Guns for Everyone?

By Sana Ali

On Monday June 28, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment applies to local and state government, as reported by The New York Times.

The Second Amendment reads “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.”

This constitutional amendment guarantees the right of each individual to keep and bear arms while assuring citizens that congress is forbidden from interfering with this right.

Although having the right to defend oneself sounds like a brilliant idea, it does not play well when it means giving everyone unlimited access to guns.

In a nation where gun violence has been increasing steadily, we should work on limiting the number of guns available rather than allowing free access to them. As reported on the Brady Campaign website, www.bradycampaign.org, the United States ranks amongst the nations with the highest gun murders.

In 2006, a reported 10,177 murders took place in the U.S as a result of gun violence with an average of 300 murders a day. These numbers have been on the rise since and I fear that they will continue to do so as a result of the new law passed by the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Justices should work on taking the guns away from the hands of the American people and equipping them with jobs, education and safer communities.

Justice Samuel Alito Jr. should be working with Mayor Richard Daley to help keep guns off the streets and perhaps maybe, just maybe we can preserve many lives.