In place to protect their people, governments are posed with the curious predicament of creating laws that protect their people without dictating their day to day routines. This balancing act has proven a challenge for those in power. The question that is always to be considered; when does enough become too much?
The gun control policy is just one recent example of this problem. The Second Amendment of the Constitution states that “well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
However, the recent string of violent attacks has caused the federal government to reconsider this position, wondering whether or not the Constitution is, in fact, becoming outdated.
President Obama has suggested a tightening of this amendment that he feels will better suit the current environment of our country and that would limit the rights of all citizens in respect to gun ownership and possession. Citizens have voiced both approval and disdain for these suggestions and students at Elizabethtown College spanned all opinions; some were more vocal than others.
Junior Kayla Meyers, who believes in stricter gun control laws, said that she feels the safety of Americans is more important than their right to bear arms.
Others believe that safety is the responsibility of the people and the government’s concern is to protect the rights of the people.
“The second amendment was not ratified to protect one’s right to use guns for sports or go hunting. It was drafted to, among other things, facilitate one’s natural right to self defense and deter tyranny,” first-year Samuel Weaver said. “The bottom line is that it is important to remember the history behind gun control and the bad precedent any gun control laws might set. Our right to keep and bear arms is centered in giving the power to the people.”
The American public largely agreed with Weaver, believing that stricter gun control would not be beneficial and that protecting the rights given to American citizens is a more important goal.