Second Amendment Outdated For the Times

The Second Amendment and gun control is a very controversial subject. I do believe people should be able to protect themselves should they feel the need to. However, the types of weapons civilians are allowed to own should be regulated as well as to which civilians have the mentality to safely own them. There have been over 7,000 deaths by guns in the last year, 179 mass shooting incidents, 1,174 accidental shootings and 1,153 home invasion incidents and were only used defensively in 847 incidents.
The Second Amendment was written back in 1791. Times were different back then. Those who wrote it had no knowledge of the types of weapons which would be invented along with the types of crimes and mental issues affecting society. There have been other sections of the bill of Rights amended to fit with the new times such as voting rights.
I personally feel that Semi-Automatic and Automatic weapons should not be in the hands of the civilians. They can do more damage and affect more people than non-automatic weapons. There is no useful purpose for a civilian to own one. I also feel that background checks should be created, enforced and amended as times change. A gun should not be in a household where someone with a mental disability, felony or on a watch list resides. When a gun is easily accessible to a person who has a mental disability they are likely to kill someone or themselves, either accidentally or intentionally (suicide due to depression or anxiety for example). Those who have or have had a felony charge should not be able to obtain a gun either as well as anyone who has been on any kind of watch list within the last five to ten years. Gun owners should have a background check done every five to ten years because lives change. A responsible gun owner can turn irresponsible in a situation that negatively affects them. Domestic violence is one of them as well as anyone who is in the military, police force or live in a high crime area and where bullying is a big issue.
The recent mass shooting in Orlando, FL is a perfect example of where background checks should be amended and enforced. The shooter had been on a FBI watch list at one point in time and was still able to obtain guns legally. Had the background check allowed for the FBI watch list to surface he would not have been able to purchase the guns. Also if any kind of automatic weapon was not on market he would have had guns that wouldn’t have killed so many. I have heard people say that if someone in the bar would have been allowed to carry a gun the shooter would have been shot sooner. However, the shooter took everybody by surprise and the majority of the patrons did not know what was happening at first. Had any of them made the attempt to shoot at the shooter they could have hit one or more bystanders. Let alone he may not have been working alone or he could have had a hidden bomb on him. So, in situations like this, one needs to think before reacting.
Another example where background check is needed is where the mass shooting in Dallas, TX where five police officers were killed and seven injured along with two civilians being injured recently. This shooter had been honorably discharged from the military with PTSD. When someone is diagnosed with PTSD they should be monitored closely and not have easy access to guns should the PTSD be bad enough. There were a lot of civilians in the crowd who were carrying guns and ran off instead of firing at the shooter. It makes you wonder why they want a gun to begin with. Although had any of them made the attempt they could have aggravated him more being he was wearing a bullet proof vest let alone they could have hit a bystander.
There should be more gun education taught in schools. Guns and bullets should be stored and locked in separate areas so they are not in easy access of children or those who can not safely use them. According to Nathan Robinson in the Washington Post Children are nine times more likely to die from accidental gun shootings in the U.S. than anywhere else. A lot of these are toddlers who are inquisitive and are always active. So leaving a loaded weapon in a purse, car or unlocked drawer is a safety hazard. For those who are a little older could be taught of the dangers of guns with programs similar to the stranger danger technique. Hands on education should be left for the high school age with parents consent. We need to be careful how much teens know with the amount of bullying taking place. Too much knowledge to those who are unable to deal with the bullying could make the situation deadly. I personally feel that having a gun for protection is redundant because it should never be left loaded and the ammunition should be locked in a separate area from the gun (especially if there are kids around). By the time you get your gun loaded it will be more than likely to late.
Those who want to get a gun license should have hands on training and a psychological evaluation. When someone wants a driver’s license they have to study and pass a permit test and practice driving with a licensed driver and then pass the test. Driver licenses have to be renewed every so many years depending on the state. They can also be revoked should they not follow the rules of the road such as DUI/DWI.
I also have an issue with open carry. Some think that a gun in sight will deter people; I think it could also attract someone. Should a gun owner get distracted the gun could easily be taken. The gun owner could also get ganged up on by more than one person. Even police officers have issues with their guns being grabbed. There was an incident in Las Vegas where a foreigner attempted to grab an officer’s gun and shoot Donald Trump. You see this in court houses and interrogation rooms. If police officers have these problems imagine the magnitude of more people openly carrying their weapons.
Guns should also be registered. The purpose of registration is to prove who the owner is. It would protect the gun and owner. Guns can be stolen or lost especially in natural disasters. This way the gun owner has more of a chance to have the gun returned. Another positive of registration is if there’s a recall on it owners can be notified easier. Expensive jewelry and vehicles are registered to insure the owner(s) should anything happen to them so why not register guns?

I believe as times change so should the laws when it comes to safety. I’m not saying take all guns away from people. Just do away with any automatic weapon and make sure that any gun is in the hands of stable and responsible people.


















References

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/09/deaths-of-children-a...

file:///E:/Documents/Gun%20Violence%20Archive.html

https://regated.com/2016/06/breaking-man-tried-grab-gun-kill-donald-trump-vegas-...