Gun Control in the United States
Background
In 2010, there are 270 million privately owned guns, which is approximately 27 times the number of Canada’s (James et al). This is because the Second Amendment to the United States’ Constitution states that the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed (“United State Constitution”). However, because firearms can be seen as both self-defense tools and harmful weapons, there are many controversies about the politics of gun control. In 2008, roughly 67%, or double of Canada’s 32%, of murderers were committed with firearms ("United States — Gun Facts, Figures and the Law”); this, along with the previous statistic, raises discussions about the right to bear Arm in relation to crimes committed with guns. Although laws on gun control differ in states, and many cities tried to ban this right, the constitution is still in uniform. For example, the city of Chicago instituted a ban on handguns in 1982, but was ruled by the Supreme Court in 2010 as unconstitutional. However, the country has federal laws that provide limitations for crimes committed with guns as well. For example, it is illegal to transfer firearms while knowing it will be used unlawfully (James et al).
Philosophies
United States of America, a country that follows the social contract theory, has given its citizens numerous rights that force them to give up certain freedoms. With the right to bear Arms, citizens have to give up the freedom of committing crimes with firearms. The United States believes that only give and take will allow its government to function, and it is also the reason why this right is not taken away. When the right to bear Arms was written in the Constitution of the United States, the creators certainly believed in virtue ethics as well. The assumption that good people will make good decisions, developed by Plato and Aristotle, set a basis for this act. The American government chooses to focus on individual development of good qualities, which ignores, moreover disbelieves the negative in people and trusts its citizens on applying their ethics of respect and ethics of duty. Lastly, the United States recognized the ethics of justice; equality is necessary, therefore both the