The Right to Bear Arms

This is a debate on the interpretation of the meaning of the Second Amendment. Paul Blackman argues that the amendment should be interpreted to mean that all people have the right to bear arms. Barbara Lautman, on the other hand, argues that the wording and the writers' intent mean that this right should be strictly limited. The debate then moves on to a discussion of restricting hand guns. Paul Blackman argues that not only are such restrictions unconstitutional, but they are also not really effective. To make his case, he illustrates how states with strong hand gun restrictions still have high crime rates. Conversely, Barbara Lautman argues that we need strict federal laws governing the sale of hand guns. They answered student questions. close