Opinion piece #1: Why the Second Amendment is important

Let’s talk about a controversial issue that has many differing interpretations: The Second Amendment, or otherwise known as the right to bear arms. The Second Amendment was not only written so he or she can act in self-defense but also to protect oneself from a tyrannical government.

But, as many know, the Second Amendment has been under very intense scrutiny, particularly because of recent mass shootings over the past few years.

I would contend that this is one of the most important rights we have as an American citizen. Without the Second Amendment, law-abiding citizens are unable to act in self-defense.

As the Bill of Rights directly 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.”

While the Second Amendment is meant for law-abiding citizens to protect oneself or from a tyrannical government, it has been a debate whether or not those rights should be revoked—or heavily restricted.

Do I think the right to bear arms should be regulated? Of course not.

The government taking people’s guns, especially law-abiding citizen’s guns, is tyranny. The United States exists because individuals wanted to flee from the tyrannical governments that encompassed Europe.

I believe political commentator Steven Crowder says it best in his infamous video entitled, “I’m Pro-Gun, Change My Mind.” Below you can watch the video yourself, and perhaps, it can change your mind.

Limiting his or her right to bear arms destroys the idea of keeping a free state. It goes against what our Founding Fathers had vigorously worked for.

I’m sorry, but celebrities preaching how stricter gun-control are in no position to criticize others when they enjoy the protection by their fully armed security. The hypocrisy is fully apparent and quite honestly, disgusting.

I see both sides to the issue concerning gun control. While personally, I don’t own any firearms, I do see the importance of having one; conversely, I understand the concern for the growing number of school shootings. But consider these following questions: What about the killer behind the trigger? Could the problem be more to do with people than guns? I think so.

Various mental health issues are often associated with mass killers. To name a few, schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder are often associated with the killers of mass shootings. These individuals with mental health issues are disconnected from reality. Granted, not all individuals who experience the aforementioned issues will become a mass killer; however, one should not underestimate what one dealing with such issues is capable of doing.

Available evidence shows that people with mental health disorders are more likely to commit mass violence. However, even though mental illness plays an important role in mass violence, these issues are not the only cause behind mass shootings.

According to a National Council report, “The characteristics that most frequently occur are males, often hopeless and harboring grievances that are frequently related to work, school, finances or interpersonal relationships; feeling victimized and sympathizing with others who they perceive to be similarly mistreated; indifference to life; and often subsequently dying by suicide.”

Nonetheless, perpetrators share certain characteristics that motivate him or her to commit mass violence. The price of losing our right to bear arms is our freedom. I have plenty of relatives, who are law-abiding citizens, that own guns—particularly the dreaded AR-15.

But, did you know that AR-15 guns are not the fully automatic, military-grade firearms that the media claims? But with the biased media on both sides of the political spectrum, it may be hard to be aware of such facts.

In Dec. 2019, a man shot and killed two people during a church service in WhiteSettlement, Texas. Luckily, two members of the church security team shot and killed him before the individual could harm anyone else.

There were 250 people on that particular day. Now imagine if the church’s volunteer security team wasn’t there to stop the gunman. More deaths would have inevitably been taken.

This incident sadly wasn’t the only time an event like such has transpired. Texas churches have unfortunately experienced violent mass shootings in the past. In 1999, a gunman killed seven people and himself at a Baptist church in Fort Worth, Texas. And more recently in 2017, a gunman opened fire at a small Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people.

We don’t need to ban guns. That isn’t the answer. We need to educate others and ourselves on gun safety. We need to educate individuals on the importance of the Second Amendment.