2nd amendment (funky Friday)

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 2

The second amendment explained

The second amendment explained

The second what?

Every country in the world has a constitution (grondwet). In that constititution is written how the country should be governed. (hoe dat land geleid moet worden) 

The constititution of the U.S. was written and signed by the 'Founding Fathers' in 1789. Constitutions tend to be old... and the American one is the oldest still in power today. 

The constitution was about the ideals on which the U.S.A. was built. How the government should run the country. Now they had a pamflet saying what the rights of the government were and how the government should be empowered (gekozen) by the people. But there was nothing in it about the freedom and rights of the people. 

 Article 5 explained how the constitution could be changed with Amendments.

So they came up with the Bill of Rights. A list of 10 Amendments (wijzigingen). It didn't replace the actual text of the constitution. It came as a bonus...

James Madison

Primary author of the whole ordeal

The second 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.

meaning:

Een goed gereguleerde militie (burgerwacht), die noodzakelijk is voor de veiligheid van een vrije staat en het recht van het volk om wapens te houden en te dragen, mag niet worden geschonden.

met  andere woorden:

Als het land wordt aangevallen zou het wel verrekte goed uitkomen als iedereen een wapen had om ons land te beschermen. En daarom mag het recht om wapens te dragen niet worden geschonden.

But this was written in 1789. Six years after the Brits were kicked out... Back then, it might have seemed sensible. But now were 233 years later. 

The second amendment is the right to keep and bear arms. Even though no militia is needed anymore. The U.S.A. has the most powerful military in the world. 

The second amendment is one of the most controversial amendments in the world. People in favor of it state they need their guns for protection.

Do you think our country would be safer if we were allowed to carry loaded guns around?

Here are some figures... food for thought...

In 2018 nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. have died from inflicted gun wounds.

Between 1968 and 2011 1.4 million people in the U.S. have died from firearms.

Compared to the other 22 wealthiest countries the number of murders by firearms in the U.S. is 25% higher.

Since 1949 over 60 mass shootings have occured, killing at least 10.

In the last 16 years at least 10 school shootings have occured.

According to USA Today, in 2019 “about 95% of public schools now have students and teachers practice huddling in silence, hiding from an imaginary gunman.” (where we only do a firedrill, once a year)

The second amendment is also debated to protect the people against a 'tyranny in government'. 

And to protect what is their own.

Hope to see you all in good health next week!