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The Bill of Rights was passed which included ten amendments. The Second Amendment stated that people were allowed to keep and bear arms. This would lead to controversy over gun rights for years to come.
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The National Firearms Act (NFA) was passed. This law imposed a tax on the manufacturing, selling, and transporting of firearms listed in the law. While this satisfied some people, it angered others that they were having to pay a tax on firearms.
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Congress was allowed to regulate the interstate selling of a short barrel shotgun because of the National Firearms Act of 1934 in the case of United States v. Miller. This angered some people because they thought this was unconstitutional and violated their rights. Others agreed with the ruling though, because they felt as if the government needed to keep tight reign over gun control.
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After the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr., Lyndon B. Johnson tried to pass the Gun Control Act of 1968. This bill banned importing guns that didn't have sporting purpose, created age restrictions, and kept felons and the mentally ill, among others, from purchasing guns. These events scared many people and strengthened the belief that there needed to be stricter policies on guns. Others though, were upset by the new rules.
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The Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act of 1993 is passed. It was named after James Brady who was disabled after an injury obtained during an attempt to assassinate Ronald Reagan. This law requires that background checks be completed before a gun is purchased. Although some Americans felt more protected by this law, others were outraged and claimed this violated their rights.
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The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act is passed and creates a 10 year ban on the production of new semi-automatic assault weapons. Creates discussion over whether this goes against the rights of the people.
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The Supreme Court in the District of Columbia v. Heller decides that Americans have the right under the Second Amendment to possess firearms. This law struck down local law banning handguns in the district.
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Shooting at a Las Vegas music festival, which killed 58 and injured many more. This is considered to be one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. This helped ignite the debate over the regulation of gun control. Some people believed citizens shouldn't have guns, whereas others felt they were needed for self defense.
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Mass murders at schools in Parkland, FL and Santa Fe, TX, and houses of worship in Pittsburgh, PA and Charleston, SC, shock the nation. Large-scale debates break out concerning the best way to fix the pressing issue of gun control.
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Nikolas Cruz used an AR-15 to shoot and kill 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Students felt the need to meet with lawmakers in the state capital to advocate for gun control. This event brought even more awareness to the issue of guns and the amount of control the government should have in their regulation.
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Currently, our government is unsure of what to do about gun control. In the past, compromises have been made to appease everyone, but currently, our government is unsure of what to do.
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Right now, the government is deciding the best course of action regarding gun control. I I don’t think the government would ban the use of guns though since the right to bear arms is written in our Constitution. I do think they might would try to restrict usage as much as possible though.
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In the future, I think more preventive action will need to be taken in order to keep American citizens safe. I don’t think banning the use of guns is the best option because innocent civilians need to be able to gain access to firearms if the need arises for self defense. I don’t think guns should be sold to anyone though, and that there should be restrictions on who is able to own a gun.
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Gray, S. (2018, February 22). A Timeline of Gun Control Laws in The U.S. Retrieved from http://time.com/5169210/us-gun-control-laws-history-timeline
Liasson, M. (n.d.). Which Direction Is Trump Heading On Guns? Retrieved from http://www.wlrn.org/post/which-direction-trump-heading-guns -
There has been an increased amount of gun violence over the past few years causing an increased awareness of the issue. This has caused many debates and protests to break out concerning what should be done. While some people argue that guns should be taken away, others believe that innocent people must be allowed to have guns in order to protect themselves.
