Do you think the gun laws of the United States should get any stricter? I definitely support gun laws, but to a certain extent. If they get any more rigid, I'm afraid that the lives of law abiding citizens will be put in jeopardy. Stringent gun laws will not reduce gun crimes or gun accidents. It will only cause an increase in illegal gun possession because if people can't obtain a firearm legally especially if they are law aiding citizens, then they will be forced obtain it illegally. In some states, citizens are not allowed to purchase licensed firearms which I think is absurd. Take for example a family that lives in the middle of a registered sex offender and a murder who served time in a federal penitentiary. How safe will a family with two young children be with nothing to defend themselves with in case of an emergency.
Today, I met Glen Caroline, director of the National Rifle Association's Grassroots Division. The Association was founded in 1871. It currently has approximately 4 million dues paying members and it is rated as a very effective organization. The National Rifle Association is the oldest civil rights organization in the United States. The NRA works to protect the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and promote firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety and the promotion of hunting and self-defense in the United States. Political activity by the NRA is based upon the principle that gun ownership is a civil liberty protected by the Second Amendment. Caroline voiced that there are already thousands and thousands of existing gun control laws and there is no need for any more. He also said that gun are used for self-defense over 2.5 million times a year which is 3-5 times more than they are used to commit crime. Some of the National Rifle Association's solutions to reducing gun crime are to enforce existing laws, instant check of citizens, and work on the right-to-carry. Their main solution to reducing gun accidents is education. The NRA is a very important organization that can aid with the prevention of gun crimes and gun accidents.
Today was a very productive day. I was able to learn tons of information about gun laws as they pertain to the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights. If you are interested in learning more about the National Rifle Association, their website is www.nra.org and to specifically learn about Glen Caroline's division, log on to www.nraila.org.
After attending this seminar, I had the rest of the day off surprisingly. My friends and I went back to the Superior Court to do some more snooping but was sadly disappointed when we got to the courtroom and no one was there. We had gotten their too late! But don't worry, we will be there for the closing arguments so that I can tell you guys about it. See you tomorrow!
The laws that govern gun use and protect constitutional rights in America are important, whether I support or even understand them. Based on the insight you provided, it appears that legislators should make better informed and well thought out decisions. You said that citizen's are not allowed to purchase licensed firearms in some states, that's interesting. I agree that guns can be used to defend oneself from harm; however, I do not see the need to sell citizen's automatic weapons, extended magazine clips, or other advanced weapon systems.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog topic Sian, this was a thought provoking entry.