Refreshing the Tree of Liberty: An Introduction to the Case Against Gun Control

Abstract

This paper analyzes the Second Amendment regarding whether or not it affirms an individual the right to own firearms by looking at previous Supreme Court rulings and the historical context in which the Second Amendment was written: coming to the conclusion that it does support an individual’s right to bear arms. Gun control measures, including but not limited to assault weapon bans, red-flag laws, and licensing, are reviewed by looking at how the policies work and what the effects of each are. The data on these measures were ultimately found to have no conclusive evidence supporting an inverse relationship between gun control measures and violent crime. Ethical concerns relating to gun control measures were analyzed by establishing an ethical framework of natural rights. This framework leads to the conclusion that gun control measures such as assault weapons bans, red-flag laws, and licensing are unethical on the grounds of violating natural rights. This paper also looks at the effectiveness of bans and restrictions advocated by gun control advoactes and compares them to bans and restrictions that were previously and or currently in effect in American history. Concerns on gun policy such as public safety, the defensive usage of firearms, and common arguments for gun control are analyzed and critiqued in this paper.