There is one gun for every adult and half of the children in the U.S.

The estimated total number of guns is around 220 million.

The number of households with guns is about 40 percent

In 2009, 1 in 20 high school students reported carrying a gun in a previous month.

In 2009 guns killed 35,957 people in the U.S. (homicides, suicides, accidental shootings)

Firearms are the second leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S. (after automobile accidents)

In 2009 84 % of homicides were attributed to guns b/w the ages of 13 to 19

Protected by the Second Amendment• “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.”

Looking at the language of the second amendment, Do you believe that it protects an individual’s right to own and operate a gun or a state’s right?

Majority of people have guns legally and use them lawfully

Some guns are used illegally in violent crimes

Government does various things to control firearm usage; however, this is a controversial issue.• 1968 Gun Control Act put in place after the

murders of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert Kennedy

• 1993 Brady Act put in place after the White House Press Secretary James Brady was shot during an attempt on President Ronald Reagan’s life in 1981.

• 1968 Gun Control Act Prohibits certain categories of persons from buying or

possessing weapons Requires serial #’s on all guns Establishes a licensing-fee schedule for firearms

manufacturers, importers, and dealers Prohibits the mail-order sales of all firearms and

ammunition Regulates the interstate sale of handguns Sets penalties for carrying and using firearms in crimes

of violence or drug trafficking Sets age guidelines for firearms purchased through

dealers 21 for handguns and 18 for long-guns Bans the importation of certain semiautomatic weapons

1993 Gun Control Act• Requires the Attorney General to create an

national system to instantly check the background of persons who want to buy guns.

• Gun dealers must check the instant background service before completing the purposed sale.

• Many states have also enacted legislation requiring background checks, fingerprinting, firearm training, and other application requirements to purchase a gun.

Gun laws vary by states• Some require a training course or test before

purchasing a gun.• Some allow a person to carry concealed weapons (in

12011—41 states allow it) Why? Individuals have the right to carry a weapons for purposes of self-defense

Some states have very strict laws that require a permit that shows a specific need (ex. security job)

Vermont is the only state that does not regulate the carrying of guns

The District of Columbia along with seven other states does not allow citizens to carry a concealed weapon.

U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the Second Amendment on several occasions along with lower courts• All courts have ruled that the amendment

guarantees a state’s right to maintain a militia.• Has not used the 2nd Amendment yet to strike

down federal, state, or local legislation to control guns.