The 2nd Amendment

1
The 2nd Amendment

• Right To Bear Arms

2
A Brief History

• Passed by Congress September 25, 1789.
• Ratified December 15, 1791.
• The first 10 amendments form the Bill of Rights.

3
The Great Debate!

• The principal debate surrounding the 2nd
  Amendment concerns whether the right to use and
  buy guns belongs to individuals or only to the
  military.
• Although the courts generally have held that the
  right applies to individuals, they have permitted
  the government to limit some rights of gun
  manufacturers, owners and sellers.
• Today, questions about the 2nd Amendment center
  on bans on assault weapons, mandatory background
  checks, waiting periods, and other restrictions
  on gun sales or use.

4
What Does The 14th Amendment Have To Do With It?

• Section 1
• All persons born or naturalized in the United
  States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,
  are citizens of the United States and of the
  State wherein they reside. No State shall make or
  enforce any law which shall abridge the
  privileges or immunities of citizens of the
  United States nor shall any State deprive any
  person of life, liberty, or property, without due
  process of law nor deny to any person within its
  jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

5
So What Does This Mean?

• With the passage of the 14th Amendment and
  subsequent Supreme Court rulings, states were
  prohibited from making or enforcing laws that
  infringe on most of the rights set out in the
  Bill of Rights.
• However, this prohibition does not extend to the
  2nd Amendment. This means that the 2nd Amendment
  applies only to actions by the federal
  government. It does not protect people from state
  actions that interfere with their right to bear
  arms. As a result, gun control legislation varies
  widely among the 50 states.

6
Gun Control v. Gun Rights

• Class Debate

7
Debate Format

• 15-20 minute work period
• 10 minute Position Presentation- Gun Rights
• 10 minute Position Presentation- Gun Control
• 10 minute work period
• 5 minute Rebuttal- Gun Rights
• 5 minute Rebuttal- Gun Control
• (3) Questions/ 5 minute work period
• 3 minute Response- Gun Rights
• 3 minute Response- Gun Control
• 5 minute work period
• 2 minute Closing Statement- Gun Rights
• 2 minute Closing Statement- Gun Control

8

• Gun Rights Position Presentation (3)
• Gun Control Position Presentation (3)
• Gun Rights Rebuttal (2)
• Gun Control Rebuttal (2)
• Gun Rights Response (3)
• Gun Control Response (3)
• Gun Rights Closing (2)
• Gun Control Closing (2)