As seniors at Emery High School, we are required to do a senior project in Language Arts. I researched the Second Amendment’s controversial topic, also known as the Right to Bear Arms. My intent going into this research was to prove my opinion and take a stand. In some ways, I did. However, I learned from researching this topic that it is more important to be unified than a one-sided opinion. Something else that I learned is that it is crucial to see both sides of every situation. According to Quinnipiac University, “Nearly half of Americans (49 percent) oppose stricter gun laws in the United States while 45 percent support stricter gun laws.” Everyone has their own opinion, and that is something that people need to learn to respect.
Another critical point is that voicing your opinion matters. If you have something that you believe in and see a good cause, do not be afraid to stand up for your belief. In the Bible, the book of James states that faith without works is dead. Therefore, keeping your belief to yourself does not accomplish anything. You need to have “works” with your beliefs. An example is the 2018 rally for second amendment rights at the Utah capitol; no one was harmed or property destroyed, but it demonstrated a belief and showed that the community was willing to act on their beliefs.
Also, many people like to only focus on half of the Second Amendment and divide it. Generally, those for gun control focus on it being “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state.” On the other hand, those against gun control only see it as “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
However, views like this are what divide us as a people. Like the dividing of the Amendment, people divide themselves. People are divided from political viewpoints to the way we speak because they cannot accept others’ cultures and opinions. Like the founding fathers of America, all from different backgrounds, views, cultures and opinions, they all had one work in mind. They took time and risks to see each other’s points of view. As a result, they were able to compromise and work together. The work they accomplished was incomparable and written down in history. Similarly, If people could see with both eyes and be unified, how much more could we accomplish as a community, state or even country?
Tyrell Guymon
Emery High Student
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