Their Place in the Fabric of America

Guns: Their Place in the Fabric of America

By: Jeremy M. Deck

In 1776, owning a gun was an important part of colonial life; it put food on the table and kept the Red Coats at bay. Guns are part of the foundation of our country since “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” (2nd Amendment Bill of Rights, US Constitution). The Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution guarantees gun ownership, but many people have challenged its meaning and contested its validity in light of recent events in Newtown, CT.

The founders of the United States of America were a rag-tag group of patriots that could not bear the thought of English rule. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson wanted a country free of oppression and persecution; they envisioned a country, that Lincoln later expertly articulated, “of the people, by the people, and for the people” (Gettysburg Address). The writers of the Constitution wanted to make sure they were never the government of oppression, and in doing so established inalienable rights that any citizen of this country could expect to receive and a strong centralized government capable of keeping its citizens safe. One of these basic rights, the right to bear arms, became crucial during the infancy period of the United States, and today it remains a lightning rod for controversy.

The Bill of Rights is 224 years old, and while many amendments still apply; some continue to require refinement and interpretation. The United States Supreme Court exists to perform exactly that function, and as recently as 2008 gun rights cases have caused heated debate. In District of Columbia vs. Heller, the court upheld the rights guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment stating a citizen of the United States has, “an individual right intimately tied to the natural right of self-defense” (DC v. Heller Majority Opinion Scalia). The case centered on a District of Columbia police officer that wished to legally register and own a handgun; the city denied his request to purchase and own a handgun for use as home defense. District of Columbia city laws did not allow residents to own handguns regardless of their profession. The city laws directly contradicted the Second Amendment by limiting handgun carry and possession laws, and made it a crime to carry a handgun registered or unregistered and severely limited handgun registration. Gun registration in the city was so limited that only the Chief of Police could grant one year registrations for people to own handguns outside of professional usage. However, Heller felt a need to protect his home and his family; he challenged the constitutionality of the city’s restrictive gun laws. The court maintained, citing safety as a basic human need, that gun ownership is a basic right and that no law should limit a person’s ability to protect their home and family.