|
Author: Kenny Du Article source: http://www.opentopia.com/. Used with author's permission.
The gun control debate in America is a battle between personal freedom and public safety. For nearly 160 years, there were no limits to the Second Amendment, which guarantees "the right of the people to keep and bear arms." In 1934, however, and especially in the last four decades, Americans have begun to proscribe and debate the extent of that right. The National Firearms Act of 1934 was the first restriction on gun rights in American history. As a result, fully automatic weapons are available only after an extensive background check on the owner.
In 1968, the term "gun control" gained new meaning with the passage of the federal Gun Control Act. Ratified in the wake of two important political assassinations -- Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. -- the Act requires that all guns carry serial numbers forever tied to the original purchaser. Additionally, it prohibited gun ownership by convicted felons and, as a result of a 1990s amendment, it requires a criminal background check for purchasers at the time of sale.
Certain states have their own gun control legislation, although all are governed by the federal Act of 1968. Individual states can deem their own levels of restriction on concealed weapons and "open carry," or the visible transporting of a weapon. And restrictions vary widely by state, with New York and Illinois seen as the most restrictive and Arizona and Texas, the most relaxed.
The latest incarnation of the gun control debate has been in the form of the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994, which Congress failed to uphold in its latest session. The law prohibited the sale of any semi-automatic assault weapons manufactured after 1994. Supporters of the ban said it helped keep violent weapons off the street, while opponents claimed it imposed a confusing classification system, was overly restrictive and had little effect on controlling violent crime.
Gun rights advocates argue that a well-armed public helps prevent crime and ensure personal safety. Gun control proponents, on the other hand, fear that widespread gun ownership actually increases crime rates and leads to other negative outcomes, both public and private. Is the Second Amendment out-of-date, or does it guarantee an integral right? Opine Tree encourages debate on today's most controversial political topics, including abortion, affirmative action, cloning, the death penalty, euthanasia, gay marriage, gun control, health care, social security, stem cells, as well as other debate topics.
What if there Were a Living Planet?
What if there was a planet out there, which was really alive? Some say our own Earth is alive in an non-organic way as the plate tectonics renew themselves and ...
A Web Site for Your Small Business: How to Set Up a Website
Start your online presence by setting up a website. Know how to book domain name, plan for hosting and design the site and promote it. Keep an improvement plan ...
Witnessing and Sharing
In this article, I'd like to share my thoughts on what I believe to be the two most important components of effective communication. These attributes, witnessin...
See How Trampolines Can Be Part Of Any Exercise Program
When the trampoline was invented by a young boy intrigued
by the ability of aerialists to bounce in a net and perform
artistic maneuvers while they did so, it l...
Burn Fat Not Sugar!
Most people think that in order to lose weight you have to do strenuous exercise, continuously, and lots of it! Well, Guess what? NOT TRUE!
Seven Key Tax Deductions for the Self Employed
As a sole proprietor, it's wise to familiarize yourself with the some key deductions that may reduce your tax bill for 2004.
Network Marketing Is Fun And Profitable
Network Marketing Is Fun And Profitable.
Stresslessness with Best Poker
There are a lot of stress situations in our life we can avoid with a help of best poker.
Beginnings
Just about everyone is familiar with this beginning: "In the beginning God created the heavens and earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness wa...
After July 8, Pay This Amount
You undoubtedly go through this, too. A few times a month you gather up the bills coming due and write checks or pay them online. As I was doing some bill payme...
Pixels Worth a Thousand
Optimizing photos of your products for your web page. How to make the most of your photos.
15 Success Secrets Of The Strongest Men In The World
Why does a strong man do well in a strong man competition? For the same reasons that any one does well in anything. Learn 15 secrets of success from three of th...
Potholes On The Road To Success
Howdy folks, today I would like to speak to you about the journey to success. Potholes on that road to be more exact. Success is the one thing that everyone a...
Patient Records - Your Responsibilities
Looking after patients records and the responsibilities that go with them
an easy way of sorting your records...
Online Resume Tips and Secrets
With the explosive growth of the internet, opportunities to post information online are abounding. Marketing yourself via the internet to potentional employers ...
Silver Surfers: Successful Online Marketing to Seniors
More and more seniors are surfing the online world. If your company wants to catch this wave, offer a website that makes it easy for your users. People over 50 ...
Attracting Clients With Incremental Marketing
Do you ask prospective clients to go too far?
Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 1, General Strategies for Unproductive Behavior
Everyone complains about bad meetings and how they waste everyone's time. Here are five general strategies to make sure that you hold an effective meeting, even...
Telling the Value Story
Sales down? Profits down? Could be poor presentation skills. Take the time to research and develop a new presentation and watch your profits climb.
Suzuki Violin Vs Traditional Violin
The Suzuki violin method has come to dominate the way violin is taught in America and throughout much of the world.
Why You Need a Lesson Plan
Why do you need a lesson plan? Believe it or not, there are several good reasons and in the end you will be glad you put in the extra effort. It pays off.
Can a Fad Diet Ever Be Useful?
A fad diet can be found offline or online as an e-diet or offline. It promises over-weight people instant weight loss. But can it really help you if you don't c...
Common Website Mistakes
Do you find that the website never gets mentioned in the board room? It it a white elephant? A source of stress rather than revenue? These are signs that you...
Short-Covering Rally
keep an eye out for short-covering rallies when you're looking to buy or sell stock. They can be helpful in timing your order.
|
Print this page