Frank Newport Gallup editor-in-chief notes that conservatives support the Second Amendment rights even when they are not interested in carrying guns. The views of conservatives and their support for the Second Amendment seem to be politicized according to Newport. For conservatives gun rights and gun control issues come down to the Second Amendment the importance of having that right to protect yourself should you need it.
Newports statements have been corroborated by a Pew Research poll that found three out of five Republicans who did not own guns are in favor of the a reduced waiting period to buy guns and want concealed carry weapons allowed without a permit. Guns according to Newport are part of a frontier mentality that has lasted through the years in the U.S. But gun owners would tell you that it comes down the concept of the right to protect yourself and your family. This means that Americans especially conservative Republicans defend their rights to own and carry guns purely due to the meaning guns hold.
To voice their perspectives on gun control conservative Republicans are working with organizations such as National Rifle Association. While it is clear that conservatives support the Second Amendment and have always done since the 1980s it is not clear to all they they do that. Support for gun rights is carried in the bulk of the Republican Partys agendaand here is why in three simple points.
Gun Ownership is a Symbol of American Revolution
What were the reasons surrounding the enactment of the Second Amendment? When democracy was created in America the Founding Fathers were still worried that tyranny would resume. Ergo they created a democracy that had limits. The Second Amendment was enacted to give citizens leverage and allow them to protect themselves in the event of terror. Some claim it is not very clear according to the Second Amendment as to who should own and carry a gun. It states militias" rather than individuals" to own and carry guns.
According to George Mason the principle author behind the Bill of Rights militia as stated in the Second Amendment means the general public except for select public officials. There is also the use of the word regulated" in the bill which means that there is room for firearms to be legally regulated. However on whether or not Americans should own guns conservatives feel that guns give them the power to self-government and protect them from tyrants.
Gun Rights Need No Justification
Why do Americans need to own assault weapons? This is a question mostly posed by Piers.However according to conservatives the question is redundant. The Constitution guarantees the right of Americans to carry guns and as such they will whether they have a reason or not. While the concept of owning and carrying guns because the Constitution allows it might not sit well with everyone it is what motivates most conservatives to purchase guns.
When President Barack Obama threatened to regulate firearms more there was a rise in gun sales because conservatives felt that their constitutional rights were about to be infringed. However some claim the conservatives mindset is a result of individual liberty that tramples over corporate responsibility. Conservatives argue that assault weapons are only assault weapons when used in an assault in a healthy society assault weapons are rarely used.
Gun owners feel that violent movies and lack of religion are to blame for guns. Charlton Heston once said there are no good or bad guns only guns in the hands of good people or bad people. And again guns can be used for varmint shooting especially for farmers and people living near jungles.
The Guns that Kill Can Also Save Lives
There are so many guns in America that they have almost become the building blocks of social order. These guns can be a source of anarchy as well as they can be a source of peace. According to conservatives because criminals have easy access to guns it is only fair to allow potential victims to access guns too. There is a correlation between liberalization of gun laws and reduced gun crime rates. Hundreds die every year from gun fire but the statistics are shaped by two factors; lone shooters and drug crime.
The fact remains that guns are a part of American culture and have been since the days of our Founding Fathers. Conservatives have their reasons to defend guns while anti-gun rights groups have their reasons to fight the Second Amendment.