We should ban most (if not all guns) in America/ ROTW

Firstly, thank you for accepting, as this issue is often discussed and causes frustration for many people. I hope we can raise some interesting points. May I also apologize for any in-corrections about America, obviously without living there there may be things I don't understand, however not being there also grants a neutral, unbiased viewpoint on the matter. The American Constitution is one of the most fundamental ideologies that govern the country, along with the bill of rights, declaration of independence and manifest destiny. The 2nd amendment states "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". It is the response to the potential threat of oppression and a tyrannous government. If ever the government were to infringe unlawfully on people's rights, the citizens of America could unite together and form a militia. Many people might say that this is as far as the argument goes, because it is rooted in the Constitution there is no chance of changing it. However this is old-fashioned and ineffective. For example, Jackson Koch, a senior at the iSchool explains this view by saying that the amendment was fitted for "back then we had muskets, " we didn"t have guns that could kill 30 people in 30 seconds."[1] By the same token, much like the first amendment, it is not an absolute right. [2]. Also if something that was immoral was rooted in the constitution then it would come down to a democratic vote as to whether or not it should remain. Even more popular documents such as the bible have been altered so this illustrates that it can be done.[3] I am proposing that most guns be banned in the USA, and ROTW, however due to the scope of the latter it is unlikely to be solved in our lifetimes. I believe the only guns that should be allowed are shotguns, and hunting rifles. This way you can still have some form of protection and also continue with hunting and protecting livestock/eliminating pests etc. I see absolutely no reason why automatic guns, armor piercing bullets and high-capacity magazines should be allowed. It seems that the original aim of the amendment has been distorted and misinterpreted (much like the mythical American Dream) and now people simply use guns as a hobby. Que NRA. If this were to be done, the ridiculous firearm crime rates in America would significantly drop. Just compare the crime rates of USA and UK, notice how the "murder with firearms" statistic in America is 668 times more. 14 vs 9369[4]. Also America has 82% more "total crime". This is not to mention the various mass shootings and slaughter of children that have happened in America (Sandy hook) on multiple occasions.[5][6]. People often argue that to take away people's guns would leave them open to criminals, but I believe the more helpless you are, the safer you are from criminals. Most criminals are not looking to go on rampage killings, so as long as you are unarmed, you are not a threat to the small amount of organized criminals who somehow obtain banned guns. When confronted by violent criminals, you should "put up no defense - give them what they want, or run is a quote from a handgun control book[7]. Also, a woman raped and strangled is morally superior to a woman with a smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet. Another reason would be to support public policy. Although it is often believed that Americans are all as extreme as the NRA, that is not the case. 60% wish to have stricter gun laws, ban assault rifles and have universal background checks. Now background checks wont stop another "Adam Lanza" from stealing a gun, but at least the only weapon he has at his disposal is a hunting rifle, where most likely he would be stopped by someone else with a rifle or the police. Speaking of the police, it is worth noting that the 2nd amendment is obsolete at best. The amendment talks about a militia, but this "militia" is the National guard, that act as a defense against any oppression. Also, even if you were to keep the right, if the time ever came of a tyrannical government minister wrecking havoc on America, your handgun would not protect you against the corrupted army, neither would an AR15. I would like to end my opening argument with my favorite analogy. If you were given a mobile phone, are you more, or less likely, to make phone calls? That is the fallacy of guns. [1] http://www.nycischool.org... [2] http://www.chsarrow.com... [3] http://www.bible.ca... [4] http://www.nationmaster.com... [5] http://en.wikipedia.org... [6] http://en.wikipedia.org... [7] (Handgun Control Inc. Chairman Pete Shields, Guns Don't Die - People Do, 1981, p. 125). http://www.law.cornell.edu...