The Duel
College DemocratsPeople with Guns Kill People
By Michael Weil, GW College Democrats Communications Director
Guns don’t kill people, people with guns kill people. According to statistics provided by the Department of Justice, the United States has the highest violent crime rate of any modern democracy, five times that of Great Britain, Germany, and France. One could reasonably conclude that a major contributor to this horrible statistic is the gun culture that so pervades our nation.
The Second Amendment does not guarantee unlimited and unregulated gun ownership. While fully respecting the rights of sportspeople and other responsible gun owners, it is crucial that we as nation ensure our safety through stronger and more reasoned gun laws. Not only is it the right of any government to protect individuals from gun related crime, governments have a moral obligation to take preventative measures and safe guard the citizenry from needless gun deaths.
While it seems like a no brainer to most of us that smart and effective gun control laws lead to a reduction in gun related crime, those on the other side of the aisle would argue differently. But they are wrong! How dare President Bush and Republicans in Congress allow the assault weapons ban, commonly known as the Brady Bill, to expire last year without even the slightest move towards renewal. Does one really go hunting with an AK-47 or an M-16?
We all read this summer about the senseless killings in Newark and other urban areas throughout our country. Well maybe not our Republican friends, who seem more concerned by the "equally dangerous threat" of two gay people living together under the covenant of marriage. It is without question necessary that guns only be sold to responsible owners who use them for safe, recreational purposes. There should be a traceable record of every gun sold in the country. In addition, we must establish an electronic database so that gun sellers can easily check the identity of every potential buyer. All of this is technologically possible, but is being prevented by the NRA, President Bush, and Republicans in Congress. If it is possible to know the exact location of every airplane in America at a moments notice, then surely it is possible to establish an accurate electronic database of every gun sold in the country.
It is not by coincidence that the US has the highest violent crime rate of any Western democracy. Congress should pass smart, effective, and fair gun control measures this year that will reduce the number of gun related homicides in the country without trampling on the rights of responsible gun owners.
College Republicans
Do People Kill People or Do Guns Kill People?
By Brand Kroeger, Vice Chairman of the College Republicans
If a gun is sitting on a table, it won’t fire itself. As Republicans, we believe that all rights granted in the Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms, serve as a permanent foundation for our country. Whether one likes or chooses to exercise their Second Amendment right is irrelevant; the fact is that it exists to protect all of our other rights. In 1776, America boldly declared her independence from a tyrannical and oppressive government that denied basic human freedoms to its people. How did the American colonists do this? By saying to that King across the Atlantic that, “We are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” and ultimately backing up their words with arms. To ensure that these fundamental liberties outlined in the Declaration would never be infringed upon, the United States drafted our Bill of Rights – eternal rights that should never be compromised.
Within these timeless amendments we see the freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the right of a people to confront their government. In the Sixth we maintain our right to a trial by jury and in the Tenth we preserve the rights of all 50 states.
Those who think the right to bear arms is outdated should recall that Hitler, Stalin, and Mao all worked to disarm their people because they were then easier to control. Their gun control regulations never came in one fell swoop; they came slowly but surely, and other rights quickly disappeared along with them. Our founding fathers had great foresight to recognize that people’s rights are meaningless if there is no mechanism to ensure they are upheld. The Second Amendment is that mechanism.
We, however, are not reckless in our defense of the Second Amendment. Republicans support regulation to prevent criminals from obtaining any and all firearms. Those who violate the laws of this country are considered dangerous to society. Therefore, we recognize that these people should not possess firearms. In addition, Republicans have supported bans on armor piercing ammunition that serve a dangerous and reckless purpose.
We hear it all the time but, gun laws are for people who follow the law. With that said, there is no compelling reason why law-abiding, upstanding citizens should not be allowed to own guns. Furthermore, there is indeed a real interest in having an armed citizenry. Washington, DC is a perfect example of this. The DC handgun ban was introduced in 1977, and by the mid 1990’s the murder rate in the District of Columbia had tripled. In Britain, the violent crime rate has shot up by 40% since their gun ban took full effect in 1998. If the goal is to save lives and prevent crime, then taking guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens who wish to protect themselves is entirely counterproductive.
Handguns are the property of an individual and the Supreme Court has agreed with this assertion on 5 separate occasions. U.S. v. Cruikshank (1876), Presser v. Illinois (1886), Miller v. Texas (1894), U.S. v. Miller (1939) and U.S. v. Verdugo-Urquidez (1990). On a practical level, we should recognize that most violent crime is committed with illegally purchased guns. The fact is, that even if we stopped the lawful sale of firearms, there would still be illegal guns on the street. Should Americans give up the ability to protect their families from guns already out there?
The Second Amendment possesses one of the most sacred of all rights: the right to bear arms. Stemming from the 27 short words that make up the Amendment are the rights of citizens to protect themselves and their loved ones, to defend their property, and, if need be, to oppose a tyrannical government. In keeping with our founding fathers, we will always stand to defend gun ownership rights.