Gun control

Gun control is the attempt, usually by a government, to restrain or stop people from owning or using guns. Gun control may also regulate the making, moving, and selling of guns. People want gun control because guns are very dangerous. Gun control is very controversial in some countries, such as in the United States. Some countries such as the United States, Switzerland, and Israel allow people to own guns to defend themselves, but most countries do not.

Gun Control in the United States

There is a strong "gun lobby" in the United States. It is led by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), which supports the right to own guns. They want it to be fairly easy to get a gun. Other groups, such as the Brady Campaign, want guns to be hard to get because they believe that guns cause violence, injury and death. Some states have very strict gun laws, but others, such as Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Mississippi, do not.

In the 70's Gun Control gained more national attention. In 1977 Guns Rights Activists changed the NRA's focus from sports to gun rights. They started running ads marketing self defense primarily towards women. In the 80's the NRA ran ads about concealed carry.

The 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution Amendment says, "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 is taken to mean, every American citizen has the right to "keep and bear arms". Originally, it was thought that the federal government could not ban guns, but states and cities could. However, in 2010, the Supreme Court said that states and cities could not ban handguns. Although banning all guns is not allowed anymore, states and cities can still stop the sale and use of certain kinds of guns, such as automatic rifles that fire many bullets very quickly. They can also say that certain people, such as criminals, cannot own guns.