I would like to thank 16kadams for accepting this debate....
The Second Amendment should be repealed
I would like to thank 16kadams for accepting this debate. It is a pleasure to be debating you and I am glad we can debate this topic. Framework In this debate, I will attempt to show three things: 1) That gun control is effective; 2) That the 2A restricts any meaningful gun legislation; and 3) That the current gun culture is out of control and that the 2A only contributes to this issue. For those reasons, the 2A should be repealed. Gun control is effective Research has shown time and time again that gun control measures are effective. For example, a paper that was published in 2015 in Epidemiological Review found “Evidence from 130 studies in 10 countries suggests that in certain nations the simultaneous implementation of laws targeting multiple firearms restrictions is associated with reductions in firearm deaths. Laws restricting the purchase of (e.g., background checks) and access to (e.g., safer storage) firearms are also associated with lower rates of intimate partner homicides and firearm unintentional deaths in children, respectively. Limitations of studies include challenges inherent to their ecological design, their execution, and the lack of robustness of findings to model specifications.” [1] According to a report by The Lancet, universal background checks will reduce firearm deaths from 10.3 to 4.6 per 100,000 people; Background checks for ammunition purchases, which could reduce the mortality rate to 1.99 deaths per 100,000 people; and Firearm identification, by either microstamping or ballistic fingerprinting, which could reduce the death rate to 1.81 per 100,000 people. [2] After Australia passed sweeping gun control legislation in 1999, studies show that there has been a significant decrease in crimes and homicides [3, 4, and 5]. Fiona MacDonald notes: “ [R]eview of gun control laws in more than 10 countries over the past 60 years, published back in March, showed compelling evidence that the tighter legislation reduced firearm deaths.” [5] Rights are not absolute The United States is the one of a handful of countries in the entire world that etches the right to own guns in its Constitution (the others being Mexico, Haiti, and Guatemala [6] ) As Rolling Stones noted: “The liberty of some to own guns cannot take precedence over the liberty of everyone to live their lives free from the risk of being easily murdered. It has for too long, and we must now say no more.” [7] My right to life and to be safe trumps any right to own a firearm. 2A Impedes Progress The main problem with the 2A is that it impedes any progress on mass shootings and violence in the United States. In fact, more people have died of gun violence since 1968 than than on battlefields of all the wars in American history combined. [8, 9] The 2A impedes progress by limiting what, if anything, that the Government can do to help curb gun violence. Furthermore, because of the long history of the 2A, guns have become part of the American psyche and American culture. In order to make any substantial progress, we must eliminate the culture of guns. Repealing the 2A would be a helpful start. Conclusion In summary, the second amendment should be repealed if we want to make progress on curbing gun violence in the USA. The United States is the one of two countries in the world that etches the right to own firearms into its constitution (the other being Mexico). Gun control is an effective way to reduce violence and crime. The 2A impedes on any meaningful gun legislation. Therefore, the 2A should be repealed. The right to life and the right to safety trumps any right to own firearms. I now turn it over to con. 1. (http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org.secure.sci-hub.cc...) 2. (http://www.thelancet.com...(15)01026-0/abstract) 3. (http://www.snopes.com...) 4. (http://www.reuters.com...) 5.(http://www.sciencealert.com...) 6. (http://www.slate.com...) 7. (http://www.rollingstone.com...) 8. (http://www.bbc.com...) 9. (http://www.politifact.com...)