nd guns in the city and gun - related crime remains high. In 1989, 70 percent of the city's twenty - two hundred homicides were caused by gunfire according to LaFollette. The BATF says that 96 percent of all handguns used for criminal purposes come from outside the city. This means that criminals still obtain handguns for illicit purposes despite New York's tough laws. But should the government have the right and the power to take guns away from citizens? This will be discussed in the next section. The second amendment is a very simple idea that many people will try to complicate. Why? Because they try to twist it's concept to support their own ideas. But the second amendment to the constitution is a very straight forward, simple statement. The second amendment simply says " 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." Gun control proponent argue that this only applies to a state militia and not the right of an individual to own and carry a gun. Let us examine the constitution to see if this is indeed the case. Let us begin by examining the first amendment. It states " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Notice first of all that in this single amendment to the constitution there are actually six rights guaranteed to the "people". This will be significant in later discussion. Next, notice the significance of the word "people". This word simply means "the persons composing a community or tribe or race or nation." or "the subjects or citizens of a state". Notice that it doesn't mean the public as a whole or one but rather it means each individual. With that said let us move on to the amendment in question...
