Essay On Right To Keep And Bear Arms

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In recent years, the debate over the right to keep and bear arms has exploded into a heated controversy that has polarized the American people. At the center of this debate is the intent and wording of the Second Amendment. Those groups and individuals opposed to the private ownership of firearms argue that there is no individual right to keep and bear arms because the Amendment refers to the people's "collective right," as members of a well-regulated State militia. The contrary position is the Amendment created, and or secures an individual right. In the author's opinion, this debate, from a federal standpoint, is totally flawed because it is the system of government established by the Constitution that is the key to resolving this controversy not the intent and wording of the Second Amendment. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, one of the groups opposed to the private ownership of firearms, claims the right enumerated in the Second Amendment pertains to the State militias. On their website, this organization claims the Second Amendment was adopted "to prevent the federal government from disarming the State militias." The U.S.…show more content…
Those groups opposed to the private ownership of firearms have based their position on the erroneous belief that the federal government can enact any law it chooses unless the Constitution contains a specific provision restricting its power. This is a total distortion of the system of government established by the Constitution. The Constitution established a federal government of limited enumerated powers. Under this system of government, the federal government can only exercise those powers enumerated in the Constitution. The core principle of our constitutional system of government is every power not granted is denied irrespective of the subsequent adoption of the Tenth

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