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Handguns in America

To ban handguns would be unconstitutional. Many people today argue that the reason the United States is leading the world in Homicides, is because of the constitutional right to bare arms. But it's not the guns that are killing; it's the culture, the mentalities of the people, and the laws. Yes it is true that if there were no guns there would be fewer deaths. However this is due to the small number of accidental deaths. If all the guns were magically taken out of the world, people would find other ways to kill. Before the days of guns men were killed with swords. According to Historian Tim Courrejou, It is believed that the percentage of people killed with swords in non-war situations during the middle-ages is higher than the percentage of people killed today by guns in non-war situations. The reason for this is because of cultural differences.

In today's world America leads the world in the number of homicides each year. The reason for this is because of America's history. Many of America's founding fathers took part in duels with guns. Even though it was against the law to duel at the time and they were the writers of the countries laws they still felt the need to point a gun at an enemy and duel. The writers of the constitution believed that the right to bare arms was of great importance. They believed that a person should have the right to protect themselves. If you outlaw handguns, which are the primary weapon of choice for personal protection, you will have criminals, who show no respect for the laws, carrying handguns and having the ability to walk into someone's house with a gun knowing that the person inside will not have a gun to fire back. If a criminal wishes to rob a house they will need to think first, "will this person have a gun, and if so is it worth the risk?" A ban on handguns would leave people like sitting ducks.

Guns are part of our lives, even if we don't personally own them. Everyday I come home turn on the Television and see guns. Everyday I come home turn on the Xbox and see guns. If I go to the movies, there's a good chance that there will be guns in it. Guns have been embedded into our entertainment and culture. Guns are what protect and enforce our laws. A cop with a stick is not very lethal, and could be easily disabled by a criminal with a good arm and a rock. Gang members traffic guns and drugs. Both of which in most situations are illegal. If we amended the constitution to prohibit all handguns, gang members would not stop trafficking them. It would lead to criminals having weapons and law abiding citizens being helpless to protect themselves.

Accidental deaths due to handguns are a sad occurrence. Children and