FREE ESSAY ON AMERICA - DEFENSELESS

AMERICA - DEFENSELESS

Seeing the glass half full, our forefathers saw the good in man. In their eyes all men are
created equal and are inherently good. The Second Amendment states: A well regulated
militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep
and bear arms shall not be infringed. Generating over 22,000 laws regulating firearms,
gun control advocates see the glass as half empty. This pessimistic attitude causes them
to believe that man cannot behave responsibly and therefore needs to be protected for his
own good. With ridiculous bans on assault weapons, harmful regulations on handgun
purchases, and unnecessary prohibition of concealed weapons, the United States government
prevents man from protecting himself, his family, and his property while not deterring
criminal action.
On September 13, 1994, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act became law The
Crime Bill identifies several asinine attributes that characterize an 'assault weapon.'
Bayonet mounts, pistol grips, and folding/telescoping stocks stand among these frivolous
qualifications. Doubting it has ever taken place, a bayonet attack has never been
reported. As with bayonets, pistol grips have been outlawed from being affixed on rifles,
as well. Providing only a firm grasp, these grips do not construct a more lethal firearm.
With the possibility of a son or daughter's bedroom nearby, a homeowner needs a secure
grip on his or her firearm. With child safety in mind, rifles with folding stocks keep
hidden from curious youngsters.
Along with the assault weapons ban, Congress passed the Brady Bill, along with many
states passing laws governing the sale of handguns. Regulations such as background checks
and waiting periods bite at the Constitution's legs from which the United States stands.
Beyond unconstitutional, waiting periods, threatening the safety of people in imminent
danger, and background checks, failing to disarm the violent criminal population, do not
accomplish their jobs they were sought after to do. A woman, inquiring about purchasing a
gun for protection from a husband who had repeatedly threatened to kill her, was told
there was a 48 hour waiting period to buy a handgun. She and her two sons fell victim the
next day by an abusive husband of whom the police knew. While doing remarkably well at
keeping guns from law-abiding citizens, the Brady Bill caused only seven prosecutions
during the first year and a half of enactment.
Currently, roughly 150,000 police officers remain on duty at any one time to protect a
population of more than 250 million Americans - approximately 1700 citizens per officer.
Citizens shoot and kill at least twice as many criminals as police do every year. Only 2%
of civilian shootings involve an innocent person mistakenly identified as a criminal.
However, the error rate for police is 11%. Furthermore, of the 383,400 citizens who have
received permits to carry their guns concealed, only 72 people have used their gun to
commit a crime. In addition, states passing concealed carry laws reduced their murder
rate by 8.5%, rapes by 5%, and aggravated assaults and robbery by 3%. Even with all the
proven benefits, the government finds it best for us to be defenseless.
Abolishing self-protection, governmental statutes keep guns out of the hands of
law-abiding citizens and not the criminals the laws are designed to affect. How can one
be expected to defend one's country when one's country will not allow him or her to
defend his or her own home and family?