Could Gun Control Affect Social Behavior?

Would controlling certain types of guns take away any rights?

It seems that each time we want to "justify" or "eliminate" any part of our moral and social behavior, we drag out the U. S. Constitution and the issue of gun control falls into that category. But what does our Constitution really say about gun ownership?

"ARTICLE THE FOURTH

[Amendment II]

"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."

Signed 28 September 1789; Article ratified 15 December 1791.

Now do we want to keep handguns in our homes to keep our state free or be a part of a "Militia"? We sometimes forget when the Constitution was signed and what the threats were to the states.  Did George Washington really want to tell us that we could go out and buy an AK-47 with which to target practice in our backyard?

The Constitution also says this:

"ARTICLE THE THIRD

[Amendment I]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Signed 28 September 1789; Article ratified 15 December 1791.

So why can't our children say the Pledge of Allegiance (with God in it) or say a prayer at school? Why don't we use the Constitution to back that up?  The reason could be that we want to own guns, but don't really care whether or not our kids know the Pledge of Allegiance.

There is a sad reality concerning guns and children.  The American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry reports that in 1998, more than 10 children and teenagers, ages 19 and under, were killed with guns everyday and many more were wounded.

This organization goes on to say:  "Guns are an unfortunate and dangerous reality in the lives of our children and adolescents. It is estimated that 50 million Americans own over 200 million guns. Over one-third of all homes contain guns, and despite continuing educational efforts, the majority of these guns are kept loaded, unlocked and potentially accessible to children. Research indicates that if a gun is stored in a home, the risk of homicide increases threefold and the risk of suicide increases fivefold. Guns also are 43 times as likely to be used to kill a family member or someone known to a family than to kill a stranger. "

The control of certain firearms wouldn't take away any of our rights, but could possibly save some of our children and other completely innocent people.

This is a highly debated issue and I can understand both sides. I would like to hear what you have to say. Please join me on LinkedIn and Google+.
As a freelance writer, I write on many other topics outside government and politics. If you need some help writing those high quality blog posts, you can get in touch over here. - Ken