The Right to Bear Arms - part 2

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the 2^nd amendment, the right to bear arms and my concern for mass or spree shootings. Buying and possessing guns is relatively easy in Texas, which puts us in danger of violent gun crimes. I do not wish to take away our right to bear arms, because that is simply unrealistic in a country like the USA where the possession of guns is socially acceptable and part of the culture. I do believe in stricter gun policies, here are some measures I believe could prevent violent gun crimes:

1.       Requirement of mental evaluation from a psychiatrist.

This would prevent mentally ill people from buying guns. From our past experiences we know that a large number of mass shootings were committed by people with either a history of mental illness or at least symptoms of them. The requirement of this document alone can prevent potential killers to even try to obtain weapons.

2.       Restriction of semi-automatic guns.

I believe that semi-automatic guns should not be available to the public. There is no real necessity of possessing these guns, especially if you do not have the appropriate training and self control to have one.  These weapons are dangerous and should only be used by officials in extraordinary situations.

3.       End of online sale of guns.

Online sales of guns should be prohibited, there is no real way to know who is behind a computer screen. Someone with a criminal or mental record could purchase guns through an online source by using someone else’s information (friends, family members).

4.       Implementation of a safety course.

I believe that to purchase a gun there should be a mandatory course and interview of at least 10 hrs to explain security measures that should be taken to ensure the responsible use and possession of guns. No one should be able to just go into a store and leave with a gun right away. This process needs to be supervised and the intentions of the buyers should to be clear to officials.

Commentary on the Sonogram Law

This is a commentary I made on the work of my classmate Gypsy King about the Sonogram law which was passed in February 2012. 

           I am in complete agreement with Ms. King. I find it outrageous that the government feels the need to put women through such a painful and traumatic process because of a decision about her body and life. We cannot assume that most women who have abortions took that decision lightly. Having a child is a big responsibility and it is up to the woman to decide if she is ready or not. I do recognize that there are many irresponsible women using abortion as a sort of birth control, but this does not mean we should punish and degrade all women because of it. There are multiple reasons why a woman chooses to have an abortion, but that is her choice, and she should not be punished for it in any way. Abortions already have great emotional impact on a woman, there is no reason to make it even worst. The government should not have allowed this to pass, to me this should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

The Right to Bear Arms

    Over the last 30 years, our country has had a very sad, and frightening issue to be concerned about: Mass shootings, and spree killings. There has been 62 incidents since 1982, and they have become alarmingly more frequent. The mass shooting in Connecticut in December of last year shocked and devastated our Nation... for the 62nd time. Why have we allowed this to go on for so long? As humans, I think it is natural to avoid thinking about this matter, simply because it is so difficult to comprehend how and why this happens. So although these events are not forgotten, no action seems to be taken to resolve it.

     Out of these 62 killers, 49 of them obtained their weapons legally. This number really scares me because Texas is a state where anyone can purchase and carry a gun. All a person needs is a state issued identification card and they are legally allowed to possess weapons that could potentially take many innocent lives. How are we supposed to protect our people, and especially our children if we don't come up with a screening process to make sure the people that are buying these guns are psychologically and mentally eligible to do so.

    I am not against the 2nd amendment, which declares the right to bear arms, but in 1793 people weren't concerned with mass shootings or spree killings. In today's society this is a major concern, there needs to be better control of who these guns are going to and what their purpose is. If we want to stop these mass murders the first thing we need to do is stop selling weapons to the mentally ill.


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