Guns are a topic that people seem to obsess over whether the person is telling you how horrible guns are or how great guns are, people seem to have lots to say about this topic. When you hear on the news how many people die from guns each year you probably think most deaths are from mass shootings or murder. However, more than half of deaths in the US are self-inflicted suicides and not murders. John Gramlich from the Pew Research Center stated “Though they tend 

to get less public attention than gun-related murders, suicides have long accounted for the majority of U.S. gun deaths.” The talk of regulating guns and even downright banning them has been up in the air for several years now. However, there are countless instances of guns being used for good in self-defense scenarios. The American people have the right to own as many guns as they want and whatever guns they want. In cases of murder, more often than not, the gun was bought illegally on the streets or through a dealer and is not registered. Even if the government decided to ban guns people who own guns to harm others will still have access to illegal firearms. Jaclyn Diaz of NPR wrote an article about illegal firearms in this article she stated “The ATF found that 54% of traced crime guns were recovered by law enforcement more than three years after their purchase. Those guns were illegally purchased, but were later used in crimes, the report indicated.” Guns are being purchased illegally and then being used in crimes years later. So banning or regulating everyday American access to firearms would not prevent this cycle from continuing to take place. However, another argument that is often made is, “Why should everyday Americans own AR-15s?” This argument is often made because the AR-15 is a military-like weapon that can have high-capacity magazines and a high fire rate. Citizens should be able to own and operate military-grade weapons whether they are used for self-defense or shooting on the range. Jon Stokes from the Vox wrote about why Americans buy AR-15s and why he made the decision to buy his own. He stated “This is all part of why I, a civilian, own a military-grade combat weapon. I don’t want to shoot and miss; I don’t want the gun to jam because it’s dirty or cold; and when I’m hunting game I don’t want to hit my target and then have it run off into the woods and die lost and wounded because I didn’t “bring enough gun.” I firmly believe in the Second Amendment and believe every American should have the right to buy whatever gun they want if they pass all background checks and protocols. It is our constitutional right to bear arms and we should if we feel necessary. Jan Herrick of the Warsaw Institute wrote about owning guns and the Second Amendment and said “Many observers and those interested in American politics argue that the 2nd Amendment to the American Constitution guarantees citizens the right to self-defense in a life-threatening situation. This is a common misinterpretation of this provision, which makes no mention of the right to use firearms for self-defense purposes. This does not mean, however, that this right is not included in the US Constitution.”