Once upon a time, there was a land called the United States where many laws were made in order to help keep order and protect the citizens. One of those laws was called the Second Amendment, and it allowed the people of this land to own guns in order to protect themselves.
All fairy tales aside, the Second Amendment is real and it still exists … sort of.
Back in the day, most people owned a gun because they hunted for their food. Nowadays, the only place I hunt for my food is Walmart, so the gun is not so necessary. But the town where I am from is surrounded by country and people who still hunt frequently, so I can understand why many people keep guns. But if I ever move to a city, I might purchase one and learn how to use it to defend myself in an emergency, which is the exact reason that constitutional amendment was created.
While the Amendment does remain in place to date, I have news for anyone from New York City. Currently, proposals are being made suggesting revisions on gun laws in the city: if you have a record with any sort of violation, you may soon be denied a permit to own a gun. No permit, no legal possession of the firearm.
The proposed revisions state that the New York Police Department can deny gun license applicants based on a number of things: any reason you were fired from your last job, anything on your driving record that may suggest you are “reckless,” or even a deemed lack of “good moral character” could be a mark against your right to the Second Amendment. So basically, if you sneeze the wrong way and it shows up on your record, you can be denied a gun license. Slight exaggeration of course, but the point remains – the government is looking for more and easier ways to reject applicants.
Please note: I greatly respect all of what law enforcement does to keep us safe and have nothing but true admiration for those who put their lives on the line every day. I am personally all for fighting the bad guys and protecting innocent civilians; I watch my fair share of cop shows, I’ve wanted to join the FBI since I was 15. I’d like to think I am an upstanding citizen.
I’m not sure how I feel about these revisions, though. I don’t own a gun, but if I were ever to move to NYC I wouldn’t want some parking violation from years before to keep me from purchasing a gun to protect myself.
I support progress and changing the government to keep up with the times, but the rights granted to us in the Bill of Rights are still relevant and always will be. The amendments were created for the purposes of “extending the ground of public confidence in the government.” This situation is a sign of the government infringing on our rights, and not something that instills confidence in me.