10 Arguments For and Against Gun Control

2) There Can Be No ‘Partial Restriction’ of Fundamental Rights

Gun Rights Position:
Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.’ Imagine if we applied Gun Control logic to the press! We can extend Jefferson’s logic to all of the explicit rights that the authors of the Constitution deemed fundamental. The price of freedom constitutes the danger of its abuse, and the onus is on the government to prevent such abuse without threatening the freedom itself. Law-abiding citizens cannot be asked, let alone forced by legislation or executive action, to give up their own freedom because others may take advantage of it. The autonomy of each self-determining individual is the bedrock of our Constitution, so no matter how much ‘greater the good,’ any solution which threatens the freedom of one for the good of many is, in essence, un-American.

Gun Control Position:
Our nation is one that values life, and society has a responsibility to protect innocent lives wherever possible. As they now exist, guns are a threat to the general welfare, which the government exists to protect. Handguns and assault weapons are only meant for killing people, and a correlation exists between gun ownership per capita and violent crime. Therefore, greater restrictions on gun ownership will reduce unjustified killing. In keeping with American values, this will serve to protect each person’s right to exist safely, minimizing the threat to innocent lives across the country.