17. If you lived in America today, where would you be on the gun issue? Consider the 5th Amendment right to carry arms and discuss why you there there should or should not be restrictions placed on gun ownership in America.

The American mentality behind guns revolves around the right to protect oneself, which to many seems like a just freedom. However, I believe that the mass flood of firearms into any area has more adverse effects than the contrary (in short, the bad out-weighs the good). If I were an American citizen I would not own a gun simply because of its dangerous nature, and its potential to cause devastating outcomes. The US has the highest suicide by gun rate in the world, and coincidentally the most gun related accidents. Thus it seems as though an initial idea for good gives individuals the opportunity to use these weapons in off-putting ways, although it may not have been the individual's initial intention. With this being said, restrictions should be set in place to deny high risk individuals the right to own a weapon (ex. screening process.).