The second amendment is a constitutional right in the United States that allows ownership and bearing of a firearm. It prevents the federal government from regulating the sale or possession of guns. This amendment has caused an increased level of violent crimes and mass shootings in recent years. In 2018, the Late John Paul Stevens, a retired judge in the Supreme Court, called for the repealing of the Second Amendment to prevent gun violence that takes at least 40,000 lives each year in the United States. This suggestion received a lot of opposition from the National Rifle Association; they argued that easy access to firearms makes the United States one of the safest countries in the world from gun violence since one is allegedly able to defend themselves.
Due to the recent increase in mass shootings and violent crimes, the American people no longer feel safe in schools, places of worship, entertainment venues, and in their neighborhoods. According to Hemenway & Miller (2002), the United States leads in gun-related homicides due to increased access to guns. He argues that approximately 300 million guns are in civilian hands in the United States. He further states that America has 88.8 guns per 100 persons, which is the highest per capita rate in the world. Congress should pass legislation on universal background checks, prohibit the use of semi-automatic rifles, extend the waiting periods, gun registration qualifications, and red flag laws. However, the American people should demand the repealing of the second amendment in order to have effective and lasting reforms.
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The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was inducted in 1787. An amendment should only take place when there is a major issue affecting all American citizens or the need to secure their rights. Not only is the amendment process cumbersome but also time-consuming. The approaches used in amending the America constitution are congressional proposal method and convention method. For the congressional approach, two-thirds of the House of Representatives and the Senate should vote to the suggested change in the constitution and later be approved by three- fourths of the State legislatures. For the Convention approach, two-thirds of the legislatures from both houses (Senate and Representatives) usually request the Congress to arrange a constitutional meeting where the amendment is suggested and later approved by three –fourths of special state conventions. The Convention approach is unprecedented in amending the Constitution. All the 27 amendments to the Constitution of the United States have been proposed by Congress. Congress always determines the method of amendment approval. Article V of the United States Constitution explains the constitutional amendment procedures in detail.
The Bill of Rights contains 10 amendments that ensure precise rights and protections to the American Citizens by limiting the power of the federal government. The 9 amendments in the U.S Constitution Bill of Rights symbolize liberation and culture to the American people. These amendments have protected individual rights on liberty and justice (Brennan, 1989). The 9 amendments have not caused conflicting reactions within the community, political or historic structures. The amendments are well entranced, and there has been no conflict of the laws. Therefore, there is no need to repeal them.
In conclusion, it is the duty of the American people to obey the law and practice responsible for the amended rights. However, the American people should demand the repealing of the second amendment in order to have effective and lasting reforms. The process is difficult and tiresome, but it will reduce mass shootings and crime related to gun violence in America.
References
Miller, M. & Hemenway, D. (2002). Household Firearm Ownership Levels and Homicide
Rate across U.S. Regions and States , American Journal of Public Health
Brennan, W.J (1989). Why have Bills of Rights? Oxford Journal of Legal Studies ,
Vol.9.pg 425-440, https://doi.org/10.1093/ojls/9.4.425
