The issue of gun control has been a heated topic of discussion throughout the United States for quite some time; particularly during the past few years. The focus concerns the freedom of Americans to own guns-a right believed by many Americans to have been earned through the sweat and lives of our forefathers-and the concern for the safety of our loved ones and ourselves as we travel through our everyday existence. Fundamentally, determination of whether Americans even have the right to bear arms rests with the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The language references a citizen’s rights of self-defense, their obligations to resist oppression and the duty to defend the state (Second Amendment to the United States Constitution). However, because the language is vague as to whether it is a right afforded to the citizen or an obligation to support a militia, debate has stirred arguing that, because our circumstances have changed since the enactment and we no longer require citizen militias, individuals should not have the access to guns which, ultimately, can find their ways into public gatherings placing other Americans in danger of an armed attack. History of Gun Control Solid arguments have been posed on both sides of the debate as to whether individuals have the right to keep and bear arms. Recognizing that our signers could not have predicted the sophistication of today’s weaponry while they were forming our Bill of Rights, one has to wonder whether that inability makes a difference. If the founding fathers determined that we, as Americans, should maintain arms, then should we simply bear arms regardless of the type? If they would have had knowledge of or access to automatic weapons during the drafting stages, would they have really specified revolvers as opposed to semi-automatic or fully-automatic assault rifles? In fact, if their intent was to support the obligation to defend the state, would a fully-automatic assault rifle not be the preferred tool? On its face, the deadlier abilities of the more developed weaponry would be exactly what the 2nd Amendment calls for. The concern has developed, however, because too many of the citizens who bear arms have utilized those arms against other citizens during instances which were not for th