Lately, there has been an ongoing debate about firearms control and many people are trying to stop giving citizens the right to own or possess firearms. There are many people who think that no one should be allowed to own a firearm while there are many other people who believe that they deserve the right to own a firearm for many reasons. Due to the large difference in beliefs on this topic, there is a large debate within the United States government about whether or not citizens should be allowed to continue to use and keep guns. What really seems to be happening in this debate is that the people who want restrictions aren't getting what they want. There are many reasons for this and many reasons why people should be allowed to retain the right to bear arms. Americans deserve to retain the right to own guns for lawful purposes. As part of government laws, Americans have the right to bear arms; the right to own weapons. 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 right to bear arms has been given to Americans and has never changed since 1791, and now there are people trying to change it. If US citizens have managed to maintain this right for over 200 years, why should it be changed now? There are some corrupt people in the United States who should not be allowed to own a gun, but that does not mean that the right to have a gun should be taken away from all Americans. Many people have a tendency to form false opinions about guns and what they are for based on undisclosed facts. As Alexander McNabb states in one of his articles, "Your opinion regarding firearms is evident... middle of paper... guns are used for things much more useful than illegal crime, such as hunting, competition , recreational use and teach responsibility. Guns are a symbol of self-defense and protect people across the country. Taking guns away from people would deprive them of their right to life as citizens of the United States of America. Alexander. “Yankee Bias and Gun Control.” The Right Stuff. NP, Nov. 19, 2013. Web. March 30, 2014. “Homicide and Homicide Rates Before and After Gun Bans – Crime Prevention Research Center.” Crime Prevention Research Center. (CPRC), December 1, 2013. Web. March 29, 2014. Lott, John R., Jr. “Effects of Gun Control.” March 2014.Wiebel, Robert. “It's Time to Think About Gun-Related Outdoor Recreation.” Examiner.com. Np, 24 December 2012. Web. 30 March. 2014.