“The only thing stopping a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” -Wayne LaPierre, chairman of the National Rifle Association (NRA)

The Second Amendment to the US Constitution is arguably the most important and significant amendment there is, giving Americans the right to keep and bear arms. This right should not be limited or taken away in any form by the government, and gun control is unconstitutional. The horrific massacre in Las Vegas earlier this fall was gruesome, and to quote President Trump, an act of pure evil. It is also important to note that the obscure, extremely deadly modifications that Stephen Paddock used on his rifles, such as bump stocks, have been the subject of a ban pushed by pro-gun Republicans and the NRA. What many Democrats have proposed, and what the progressive movement is pushing strongly for, however, is that we should retaliate with sweeping bans, and increased government encroachment on gun purchases and on the regulation of certain types of guns, specifically semi-automatics and “assault rifles.” Those who are for gun control believe that guns are responsible for gun violence, and that implementing new restrictive laws would keep guns off of the street. They also believe that enforcement and regulation would work in America in the same way that it has in countries like Australia, which has a fraction of the population and an entirely different culture than the US.

Banning guns, or banning a certain type of gun, or increasing federal regulations to such a debilitating level for law-abiding citizens to practice their second amendment right, is ineffective in stopping mass shootings, and more importantly, unconstitutional. Gun control laws do not stop the frequency or deadliness of shootings, and only make it more difficult for a law-abiding citizen to acquire a gun for personal protection. In fact, a November 2013 study proved that putting more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens decreases violent crime, and allows more people to protect themselves and their families. This happens more often than you would think, as guns are used for self-defense 2.5 million times a year, according to the NRA. Severely limiting guns in this country would only allow those connected with a black market–criminals–to have firearms to do severe harm.

In the city of Chicago, Illinois there were 3,550 shooting incidents and 762 murders in 2016 as a result of those shootings. These numbers are the highest they have been for the city since 1997, and is mostly due to gang violence and poor policing. Chicago has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation, yet cannot manage to keep them out of the hands of dangerous gang criminals. They did, however, keep them out of the hands of the 762 murder victims, who would not have been able to purchase one legally.

The Second Amendment to the Constitution is imperative to the safety and security of our union, and must be preserved and protected. Gun control does not work, and for it to be implemented would be an infringement on an American right.