SOC 100 Global Social Issues and Change

*****INCLUDES SPEAKER NOTES AND SLIDES**

The right for U.S. citizens to bear arms is outlined in the Constitutions second Amendment which reads: 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 (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013)." The initial intent behind the second amendment was to ensure that an individual's right to carry and use arms for self-defense was not compromised, however as times change it can be seen that guns are being carried or used for more than just self-defense purposes. Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hooks Elementary, and the Dark Knight Rises Theater shooting in Colorado, are just a few of the reasons why the topic of gun control has seemed to be at the top of several government conversations and news broadcasts. Although it is a very clearly indicated right and processes and procedures have been put into place to ensure that firearms are legally obtained, there are still instances when such weapons fall into the wrong hands thus most always ending in a terrible tragedy. With that, this is not the first time that the second amendment and gun control has had a burst of popularity rather there has been some disagreement over the actual meaning or intent of the verbiage used in the past; a topic that will essentially continue to be discussed in the future.