The trigger is pulled. Almost instantly the hammer smashes down onto a cartridge. In a microsecond a small explosion ignites inside the cold hard steel. The bullet flies at thirty feet in one tenth of a second, leaving the barrel, and flying to its target. This is the function of a gun, a deadly weapon. Some argue that it is a tool of self-defense, others a tool of death, but should we able to own such a weapon?

Guns are a very controversial topic in the United States. There has always been a battle between gun-lovers and gun-haters. Each has their arguments and each has their supporters. In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the notorious “assault weapons” ban. This law banned semi-automatic rifles that could hold more then 10 rounds in a magazine. President Bill Clinton’s popularity was severely damaged after signing the law. The law later expired on September 13, 2004. There have been multiple attempts to renew the “assault rifles“ ban but all have failed.

There exists multiple perspectives on gun laws at Wilmington Friends School. Owen Sheppard ’17 said, “I don’t understand why the average civilian would need an semi-automatic rife for there own protection. Isn’t that why we have the police?”

Steven Ly ’15 said “I sometimes think we should ban the selling of guns, but sometimes I think we also need guns for self defense”.

There have been more than twenty mass shootings in the United States alone since 1999. In many of these shootings the shooters have used semi-automatic rifles. Most recently, on September 16, 2013 a man named Aaron Alexis, a former navy officer, went on a mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C. Twelve people were killed doing the shooting and three others were wounded. The shooter was carrying multiple weapons, including an AR-15 assault rifle. Could we avoid such a shooting with tighter and stricter gun laws?

The Second Amendment, written in December 1791, gives the right for citizens to keep and bear arms. Is this law outdated? Would we turn on our roots if we banned guns? Patriots wielding guns who opposed tyranny founded America. Guns have become a culture in the United States, a tradition. It is also important to note the areas with the most guns per mile have the lowest crime rates in the United States. So the question is, do guns create crime or reduce crime?

“There are hundreds of millions of gun owners in this country, and not one of them will have an accident today. The only misuse of guns comes in environments where there are drugs, alcohol, bad parents, and undisciplined children. Period.” These are the words of Ted Nugent, a gun loving American rocker. He raises a good argument, guns do not kill people, people do. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) made an argument on the Senate floor that guns are not the problem, mental health is. Aaron Alexis, the Washington Naval shooter, was reported to have severe mental health issues. Instead of banning guns, Cornyn argued we should have stricter gun buying laws.

It is clear that many opinions on gun laws exist in the United States. Both of
the opinions have strong arguments and have many supporters. Are guns necessary for self defense or are they just dangerous objects that should be banned? The question still remains: do we need such tools that can kill a fellow human being? Or do we need these tools for self-defense? Only time will tell what the final verdict will be on this argument.