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=Second Amendment:=


 * A 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.

=California Social Studies Content Standards:=


 * 5.7 Students describe the people and events associated with the development of the U.S. Constitution and analyze the Constitution’s significance as the foundation of the American republic.
 * 2. Explain the significance of the new Constitution of 1787, including the struggles over its ratification and the reasons for the addition of the Bill of Rights.

=The History of Owning Firearms in the U.S.=

The militia in the 18th century were not professional soldiers, but were a unpaid soldiers who were volunteered their services. These civilian soldiers helped defend the United States of America from foreign attack. For this reason the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights was ratified.

=Important Court Cases:=
 * //U.S. v. Miller// (1939)
 * Two bank robbers used a sawed-off shot gun across state lines. This was a violation of the National Firearms Act of 1934, which states that a tax will be given on the manufacture and transfer of specific firearms. Additionally, owner of firearms needs to register for a NFA license. The robbers used the Second Amendment for their defense of using their firearms. The ruling, however, stated that the Second Amendment had nothing to do with this case because the firearms were not a weapon used in U.S. civilian militias (civilliberty).

=Pros for Gun Control=

Reasons for Gun Control (civilliberty)

 * Great number of crimes involved with guns
 * 80 million Americans own 223 million guns
 * highest private gun ownership of any country
 * 30,000 men, women and children of the United States die each year
 * 1,500 of the deaths are accidental
 * Second Amendment is being misunderstood
 * The amendment does not allow individuals the right of owning guns.
 * U.S. provides armed forces protect civilians so a militia (citizens with guns) is not needed
 * Amendment does not talk about private gun ownership, but only "guarantees the collective right of states to maintain militias."

Reasons Against Gun Control (civilliberty)

 * Empower citizens to go against governmental abuse
 * firearms is a civil right that provides people the ability to fight back against despotic abues
 * Protection
 * owners of firearms have the right to protect themselves from people who break the law
 * fight against criminals who have guns themselves
 * if their was gun control then law-abiding citizens will not have guns, only criminals would have guns
 * Recreation
 * the use of guns for safe practice shooting
 * the use of guns for hunting wildlife

=Sources:= http://civilliberty.about.com/od/guncontrol/i/2ndamendment.htm