Possible Against Gun Control Essay Topics

There are few subjects in the USA that cause as much controversy as gun control. Both sides have a lot of arguments and a lot of passion, and in the wake of atrocities like the recent Sandy Hook shootings the whole argument becomes a lot more heated. This obviously makes it a popular choice for essays, so if you're planning on writing an essay against gun control you need to make it stand out from the crowd by choosing an interesting topic. Here are a few suggestions.

What does the Second Amendment mean by "militia"?

A common argument by gun control advocates is that the Second Amendment only applies to members of the organized militia, which has now been replaced by the US armed forces. In fact under American law the militia includes all males aged between 18 and 45 and all those up to age 64 who have military experience.

This argument is not very relevant anyway, because the amendment also states, quite clearly, that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Is there any point in gun control?

You could start this essay by agreeing that banning guns would indeed make society a safer place. It doesn't matter if you don't actually think so; it shows a willingness to compromise and accept your opponent's argument while rejecting their conclusions. How does this work? Simple. There are an estimated 300 million privately owned guns in the USA. In most cases there are no records of where they are or who owns them. It's simply too late for gun control to work; the only people who would obey new laws are the law-abiding majority. Criminals don't obey the law.

What's more important - life or liberty?

Anti-gun advocates claim that reducing gun ownership would save lives. Whether this is true or not it's beside the point; gun ownership is a right. There are all sorts of rights that could be taken away to save lives. The right to drive a car, the right to operate an airline, the right to eat fried food… once you decide that saving life at any cost is more important than rights, where will it end? Look at all the things that would save lives if they were banned. Does it leave much that would be allowed?

Will gun control protect children?

Saving children is an emotional subject and it can be hard to argue against. What are the facts though? They're very simple; responsible gun owners keep their weapons unloaded and in a secure cabinet. If children die because someone left a loaded pistol lying around the house the problem isn't guns; it's stupidity. Find a few cases where children were injured or killed in gun accidents and look at what the gun owner did wrong; point out how responsible gun ownership - which is best learned as a child! - could have prevented it.

These topics are all ones that have been discussed often enough that you can find plenty of information, but they're also slightly different from the ones that are most commonly discussed in the media. That gives you the chance to write an interesting essay that should attract a good grade.