If I Could Change One Thing About the Constitution....

Yesterday, I helped my cousin with an essay in her summer class. The topic is "The United States Constitution is composed of seven articles, along with 27 Amendments. If you could change one thing about the Constitution, what would it be?" It is really an interesting topic. So I began to help her to draft an essay to talk about one of 27 Amendments. I, myself, think of one Amendment too. This is the one.

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The Second Amendment is always a big problem for this nation. Since there are so many tragedies caused by guns, the Second Amendment can’t longer be a liberty everyone can enjoy. The Second 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." (The Bill of Rights). This clearly states that Americans are born with the right to own guns; everyone can access a firearm, and the government cannot control this right. If we violate the 2nd Amendment, it will violate the first amendment, too, giving people their fundamental freedom. And because of that freedom, it caused so many massacres that happened to this nation and maybe in the future. So I believe that the Second Amendment should be reformed and limited.

The Second Amendment opened many opportunities for people to abuse that liberty. I feel so strange because when this amendment gives people the right to use guns, they never think about the consequences if this right falls into the hands of people who don't deserve it. People with violence and mental issues can use it, and people under age can use it—no limit on gun users. One of the clearest examples that guns have caused is the tragedy of Majority Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14th, 2018. The killer, Nikolas Cruz, who was only 19 years old then, carried an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle into the school and killed 17 people. Now, Cruz is sentenced to life without parole. This event with me was the most shocking because back then, I was still in high school and I just felt like it could happen at any time, at any minute. Another event caused by guns is Las Vegas bloody mass shooting in Mandalay Bay in 2017. During a concert killed, 59 people and 500 people were hurt, and the killer committed suicide a moment later before the police came in.

Two tragedies told so many things about the gun and the Second Amendment. So here I think it should be reformed and added some clauses. We don’t need to delete this amendment because guns can be a defense weapon. First, limit this right to a particular group. Meaning that whoever committed a crime that was caused by a gun will be banned from this right; whoever with a history of violence or mental issues will also be banned from this right. Second, a gun should be put on a limited age of users. Meaning whoever is above 25 years old can access a gun, but to have a gun certificate, the law must push it harder to have the right to access a gun. Third, the police can use guns on duty but can’t shoot the suspects if they haven’t figured out whether they committed that crime. And also, if the police violate the laws, he/she should be terminated from that job forever and no longer have access to a gun. We don’t want the abuse of power from the police to happen one more time, like what they did to Breonna Taylor. Finally, gun ownership and gun license should be only controlled by the government. Meaning whoever sells guns must be approved by the government; a license to use guns should be provided by that state government and signed by the Governor.

If the government reforms the Second Amendment, they should add those clauses above to that amendment. It will be changed like this. “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the certain people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed if the people and the state obey the clause.” If it can be true, I think it can prevent more tragedies in the future.