The United States is full of many different kinds of people with many different experiences, education, and beliefs. But no matter how different they are, they all have certain rights (or things that people can do) in common, meaning that they all have the same basic rights. The freedom of expression and freedom of speech let people say whatever they want to, with only a few exceptions or limitations. Freedom of assembly lets people meet in groups. Freedom to petition the government lets people try to change their government and ask it to help them. Freedom of worship lets people follow whatever religion they want to, or none at all. And finally, the right to bear arms lets people buy and have guns.

    That last right, the right to bear arms, is much more controversial (or is not easy for people to agree about) than the other rights. Because Americans have the right to bear (or have and use) arms (which include guns and other weapons), there are many guns owned by individual people for their own use in the United States. Some of these guns just stay in the homes or are used to hunt (or kill animals, usually to eat the meat). But other guns are used to hurt and kill people illegally. Some people believe that if we didn’t have the right to bear arms, there wouldn’t be as many lethal (or deadly) shootings.

    When the Founding Fathers gave Americans the right to bear arms, people who fought in the militia (or the army) were not professional soldiers. They were everyday people who helped to fight for their country and they had to bring their own guns. Many people think that the Founding Fathers gave Americans the right to bear arms so that our country could fight against its enemies (or the people and countries who are against our country). The Founding Fathers could not have imagined the situation today, where many people have guns and use them illegally. The people who think this way would like to get rid of (or not have) the right to bear arms.

    But other people strongly think that Americans should continue to have the right to bear arms. They think that having a gun is part of what it means to be an American. Because people on both sides of the issue have such strong beliefs, the right to bear arms continues to be very controversial.

 

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