One of the most explosive issues in contemporary America is the issue of gun control. Many questions are asked about this issue, including some on the basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Indeed, the issue of gun control has become a war of words over a citizen's right to own and bear arms and the government's authority to regulate them. Both sides of the issue often see the argument in black and white one side maintains that gun control curtails violent crime; the other insists that it is irrelevant to crime prevention.
At the heart of the gun control issue lies the debate over the constitutional guarantee of a citizen's right to bear arms. This right, ratified in 1791 as the Second Amendment to the Constitution, was hotly debated even in the 18th century (Cross, 1989, pp. 25-47). One must remember, however, that the issue of bearing firearms in 18th century society was different from 20th century America. Rather than enforcing individual justice and protection, some argue "the modern sociological theory [is] that urban dwellers should forget weapons and rely on police for protection" (Greene, 1987, p. 597).
Overwhelming statistics also show that private ownership of guns significantly contributes to both intentional and accidental crime. For instance, Sarah Brady, wife of Reagan cabinet member James Brady, himself the victim of a shooting, lists the following from her lobby group, Handgun Control Inc.:
1. Someone is injured by a handgun every two and a half minutes.
2. Each year more than two hundred thousand handguns are stolen.
3. Each year [Americans] spend $500 million treating people who have been shot by handguns.
4. Every day, on the average, one child under fourteen is killed with a handgun.
Along with these figures Brady declares, "Seventy percent of the American people want stronger handgun control . . ." (Smith, 1986, p. 56).
There are also several major assumptions ab...