With increasing gun violence in the United States, gun control has become a major topic of discussion. Whether politically or personally motivated, Americans continually debate the issue as it continues to rage across the country. After the Sandy Hook massacre, many people called for a stricter interpretation of the Second Amendment. After the Boston Marathon bombing, Americans felt like they needed to maintain some form of self-defense because, clearly, the government couldn't protect them. The Second Amendment states: “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” (“Second Amendment”). The debate will continue, but for many the issue is clear. Americans are guaranteed the right to have guns in their homes and on their person; therefore, the government should not try to prevent people from having this right. Among gun owners, the reasons for owning a gun have changed. One reason to oppose gun control is protection. A national survey finds that nearly half of gun owners (forty-eight%) voluntarily say that the primary reason they own a gun is for protection, and the majority (fifty-eight%) fear that the new laws would make it more difficult for people protect their guns. homes and families ("Why own a gun?"). According to a US Department of Justice study based on crime data, 42% of Americans will be the victim of a completed violent crime (assault, robbery, rape) in their lifetime, 83% of Americans will be the victim of an attempted or completed violent crime, and 52% of Americans will be the victim of an attempted or completed violent crime more than once (USA Based on survey). data study... half of the document... n the pro-gun control movement wants to see some guns taken off the shelves, while others believe they should be outlawed entirely believe that “regulation can be worked out, if owners of arms collectively recognize the civic responsibility that, since the earliest colonial days, has always been inseparable from the civic right to keep and bear arms” (Shultz). It goes without saying that most Americans want to reduce shootings and other types of violence. The real issue is how we should act to reduce the problem. In light of recent mass shootings in America, it is no surprise that citizens are in uproar over the issue of gun control. Keep in mind, however, that it is difficult to determine what effect gun control has on reducing crime. That said, our 2nd Amendment right should not be contested.