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The Right to Bear Arms

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The Right to Bear Arms
Katie Bruner
BCOM275
January 4, 2011
Christine Taylor

Doctor's Asking About Guns in the Home Recently the discussion on the radio was about pediatricians asking parents about firearms in the household. I found an article with basic pros and cons to this subject. Law are put into place to keep the public safe, but sometimes those law start to step on the toes of Americans’ rights. Is it really necessary for my pediatrician to ask me about my gun collection or if I even have one? The Second Amendment is a powerful one, but people are making it difficult for any ordinary citizen to enjoy this right. According to (Constitution.org, 10/1), the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights 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.” (Constitution.org, 11/2) says “The militia, when properly formed, is in fact the people themselves….all men capable of bearing arms.” The Second Amendment was ultimately formed so that the government cannot become too strong and overpower the people. This means anyone in America has the right to bear arms. Now I understand the need to put some regulation on this right for obvious reasons. But what I do not understand is what having a gun has to do with my children’s well baby check-ups. When reading this article Kids and Guns: Why Doctors Have a Right to Know, it say how a pediatrician told the mother of his patient the if she did not provide the information about whether or not she had any guns in the house, she was going to have to find a new pediatrician (Cohen, 09/1). It goes on to say that the government is not trying to interfere with people’s right to use and own guns, it is about doctors asking because they have good medical reason to ask. I pose the question, what constitutes a “good medical reason to ask”? The article talks about how more than “3,000 children and teens were killed by guns”, how many of those children were killed by their parents’ guns because of the parent’s lack of common sense and good judgment when handling and storing those guns? Laws are changed every day because of people who lack common sense and good judgment. The government has had to put restrictions on people who can own a gun. For example, a felon or a person on parole cannot own or carry firearms. I agree with this. We do not need a bunch of criminals running around with guns (even though they do it anyways). I believe that law was put into place to better protect the public. Whether or not a person owns a gun, I believe, has nothing to do with the health of my child. If I own a gun, do not practice good judgment with my gun, I should not be allowed to have one. It is a right to bear arms but in the same sense it is also a privilege. If my child is injured or killed because of my lack of sense of good judgment and common sense, and also my lack of informing my child the danger of playing with guns, I only have myself to blame. It is because of the bad choices and lack of good judgment and common sense of other people that I have to be questioned by others of my rights.

References
Cohen, A. (09/19/2011). Kids and Guns: Why Doctors Have a Right to Know. Retrieved from http://ideas.time.com/2011/09/19/kids-and-guns-why-doctors-have-a-right-to-know/
Constitution.org. (10/11/2011). Bill of Rights. Retrieved from http://http://www.constitution.org/billofr_.htm#bor-rkba
Constitution.org. (11/26/2011). Militia. Retrieved from http://www.constitution.org/mil/cs_milit.htm

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