Gun Control in the U.S.

Abstract or Introduction

Seemingly, the gun control debate, in the U.S has become a critical social issue. In the past, the debate whether guns should be legalized dominated parliamentary sessions with politicians expressing diverse views over the issue. Human rights agencies and other organized social groups gave their contribution to the issue differently leading to the emergence of two conflicting perceptions on the legalization of guns. Since the emergence of the gun control debate, in 2004 when the 1994 ban on the right to carry concealed guns was enacted, the debate did not attract substantial concern from the U.S citizens; instead, it seemed to be a legal or rather the concern of the politicians and the Judiciary. However, the recent fatal mass shooting in various venues, in the U.S seems to have created an unprecedented public outcry, especially on safety issues. The recent mass shooting at Aurora, Colorado seems to have diverted the perception of the U.S population on the issue, resulting into a widespread call for the legalization of guns to enhance self-defense for the citizens. Owing to the unprecedented resistance to the legalization of guns for public safety, proponents of the debate sought defense in the Second Amendment of the U.S Constitution, which protects the individuals’ rights (Macionis, 2011).
However, the 2012 U.S presidential elections exacerbated the gun control issue, especially after the re-election of President Barack Obama as the president of the United States. President Obama vehemently rejected the legalization of guns to civilians owing to the fatal mass shooting, in which scores lost their lives while others sustained fatal injuries. It is as a result of the Obama’s Administration approach to oppose the legalization of guns that some legislators and human rights agencies have file numerous petitions at the U.S Supreme Court seeking to protect the Second Amendment in the U.S Constitution because; it addresses the issue of the individuals’ rights to own guns.
Therefore, this research will provide an overview on the issue of gun control, especially with regard to the protection of the Second Amendment. It will discuss the provisions of the Second Amendment and the Second Amendment’s Rights Protection Act. Moreover, it will highlight on the reaffirmation of citizen’s right and the victory realized in the protection of the Second Amendment.