Introduction
The Problem with Guns
Self-Defense
Handguns
Gun Availability
Second Amendment
Gun Control
Sources and Resources

The Second Amendment

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution:

"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."

There is a lot of discussion about what this amendment really means and how it should be interpreted. Does this amendment mean that all people in the United States have a right to own a gun? Or does it mean that they have a right to own all arms, including for instance tanks, bazookas and nuclear weapons? And is the average citizen part of the "well regulated militia"? What are the limitations of this amendment?

All rights are limited. Even though the First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees Americans the right to free speech, that right is not unlimited. Americans are not allowed to use the first amendment if it would interfere with public safety for instance. They are not allowed to walk into a theater and scream that there is a fire when that isn't the case. For that same reason there need to be limitations to the second amendment to protect public safety.

Pro-gun people feel that citizens should have guns to protect against a dictatorial takeover. However, the chances that a dictator will actually be able to take over a country like the U.S.A. are infinitely small. The current price we are paying to defend ourselves against a very improbable situation is the thousands of people dying each year through gun violence. That price is much too high.