unconstitutional

Statistics  47% of American adults keep a firearm on their property  26% support a ban on handguns  On average guns are responsible for around 30,000 deaths a year, more than half of these being suicides  There are million guns in private hands in America  Around 8 million have a concealed carry license

The Sides – For Gun Control  Questions to ask: Would reducing the amount of firearms help bring down the gun violence? Would school shootings be less frequent? Should we have gun control concerning the mentally ill? Should people with a criminal background be able to own a firearm? Does concealed carry license really make our nation safer? Etc.

The Sides – Against Gun Control  Questions to ask: Would preventing gun ownership make our country more dangerous? Should all people be given the same right to own and possess a weapon if they want? Should law abiding citizens continue to obtain a concealed carry license? Does gun ownership make our nation safer? Etc.